Rustic Pumpkin Lantern

This triangular pumpkin lantern could be a nice addition to your Halloween décor. Basic woodworking skills are needed when working with the wood, as you can see in the directions that follow. To give the lantern an aged timeworn look, the rustic finish uses multiple layers of paint, rough sanding and then an outer layer of oak stain. A final coat of varnish/lacquer seals the finish. Since the pumpkin is made from wood, I would suggest using LED Tea lights for illumination. Then, set your pumpkin lantern out for all to enjoy!

Tools:

• Table or Miter Saw
• Jig Saw
• Band Saw (Optional)
• Drill & Bits
• Nail Gun
• Sander
• Ruler
• Pen/Pencil

Materials:

• 2x4 x 4 inches
• 1x12 x 6 feet
• Nails
• Wood Glue
• Yellow Paint
• Orange Paint
• Green Paint
• Black Paint
• Stain
• Lacquer

You will be building to this drawing. The parts are color coded for easy reference.

Cut three 3/4" thick boards to 18” x 10”. I used a table saw for these cuts. You will chamfer the edges later.

Cut the top and bottom as shown. I used a miter saw for these cuts.

The stem was made from a scrap 2x4. Use a jig or band saw for the rounded cuts.

The face design is arbitrary. I chose the 'mad pumpkin' version for the build. Depending on your preferences, I have provided two versions of the drawing. The first is dimensioned. The second can be scaled to fit your pumpkin. If you choose to latter, tape or glue it to the pumpkin for a template for the cuts.

To draw the face on the board, I used the dimensioned version and a french curve to connect the dots. A large jar was used to draw the mouth.

Use a drill to create starter holes for the eyes, nose and mouth.

Insert jig saw into starter holes and follow the template shape.

Chamfer the long edges to 30 degree angles. I used a table saw for this cut.

Attach the sides together with a nail gun and glue.

Add the bottom with nails and glue

Use nails and glue for the final side. Note that I showed this sequence since I had the pictures in CAD. I actually put the three sides together before adding the bottom.

Attach the stem to the top with a wood screw and glue. I also added lid alignment blocks made from the excess material.

At this point, you might want to try to fill any gaps in the triangular sections with wood filler. After that dries, sand the entire pumpkin to break the sharp edges.

For the finish, the rustic look is achieved through a multi-step process. First, apply a thin coat of yellow paint. Its OK if some wood still shows.

Apply a thin coat of pumpkin orange paint over the top of the yellow. For an antique look, add a drop or two of black paint to about 1/4 cup of the orange paint. A tiny bit goes a long way. Some yellow can show through.

Paint the stem green.

Give all the parts a rough sanding. The yellow will show more and there will be bits of wood showing.

Apply oak stain over the all the parts. The stain will soak into the bare wood. Wipe off excess stain. Let the lantern dry before adding the lacquer. To seal the finish after staining, add laquer using a paint brush.

As a final touch, I spray painted the inside yellow to brighten up the facial features during the daytime.

Here is the lantern for autumn decorations during the day.

Night time brings out the beauty of the season!