Simple Smiling Pitchfork Devil Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep the pumpkin and pick your light

   Choose a tall, evenly shaped pumpkin so the standing devil has room from horns to feet. Cut a lid from the bottom or the back rather than the top, which keeps the front wall clean for the design and makes it easy to set over an LED. Scoop the inside until the front wall is about one inch thick so your blade passes through smoothly. Dry the inside with paper towels before you transfer the pattern.

2. 2

   Transfer and plan your bridges

   Tape your stencil flat against the front, snipping the paper edges so it hugs the curve without wrinkles. Poke the outlines with a pin or transfer tool, spacing dots closer together on tight curves like the horns and tail loop. Before cutting, mark where the pitchfork tines and the tail arrow connect to solid skin so you leave small bridges there. These uncut links are what hold the thin pieces in place once the surrounding pumpkin is gone.

3. 3

   Cut the face gaps and pitchfork tines first

   Start with the smallest, most fragile shapes: the eye slits, the gaps between the fangs, and the three pitchfork prongs. Use a fine detail saw or a craft knife and take slow, short strokes, letting the tool do the work instead of forcing it. Support the piece with your free hand from behind as each fragment comes loose. Doing these while the whole wall is still solid gives you the most stability.

4. 4

   Open the body and limbs

   Move on to the larger openings: the horns, the head outline, the square body, the arms, and the legs. Cut the biggest windows last so the wall stays rigid as long as possible. When you reach the lower legs, lay the pumpkin gently on its side on a folded towel so you can press straight down instead of at an awkward angle. Keep the small connecting bridges intact where the arm meets the pitchfork and where the tail curls behind.

5. 5

   Clean the edges and test the glow

   Trim any ragged inner edges with the knife tip so the light reads as crisp shapes. For a softer glow in spots like the belly, you can shave the inside edge of a cutout at an angle to widen the light spread. Drop in an LED tea light or a small battery puck and check the effect in a dark room. Adjust any openings that look muddy or too narrow to glow clearly.

6. 6

   Set it up and photograph

   Place the finished devil on a windowsill or porch step against a dark background so the character pops. Rub a little petroleum jelly on the cut edges to slow drying and keep the shapes sharp for a few extra days. Never use an open flame; an LED keeps the thin tines and tail safe and cool. Snap your photo at dusk when the glow is strongest against the fading light.