Simple Stacked-Roof Haunted House Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick and prep the pumpkin

   Choose a tall, evenly round pumpkin with a smooth flat-ish front panel so the house sits straight. Have an adult cut a lid from the bottom or the back rather than the top, which keeps the stem intact and lets you set the pumpkin over an LED light easily. Scrape the inside of the front wall down to about one inch thick so your cuts go through cleanly. A thinner wall also lets more light escape through the windows.

2. 2

   Transfer the design and mark the center line

   Since no real pumpkin exists in the concept image, plan your own version on paper first, then tape the pattern to the front. Draw a light vertical center line so the tall upper window, lower window, and door all stack in a straight column. Poke through the pattern along all the window panes, the arched door, the step, and both roof outlines. Remove the paper and connect the dots with a washable marker.

3. 3

   Cut the tall upper window first

   Start with the tall multi-pane upper window because its narrow shape sets the vertical center of the whole design. Use a small saw tool and cut each pane opening as a full cutout, keeping the thin bars between panes intact as bridges so the grid holds together. Go slowly around the little muntin bars, since these are the most fragile part. Push each freed piece inward to pop it out rather than pulling outward.

4. 4

   Work downward through the lower window and door

   Move to the divided lower window and cut its panes the same way, again leaving the dividing bars uncut. Then cut the arched front door as one clean opening, sawing the straight sides first and the curved top last so the arch stays smooth. Keep the wall frame and both roof lines uncut so the house shape stays solid. Take breaks to check that your bridges are still firmly attached.

5. 5

   Add the step strip last

   Cut the short ground-level step strip near the bottom last, since it is the widest single opening and removing it early can weaken the front. Keep the little notched edge shallow so the bottom rind stays strong. If any cut edge looks ragged, tidy it with a clean pass of the saw. Save the roof outlines and wall as untouched skin for contrast.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Drop a battery LED tea light or a small LED puck inside and set the pumpkin over it, never a real flame. A single bright warm LED throws the most light through that large upper window and reads well from the street even on a wet porch. Shoot photos at dusk so the glowing windows pop against the darker rind. Wipe the surface dry first so raindrops do not blur the shot.