Two Spotted Mushrooms Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Transfer the two mushroom outlines

   Print or draw the large curved-cap mushroom and its smaller companion, then tape the pattern smoothly onto the front of your pumpkin. Poke the outlines with a pushpin or a transfer wheel, spacing dots close together so the curves stay clear. Peel the paper and connect any faint gaps with a washable marker. Double-check that both mushroom bodies are marked as areas to keep, not cut.

2. 2

   Hollow and thin the shell

   Have an adult cut a lid or a base opening, then scoop the seeds and scrape the inner wall of the carving area down to about one inch thick. A thinner wall is much easier to cut cleanly and lets more light pass through the open background. Keep the wall behind the mushroom shapes at full thickness so those silhouettes stay strong. Wipe the front dry before you start cutting.

3. 3

   Punch the cap dots first

   Using a narrow drill bit, a linoleum punch, or a small round gouge, make the little circular dots inside both caps. Doing these small cutouts first, while the pumpkin is still solid, keeps the surface stable and prevents cracking. Twist gently and let the tool do the work rather than forcing it. Space the dots evenly so each cap reads as a spotted toadstool.

4. 4

   Open the background around the shapes

   Now cut away the negative space around the mushroom outlines with a fine saw blade, following your traced lines closely. Work in small sections and cut just outside the mushroom edges so the silhouettes stay crisp and defined. Save the largest open areas for last so the pumpkin keeps its structure as long as possible. Support each piece with your free hand as it releases so it does not tear the edge.

5. 5

   Clean up the edges

   Go back and tidy the cut lines with a detail knife or a fine gouge, smoothing any rough spots along the mushroom curves. Angle the inside edges slightly outward, wider on the inside, to let more light spill through the openings. Check that the caps and stems still connect solidly to the rest of the pumpkin. Trim any stray pulp from the dot holes so they glow round and clean.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Set a battery LED tea light or a small puck light inside and place the pumpkin somewhere dark to check the balance. The mushrooms should sit as warm dark shapes while the background and cap dots glow bright. Adjust the light position if one area looks dim, and add a second LED for a big pumpkin. Photograph it at dusk on a porch step for the best contrast.