Spout the Chubby Whale

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick and prep a small round pumpkin

   Choose a smooth, chubby pumpkin with one flat-ish face so the whale sits centered. An adult cuts a lid or a bottom access hole and scoops the inside clean. Thin the carving wall on the front to about one inch so light passes through the peeled areas easily. A thinner wall glows brighter when you shade.

2. 2

   Transfer the whale outline

   Tape your stencil to the front and poke the main lines with a pin or awl to leave a dotted guide. Mark the whale body, the eye, the mouth curve, the tail fluke, and the three spout droplets above. Keep the shapes wide and simple, just like the picture. Peel off the paper and connect the dots lightly with a marker if it helps.

3. 3

   Score the outlines

   With a small detail saw or a craft knife, trace shallow cuts along the whale outline, tail, and each droplet. Cut only about a quarter inch deep here, just enough to define edges. Keep your free hand behind the blade and let an adult handle the sharp work. These score lines give your shaded areas a clean border.

4. 4

   Shade the whale body

   Use a melon baller or loop tool to scrape away the orange skin inside the whale outline, exposing the pale flesh underneath. Work evenly so the whole body glows the same soft tone when lit. Leave a small round dot of skin for the eye and a thin curved line for the mouth so those details stay dark. Go slow and even rather than deep.

5. 5

   Cut the spout droplets deeper

   For the three water droplets above the whale, scrape a little deeper or cut a narrow slit through the wall so they glow brighter than the body. This contrast makes the spout pop. Save these deeper cuts for last so the surrounding surface stays firm while you work. Keep the droplets small and separate so the wall stays strong.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Drop in a battery LED tea light or a small puck light, never a flame, since the thin shaded wall can scorch. Set the pumpkin on a bench where afternoon sun rakes across the carving to show the relief by day. At dusk the peeled whale will glow warm and the spout will shine brightest. Mist the cut edges with water and store it cool overnight to keep it fresh.

Written with AI to match this design