Skeleton Ribcage and Skull Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep the pumpkin and pick a flat face

   Choose a tall pumpkin with a broad, smooth front so the ribcage has room to spread. Cut a lid from the bottom or the back rather than the top so the stem stays intact for the skull area above the neck. Scoop the inside until the front wall is about one inch thick, scraping the carving face extra thin so cuts release cleanly. A thinner wall makes both the peeling and the cutouts much easier.

2. 2

   Transfer the full skeleton pattern

   Tape your printed stencil flat against the front, clipping the edges so it hugs the curve without wrinkling. Poke the outlines with a transfer tool or a thumbtack, following the skull, neck, ribs, arm bones, and pelvis. Dot closely along the delicate rib curves and teeth so you can connect the lines later. Peel the paper and lightly pencil in any gaps before you start cutting.

3. 3

   Carve the skull details first

   Start at the top while the wall is strongest. Use a small saw or a detail blade for the eye sockets, the triangular nose cavity, and the row of teeth. Keep short strokes and let the tool do the work so the thin tooth bridges stay attached. Save the eye and nose openings as full cutouts, and leave narrow bone lines uncut between the teeth.

4. 4

   Open the ribs from the sternum outward

   Cut the central sternum and spine line first, then work each rib gap outward one pair at a time. Removing the inner gap before the outer one leaves an anchor on both sides of every rib, so the bone strips do not flex or tear. Cut the top rib pairs before the lower ones to keep the section above supported as long as possible. Take your time here, since these long thin gaps are the heart of the design.

5. 5

   Shade the bones and pelvis

   For the arm bones and the pelvis rim at the bottom edge, peel away just the outer skin instead of cutting through. This gives a dimmer amber glow that separates the solid bones from the bright open chest. Use a ribbon or lino tool to skim the surface evenly, checking depth as you go. The mix of glowing gaps and softer shaded bone is what makes the torso look three dimensional.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Drop in a battery LED, warm white or amber, and avoid open flame near all these thin bridges. Set the light low and slightly forward so the ribcage blazes and the shaded bones catch a gentle glow. Photograph at dusk against a dark backdrop like weathered wood so the warm light pops. Rub a little petroleum jelly on cut edges to slow drying if you want it to last.