North Dakota Rectangle Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   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.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   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.

6. 6

   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.

Written with AI to match this design