No Kings
For Halloween this year I was inspired by the “No Kings” protests to incorporate the iconic design into a decorative illuminated gourd. I was pretty busy so didn’t get around to this carving project until yesterday, but with the steps I’ve outlined you will be able to create your own “No Kings” pumpkin next year!
The Template
First I drew a template. I used Pixelmator Pro (my preferred non-Adobe image editor). I made sure to keep thick (1/2” to 3/4”) “bridges” between any “islands” so that the final product would have structural integrity.
Below is a JPG version of the template–feel free to re-use it, or use it as inspiration for your own template!
The Process
I printed the template out on a standard 8.5” x 11” piece of white paper, then using scissors I cut out the black parts. I overlaid the template over the pumpkin and held it in place with painters tape. This part takes a little finesse because a flat sheet of paper obviously doesn’t fit perfectly against a curved surface.
I found it necessary to tape a few points (top, bottom, left, right) to keep it in place. Using sharpie I did my best to trace the outline of the cutout–occasionally adjusting the placement of the template to accommodate the pumpkin’s curvature. I removed the template, and touched up some of the lines so that it looked pretty good.
Then I took a handy pumpkin carving tool (a long, slender serrated blade) and began cutting out the outlined shapes. I started with the delicate interior parts first and worked my way outward to the slash, and finally to the two halves of the circle. The pieces came out with no problem, and I used a moist paper towel to wipe up the random bits of pumpkin pulp left by the carving tool. I used a little rubbing alcohol on a paper towel to wipe up the edges of the cuts where some of the black ink was still visible.
That’s it! I didn’t spend any time trying to fine tune the cuts–it looked pretty good and I didn’t want to risk the structural integrity of the design. I popped a rechargeable LED light inside and set it out on our front steps and admired my work!
Happy Halloween and No kings!
About the Author
Nicholas Hart is a software engineer and technical writer passionate about sharing knowledge and helping others learn. You can find more of my work at:
- Website: nickhart.com
- GitHub: github.com/nickhart
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/seanickhart