FOUR SIDED ROTATING JACK-O-LANTERN

Here is a project for those of us who don’t like to clean out and carve a pumpkin, or buy one, for that matter. It is also electronically lit so there is no fussing with a candle and matches. It can also be made from recycled materials and will last forever. If you get tired of one face, just rotate it.

(The rotating base is an optional step. I treated it as a separate project and is covered in the last step. It is not really required but adds some pizazz.)

This can be made from any wood. I used 4 MDF former drawer sides and 2 MDF former shelves. It would also look great made from old fence boards or barn boards, plywood or anything else you can find. The stem is a piece of an old shovel handle but a branch from a tree would look good too. For the light, I used a battery operated red rear bicycle light. It has 3 flashing modes and was a Dollar Store find. 

Also:

- aluminum foil

- orange, green, and brown acrylic paints, brushes

 -brad nails or finishing nails

-2” wood screw

-#80 sandpaper

-contact cement

-2 AA batteries (For flasher)

 -Tools will be mentioned in each step.

My MDF shelves were 6.5” wide but you can go with any width within reason. I cut them to 18.5” in length, but again, any length within reason will do. I cut 2 pieces of MDF. One to close in the bottom, and one to fit very loosely inside- (Inner lid). Then, another piece for the top to overhang the structure by 1/2” on all sides. ( I used a square to mark the lines and a panel saw to carefully cut each piece so they would line up perfectly.) I cut the stem to about 3 inches with a slight slant on one end to look authentic.

I sketched a face on each of the sides making sure the eyes, noses and mouths lined up with each other. First, I bored a number of 1.5” and 1.25” starter holes with spade bits chucked into a portable drill and based each feature on those. This saved a lot of cutting and resulted in nice rounded features. I then cut out with a portable jig saw. 

Assembly is simple box construction. Butt the sides to the front and rear. Assemble with nails. Tap the tight fitting bottom in place and nail it as well. Wrap the loose- fitting inner top piece with foil then nail to the lid. Centre it by measuring carefully first. Find the centre by drawing an X with a straightedge and bore a 1/16” hole. Centre the stem over that and bore through, then attach with a wood screw. The bicycle light was not attached directly to the foil. I nailed on a scrap wood spacer and glued the light to it with contact cement. The switch and batteries are easily accessible by removing the lid. 

My MDF had a perfect smooth white coated finish but I rounded off the sharp corners with a palm sander using #80 sandpaper. Also, I sanded the entire surface with the same grit so the paint would adhere. I also sanded the cut face features by hand. The unit was painted with two coats of orange acrylic. The stem was painted with green acrylic. After everything dried, I added highlights to the stem with the brown acrylic paint. Aluminum foil was placed in the bottom. With the two reflecting surfaces, it really lights up, especially with the various flashing effects. 

Hints: There are many types of battery operated lights, some even with timers and colour effects that can be used instead. Under no circumstances use open flame or any light that needs to be plugged in. You may also want to spray the finished project with clear lacquer. 

For the rotating base, you’ll need:

-a wood piece slightly larger than the base of the Jack-O-Lantern

-4 straight (non-swivelling) casters

-8- 1” wood screws

-a piece of 3/8” wood dowel about 4” long

-wood glue

Start by finding the centre of the board and draw a 5” circle.(If your structure is larger, you will need to change the diameter accordingly.) Measure and place the casters at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock on the outside of the circle. Mark the hole positions, pre-drill and attach each caster with screws. Drill a 3/8” hole in the centre, then glue your dowel in place. 

Important: Drill a slightly larger hole dead centre in the bottom of the Jack-O-Lantern structure.

Place the structure over the base by lining up the hole with the dowel and it will rotate smoothly. The dowel will keep it in place and prevent tipping. Paint the base to match.

Enjoy, and Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!