Triceratops Walking Inside an Oval Window Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep a flat, large-faced pumpkin

   Scoop walls to about one inch of even thickness. The frill at the top of the triceratops needs to connect to the upper frame, so confirm the face is large enough to accommodate the oval window with the figure inside it before starting.

2. 2

   Transfer the full template

   Tape the template flat, pin-punch the oval boundary, the triceratops outline, and the positions of all interior holes. Mark which sections are cut-through versus retained in different colors. The four connection points (legs at base, frill top, tail left, nose right) must be clearly marked.

3. 3

   Cut the oval outer frame

   Saw the oval boundary and remove the waste sections outside the oval, leaving the frame intact. Remove waste in smaller pieces to avoid cracking the rind on a clean oval arc.

4. 4

   Carve the waste around the triceratops

   Working inside the oval, remove the background areas around the triceratops body. Cut toward the figure outline and leave all four connection points intact until the figure is clearly defined. Do not cut through any of the four frame connections.

5. 5

   Cut the body holes and eye

   Use a detail blade to cut the three oval body holes across the triceratops torso and the single small eye hole in the head. Work from the center hole outward to keep the figure balanced as material is removed.

6. 6

   Light on gravel and display

   Place a bright LED inside and set the pumpkin on a gravel garden edge at night. The candlelight spilling from the oval window and the oval body holes creates an intricate light pattern on the gravel below. Apply petroleum jelly to all edges.

Written with AI to match this design