Star and Dot Small Round Pumpkin Carving

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Select a small round pumpkin

   Choose a pumpkin roughly the size of a cantaloupe with smooth, even walls. A compact interior concentrates the light so even a single tea light will illuminate all three holes brightly. Cut a bottom cap and scoop the interior to about three-quarters of an inch of wall thickness.

2. 2

   Center and draw the star

   Find the center of the face and draw a five-pointed star from that point outward, keeping all five points equal. A printed template taped to the surface and poked through with a nail transfers the outline accurately and quickly.

3. 3

   Mark the two round holes

   Place one circle above the star and one below, or both to one side for an asymmetric composition. Mark the center of each circle for the drill bit and confirm at least 15 mm of rind between each circle and the nearest star point.

4. 4

   Drill the round holes

   Using a spade bit on a low-speed drill, press straight into the wall at each circle center. The spade bit produces a perfectly round edge that a saw cannot match. Keep the drill perpendicular to the wall and withdraw slowly to avoid tearing the rind at the exit.

5. 5

   Cut the star and light

   Cut the star with a thin pumpkin saw, meeting each point with two clean straight inward cuts from opposite sides. Pop the star piece inward. Insert an LED tea light and position the pumpkin where the star casts point-shaped shadows on a nearby wall.

Written with AI to match this design