Well I wanted to make a gourd'o'lantern as my first instructable since I have been watching this site for so long and only just signed up recently. Thought that would be a good post for a first instructable... and then I saw someone had already made one.. but another one couldn't hurt.. could it?

Step 1: Picking Out the Right Pumpkin!

First and foremost you must pick out the correct pumpkin. Any shape or size will do.. I choose small because The cuteness factor was unbearable!

Step 2: START YOUR PENS!!!

This is where your artistic License comes in to play. Do whatever you want go wild.
The best type of marker to use would be a dry erase marker. Simply put, you can wipe it off when your done, no ugly black lines left over...

Now go... Draw! (on the pumpkin not the doggies...)

Step 3: It's CUTTTTTIIINGGG TIME!!

Alright so the title may be a tad over exaggerated, but it says it all right there.
Its time to cut open the pumpkin and see what gooey substance might be lurking in the depths of its outer casing.
Use whatever utensil's you have, and cut how ever you please.
Make sure you have an adult if your young.
All that said let the cutting commence!

Step 4: My Top's Off to You.

Heres where it gets tricky if your using a small sized pumpkin or gourd.
Cut off the top, at this point your going to hide what your doing from any-stranger who might walk by, be careful to keep it a secret until the very end.

Cut off the top and stare at the wonders that are pumpkin seeds and pumpkin veins...

[As a slight side note I apologize for the blurry pictures that might be mixed in, sometimes people tried to see what I was doing.. I had keep it a secret.. you understand right?]

Step 5: Scoop It, Cut It, Reverse and Repeat...

You must now take on the challenge of scooping out the middle bits, which might have taken hours.. but I had a spoon. So it took only a few minutes. Once I finished, I proceeded to the next task at hand, disassembling the front of the pumpkin by carving a hideous face in and on to its skin. He did not cry for I had already removed all of his insides.

I did carve just one eye, then I realized I had to play the old "Reverse and Repeat" game... I decided I did not like that game much... More thought will have to be used in the future to increase creativity.

Step 6: Now Reassemble (The Hardest Part!)

Just as the title says, Reassemble your pumpkin.

This probably took me the most time out of any of these steps. I think I spent nearly an hour on each pose in these photos. I just couldn't get it right, I just kept changing it until it fit well enough again.

Step 7: Side Step to Another Dimension

This Dimension my friends we will call the "using a soapy substance and some liquid that comes from a pipe in the middle of a big pit in the counter top to disassemble the particles of matter so very close together on our carving weapons that we choose.

Do it so you won't have to do it later.

Step 8: Finished?

Did you think you finished? How did yours turn out?
Do you really believe that your pumpkin can scare away the costumed miniature humans at your door? Mine can not because it is to small and I have cut-up his skin with my "artistic license"

Be kind to pumpkins.
For they are, jolly good fellows.

Step 9: At Some Point, Everything Ends. I'm Truly Sorry..

If you have come this far, then you have not only seen but experienced the passion of love, creativity, anger, despair, as well as the death and rebirth of a faithful friend.
Since you have come thus far, I must allow you to see what happens when one finds true happiness with a friend in need.

With out further adieu My dear friend, Lite up for all to see...

Goodbye...