Original printable pattern
Double Eclipse
Two overlapping circles create a graphic eclipse with a central dark bridge.
- Difficulty
- detail work
- Carving time
- 60–90 min
- Best shape
- round
- Tool route
- surface score
- Participation
- adult only
- Style
- night sky
Why it works
Designed around the wall that stays.
The overlap becomes the structure, making the optical effect visible even before lighting.
Exact cut order
Open the idea without losing its structure.
- 01
Choose the face and thin the wall
Match the template to the broadest stable face. Open an angled lid or rear access panel as an adult-only step, scoop with a broad spoon, and thin only the carving area to about 1 inch when practical.
- 02
Transfer without losing the bridges
Tape the Double Eclipse pattern smoothly, trace or pin-prick it as an adult, and mark every dashed bridge zone before removing the paper. The overlapping center is the essential vertical bridge.
- 03
Open the large fields
Cut the left circle, then the right, stopping at the marked central overlap.
- 04
Finish, press-test, and light
Score the two larger orbit rings lightly around the completed openings. Press gently around every bridge, clear loose pulp, and test only with the steady battery light.
Make the glow legible.
Use two LEDs, one behind each circle, to keep the central bridge dark.
Protect the finished wall.
Blot the cut surfaces dry and display the pumpkin in a cool, shaded, ventilated place. Move it out of heat and direct sun, and retire it when it becomes soft, moldy, or unstable.
Stop before forcing it.
If a bridge cracks, stop cutting and support the loose area from inside. An adult may align a small break with a short wooden pin; otherwise simplify the nearby opening or cover the area with the no-carve adaptation. The overlapping center is the essential vertical bridge.
Separate the materials.
Separate paper and tape, wipe and dry tools, remove the battery light, and follow local guidance for composting or food-scrap collection when the pumpkin is finished.
Complete no-carve route
Keep the composition. Change the method.
Layer translucent amber circles over a black vertical overlap.
Open the full no-carve method →Before the first opening