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JAY DIY: Fall pumpkin décor

Get excited fall-lovers, this week’s project is for you - we're making simple wood pumpkins that make great front porch décor.

CLEVELAND — Get excited fall-lovers, this week’s project is for you - and it’s very, very simple. I'm drawing pumpkins onto wood and then cutting them out with my jigsaw. They make great front porch decorations, and don’t require many supplies to make - really the only thing you need for this one is a pencil, a jigsaw, and some scrap wood.

I’m using some three-quarter and one-quarter inch plywood pieces leftover from last week’s project…and I also picked up some tongue and groove paneling for free in the Home Depot scrapwood pile, that way all three of the pumpkins I am making will have different textures. I decided to start by gluing my tongue and groove pieces together before moving on to sketching out any shapes.

Next, it’s time to break out your drawing skills and sketch out your pumpkin shapes – one tip for you here, try to avoid areas with too many knots in the wood. Then, simply take out your jigsaw and cut along your outline.

Now, if I’m being honest, the shapes I drew might look a bit more like an apple, maybe a tomato, or maybe if you squint a pumpkin. I suggest trying to add some ridges like pumpkins have on the bottom.

Repeat the process on your different types of wood. Personally, I think a mixture of woods and varying sizes looks best, but when I attempted to cut the tongue and groove paneling, I ran into some issues - it was just too fragile, and the tongue and groove were too thin. It cut when I put my jigsaw to it.

But that’s ok – in woodworking, you always have to pivot! In this case, my three-pumpkin project became two.

Next, hit your pumpkins with a rough coat of sanding, to make sure there are no splinters. You can also clean up the face, and erase any pencil marks. Next up, it’s time to build your stands.

These can be simple too – no need for precise measurements. I simply cut a piece that would probably go up about halfway up the back of the pumpkin just to give it enough stability that it will sit straight. And I'm going to cut a couple of pieces of wood that will serve as my back brace.

Next, just secure them on the back with some wood glue and screws, and you’re good to go!

So there you have it, some pretty primitive, pretty simple pumpkins. But they're also nice Halloween decorations you can put on your front porch. Make sure you dress them up with Halloween décor - so people know that they're pumpkins and not apples. Happy fall!

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