Toad Pumpkin Carving with Spotted Cap and Smile

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep and transfer

   Scoop from the back and thin interior walls to an inch. Transfer the full stencil with a pounce wheel, pressing firmly over the cap outline, cap spots, and face outline since those will guide the scoring work. Mark the through-cut areas with an X on the pumpkin surface so they are visually distinct.

2. 2

   Score the cap and face outlines

   Use a scoring tool or the tip of a linoleum cutter to trace the cap outline and the face boundary as shallow surface channels. These scored lines define the visual edges of Toad's cap and face without removing any rind. Keep the scoring depth to just below the orange skin surface.

3. 3

   Shallow-back the cap spots

   Use a round gouge to bowl out each cap spot, removing the orange skin and a thin layer of flesh to reveal the cream-colored interior. Keep each spot circular and consistent in depth. Work from the largest spots first so you can calibrate the pressure for the smaller ones.

4. 4

   Cut the eyes

   Use a fine detail saw to cut both eye openings. Toad's eyes are typically oval or circular, so use a slow, curved saw stroke to follow the outline. Remove each eye slug cleanly.

5. 5

   Cut the smile

   Cut the smile opening with the fine detail saw, keeping the corners of the mouth connected to the surrounding rind so the smile does not extend into the cap outline scored above it. A gentle upward curve on each end of the smile adds to Toad's cheerful expression.

6. 6

   Light and display

   Place a warm LED tea light inside and view from the front. The glowing eyes and smile should read clearly against the darker rind, with the shallow-backed cap spots adding a soft mid-glow texture across the mushroom cap. Apply petroleum jelly to the cut edges and scored outlines.

Written with AI to match this design