Simple Butterfly Pumpkin Carving with Open Wing Cutouts

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep the pumpkin

   Cut a lid from the back and scoop out seeds and stringy flesh until walls are about one inch thick. Dry the outer face before transferring any template. A pumpkin with a gently curved face works better here than a very round one.

2. 2

   Transfer the wing outlines

   Use a printed butterfly wing template or draw two large rounded wing shapes flanking a slim center body. Pin-punch the perimeter of both wings and trace the dots with a marker. Make sure the body connects clearly to the shell at the top so it stays anchored.

3. 3

   Cut the two wing apertures

   Saw the left wing opening in one smooth pass, then repeat for the right. Keep the blade upright for clean vertical edges. Work slowly around any curves at the top and bottom of the wings to avoid overshooting the body connection.

4. 4

   Cut the accent holes

   Add the small accent holes around the wings using a small drill bit or apple corer. Space them to complement the wing shapes without crowding the available rind. These take only a few seconds each and make the overall composition look more finished.

5. 5

   Clean edges and light

   Trim any rough spots with a small craft knife and coat all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly. Place an LED puck inside and set the pumpkin on a front porch step. The two wide wings throw broad arcs of warm light onto the step below.

Written with AI to match this design