Teardrop Ring and Center Dot Pumpkin Lantern

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Scoop and find the center

   Cut a bottom cap and scoop to about three-quarters of an inch of wall thickness. Mark the precise center of the pumpkin face; this point anchors both the inner cluster and the outer teardrop ring and all spacing radiates from it.

2. 2

   Create a compass-guided template

   On paper the same size as the pumpkin face, use a compass to draw the ring radius and a protractor to mark 20 evenly spaced positions around it at 18-degree intervals. Draw eight center dot positions on a smaller inner circle. Tape the template to the pumpkin and poke through every position.

3. 3

   Drill the eight center holes first

   Use a spade bit on a low-speed drill to cut the eight round center holes cleanly. Drill straight in at each marked center and withdraw slowly. Cutting the center cluster first leaves the pumpkin structurally intact while you do the more demanding outer ring work.

4. 4

   Cut the teardrop ring

   Work through all 20 teardrop holes, completing each one fully before moving to the next. Use a fine detail blade for the narrow pointed tip and a thin saw for the wider body. Keep the blade perpendicular to prevent undercutting the rind between adjacent teardrops.

5. 5

   Light and display

   Insert a bright LED lantern to illuminate all 28 holes evenly. The design looks especially beautiful on a flat table where the ring of teardrop shadows projects onto the surface around the pumpkin. Rotate the pumpkin slightly if the stem blocks the top of the ring pattern.

Written with AI to match this design