Sep 14, 2026

North Dakota Rectangle Pumpkin

North Dakota's rectangular silhouette glows as a single large cutout opening, its nearly straight top and bottom borders and gently irregular eastern edge clearly readable from across a porch. Pierce the outline cleanly by scoring the border first with a linoleum tool before finishing with a pumpkin saw, which keeps the long straight cuts from drifting. An LED inside this wide-open shape floods the rind evenly, making this pumpkin carving idea especially striking at dusk.

This is an AI-generated concept image: a realistic, carvable design idea rather than a photo of a finished carve. AI concepts are always labeled and sit out the leaderboard and the contest.

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Easy Words & Letters Artistic Classic Cutout

north-dakota words artistic cutout easy state-map map usa

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Want to try this?

Want to try this? It is one of the friendliest cutouts you can carve, and a great first state map.

Beginner friendly · Single cutout + scoring

Read our carving tips

Similar stencils

Similar stencils feature simple state-map silhouettes with clean borders.

Tools for this approach

Our suggestions for trying a similar carve. Start with what you already have.

Elmchee Pumpkin Carving Kit
13-piece kit with carrying case
Saws for the larger cutouts, plus a scoop for hollowing. Covers both jobs in one kit.
View on Amazon
Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
View on Amazon

A little extra help

Our tips for carving a similar design

The whole effect here comes from one clean, bold cutout in the shape of North Dakota, so the trick is keeping those long straight top and bottom edges true while letting the eastern side stay gently wavy. Plan to score the full outline first, then saw it out as a single opening, so the light floods evenly through the whole shape. Because there are no thin bridges or fine detail, this reads clearly from across a porch.

Written by PumpkinCarvingIdeas.com, inspired by the image above. These are our suggestions, not instructions from the uploader. This approach to the AI concept has not been tested on a real pumpkin.

From pumpkin to porch

Pick a smooth, flat panel
Choose a pumpkin with a broad, even area on the front where the rectangle can sit. Avoid deep ribs or bumps across the design zone, since a flat surface keeps your straight borders from wandering. Wipe the skin clean and dry before you transfer anything. A rounder, medium-sized pumpkin gives you room to center the shape.
Open and gut it
An adult should cut a lid from the top or, better, a wide hole in the bottom so the pumpkin can sit down over an LED. Scoop out the seeds and scrape the inside wall behind the design down to about an inch thick. A thinner wall is easier to saw cleanly and lets more light through. Save some pulp in case you want to patch a slip later.
Transfer the state outline
Print the North Dakota shape at the size you want and tape it flat over the smooth panel. Poke closely spaced dots along the outline with a pin or a poker tool, following the straight top and bottom and the wavy eastern edge. Peel the paper and connect the dots lightly with a washable marker. Double check that the long horizontal lines look level before cutting.
Score the border first
Before you saw anything, trace the entire outline with a linoleum tool or the tip of a small saw to cut a shallow guide groove. This scored line keeps your long straight cuts from drifting and gives the saw a track to follow. Take your time on the corners so they stay crisp. Working the border first is what makes this easy design look sharp.
Saw out the single opening
Now cut fully through along the scored line with a pumpkin saw, using gentle in-and-out strokes and letting the blade do the work. Cut the long edges in short overlapping passes rather than one rushed stroke. Support the center piece with your free hand and pop it out last so the panel does not crack. Clean up any ragged spots by lightly resawing the edge.
Light it and photograph at dusk
Drop a bright LED puck or two inside and set the pumpkin over them. Because this is one wide opening, the whole cavity glows, so aim the light toward the front wall for an even wash. Shoot at dusk when the sky still holds a little color, which flatters the warm orange interior. Keep a battery light only, never a candle, especially with this large open face.

Gather your supplies

Check things off as you get ready.

Work on a stable surface, keep your free hand out of the cutting path, and have an adult handle sharp tools.

Three levels of light

Leave intact
The entire outer rind stays untouched and dark, framing the shape.
Peel & shade
Optional: lightly skin-peel a thin halo just outside the border for a soft glowing frame.
Cut through
The full North Dakota silhouette is cut through for the brightest, even flood of light.

Learn the carving basics

Before you start cutting

How do I keep the long top and bottom edges from looking crooked?

Mark the lines with a washable marker first and step back to check they look level before you cut. Score the whole border with a linoleum tool so the saw has a groove to follow. That guide track is what stops the blade from drifting on a long straight run.

Should the eastern edge be perfectly smooth?

No, the real state has a gently irregular eastern border, so a slightly wavy line actually reads as more accurate. Keep the curves shallow and continuous rather than jagged. The contrast between the straight sides and the softer eastern edge is what makes the shape recognizable.

Will one big cutout make the pumpkin weak?

A single opening this size is fine as long as you leave the surrounding rind and the shoulders intact. Cut from a bottom hole rather than the top if you want to preserve strength up high. Pop the center piece out last and avoid prying, which can crack the corners.