Simple Standing Chicken Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick your pumpkin and light it

   Choose a tall, round pumpkin with a smooth front panel wide enough for a full-body chicken shape. Cut a lid from the bottom or the back rather than the top so the stem stays intact for looks. Scrape the inside wall behind the design down to about one inch thick so light passes through evenly. Test-fit an LED tea light or puck light before you carve, never a real flame.

2. 2

   Transfer the hen outline

   Print or draw the standing chicken facing left, with the wing lifted slightly, the plump body, the comb points on top of the head, and three-toed feet at the bottom. Tape the pattern flat against the front and poke closely spaced dots along every line with a pushpin or awl. Pay extra attention to the small toe segments and the comb tips so you can find them later. Remove the paper and connect the dots with a pencil if the pattern feels faint.

3. 3

   Cut the tiny extremities first

   Start with the smallest, most fragile openings while the pumpkin wall is still fully supported. Carefully saw out the individual toe sections and the little gaps between them, then cut the comb points at the top of the head. Use a fine detail saw and gentle sawing motion, letting the tool do the work so thin walls do not snap. Leave narrow bridges of skin between adjacent toes so each stays anchored.

4. 4

   Remove the large body area

   Now cut the big main silhouette, the body, breast, and lifted wing, as one large opening. Work from the center outward and support the piece with your free hand so it does not tear free early and crack a thin edge. Because the openings meet the toes and comb you already cut, go slowly where the lines join. Pop the interior slug out gently once the full outline is released.

5. 5

   Texture the feather edges

   For the soft feathered look, do not cut all the way through along the outer body and wing edge. Instead peel just the top skin in short overlapping strokes with a small gouge or lino tool to make a dim feather band. Feather the top of the wing and the tail into a few pointed peels so the outline looks fluffy rather than sharp. Keep these strokes shallow so they glow a softer orange than the full cutout.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Set an LED light inside and check the balance from a few feet back. If the belly looks dim, thin the inner wall behind it a little more. Wipe the cut edges, rub a thin coat of petroleum jelly on them to slow drying, and shoot your photo at dusk when the glow reads strongest against a dark background.