Willow the Trotting Horse

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick and prep your pumpkin

   Choose a large pumpkin with a smooth, fairly flat front panel so the horse has room to trot across it. Wipe the surface clean and dry it well. Since this is an etched design with no interior light, you can skip cutting a lid and gutting it if you like, which keeps the shell firm and long-lasting. If you do want the option of a light later, cut a small access hole in the back or bottom instead of the top.

2. 2

   Transfer your template

   Print a side-profile horse stencil sized to fit your front panel with a little margin all around. Tape it flat, smoothing out wrinkles, and poke closely spaced dots along every outline with a pushpin or transfer tool. Trace the mane and tail edges too so you know where the hair strokes go. Peel the paper and connect the dots lightly with a washable marker if the outline is hard to read.

3. 3

   Score the outline

   With a small detail saw or a sharp lino-style gouge, trace only the outer edge of the horse, cutting through the skin but not deep into the flesh. This gives you a crisp border to peel up to. Take the legs and the gap between them slowly, since those are the thinnest parts of the shape. Keep the blade shallow so you do not accidentally cut a hole through the wall.

4. 4

   Peel the body

   Use a ribbon or loop tool to lift the skin off the entire horse shape, working down to an even shallow depth so the whole figure glows the same pale gold. Scrape in the direction of the outline so edges stay clean and do not tear. Aim for consistency rather than deep gouging, since a uniform peel is what reads as a solid horse in daylight. Step back often to check for dark patches you missed.

5. 5

   Shade the mane and tail

   Go back into the mane and tail with a few extra shallow strokes, pulling the tool in the direction the hair flows. Vary the pressure so some lines sit a touch deeper and paler, which gives the impression of separate locks. Leave a thin ridge of untouched skin between strokes so the hair reads as strands rather than a solid block. A little contour scraping along the neck and haunch can suggest muscle if you want more depth.

6. 6

   Clean up and set it out

   Trim any ragged edges with your detail knife and brush away loose pulp. Rub the peeled areas with a little vegetable oil or petroleum jelly to slow drying and keep the gold color fresh. Set the pumpkin on a bench or by a barn door where daylight rakes across it and shows the etched figure. Snap your photo in soft morning or late afternoon light for the best contrast.

Written with AI to match this design