Tilted UFO With a Wide Light Beam Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep the pumpkin and cut the lid

   Choose a tall pumpkin with a smooth front for the flattest carving area. Cut the lid from the back at an angle so it drops in and rests, or cut a base hole in the bottom instead so the pumpkin sits flat. Scoop the inside and thin the front wall to about one inch so light passes cleanly. A thinner wall makes the beam glow brighter without weakening the whole face.

2. 2

   Transfer the UFO stencil

   Print the tilted saucer design and tape it snugly over the front, smoothing out wrinkles as you go. Poke through the outline with a transfer tool or pushpin, marking the saucer rim, the dome, each port hole, the V beam edges, and the oval ground marking. Space the dots close together on tight curves like the dome and the round ports. Peel the paper and connect any faint spots with a marker so the plan is easy to read.

3. 3

   Drill the round port lights first

   Start with the small circular ports along the saucer rim while the rind is still solid and supported. A small drill bit or a rounded detail blade gives clean circles better than a straight saw. Keep each port separated from its neighbors by leaving the rind between them uncut. Doing these before the big openings means the surface will not flex or tear around them.

4. 4

   Cut the beam panels and saucer sections

   Move to the wide V beam, cutting each panel between the thin outline lines you left standing. Keep those dividing strips of rind intact so they read as dark lines between the glowing sections. Cut the domed cockpit and the saucer body openings, again respecting the narrow bridges. Save the largest openings for last so the face stays rigid while you do the finer cuts.

5. 5

   Open the ground oval and clean edges

   Cut the oval ground marking at the base of the beam last, since it is a large low opening. Gently bevel the inside back edge of each cut so more light escapes toward the viewer. Check every bridge and thin outline strip for cracks, and trim any ragged edges with a paring knife. If a bridge feels loose, do not force it, just support it and avoid widening nearby cuts.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph the beam

   Set one or two battery LED lights inside, placing one low so it lights the beam brightly. Avoid candles, since the thin front wall and narrow bridges dry out and can scorch. Tilt the pumpkin slightly forward on the porch so trick-or-treaters look straight into the beam. Shoot photos at dusk while there is still a little blue in the sky for the best contrast.