Introduction: Reverse Glowing Jack-O-Lantern

Want to make a Jack-O-Lantern that is the exact opposite of normal jack-o-lanterns? Want your front porch to stand out in your neighborhood? This Instructable is for you.

In normal jack-o-lanterns, the outside is orange and the inside of it glows (via a candle). The Reverse Glowing Jack-o-lantern is orange on the inside and glows on the outside! I like to think outside the box so thought it would be cool to flip our usual thoughts on jack-o-lanterns. Hope you enjoy this Instructable!

Step 1: Video!

Here is a video of me making the Reverse Glowing Jack O Lantern!

There is no sound. This is actually my first complete video I've made so still working on my video making skills. Shout out to Darby Smart for the tutorial for the phone video stand and the Splice App!

Steps are more fully explained in the steps that follow this one!

Step 2: Supplies

- glow in the dark craft pumpkin from Michaels
- scissors
- glow in dark puffy paint. I got a variety pack of 6 of these tubes of Glow in the Dark paint at Michaels for about $6 (used an AcMoore 50% off coupon)
- orange craft paint. I used whole bottle like this in the color "pure pumpkin". Fitting, right?
- paint brush (or foam brush. It will have to fit in the cutouts you carve in the pumpkin)
- hot knife or wood burning tool with hot knife tip.
- pen

Step 3: Preparation

-Plug in hot knife and turn it on so it starts heating up. tip: tape the stand to your work surface so it doesn't slip and burn you.

-Remove all tags and stickers from your pumpkin

Step 4: Sketch Jack O Lantern Design

Use your pen and lightly sketch the jack o lantern design you would like to carve out. It is good to have at least a rough idea of what you want to carve because working with a hot knife is tricky and you'll want to focus on using it safely rather than figuring out your design on the fly/changing your mind and accidentally burning yourself (it hurts!).

Step 5: Carve Pumpkin

Carefully use your hot knife to carve your craft pumpkin.

I keep the knife point perpendicular to the surface of the craft pumpkin and try to not let it touching one part of the pumpkin for too long. From my experience, an up and down sawing motion is better than sticking the hot knife in the pumpkin and dragging it through the pumpkin.

When you do the latter, it might gain speed and come out of the pumpkin and hurt you. I tried something similar when cutting plastic toy animals for another project and the knife gained speed cut through the animal I was having trouble cutting, then cut my finger so easily I didn't know it was cut until I looked down and saw the cut/blood. It needed stitches.

Take the cut out pieces off the pumpkin and discard them.

Step 6: Paint Inside of Pumpkin

Squirt orange paint into the jack o lantern. I used an entire 2 oz bottle of craft smart paint in the pumpkin.

Squirt the pumpkin around to get the back inside wall of the pumpkin orange. The paint probably won't cover the whole inside of the pumpkin but you don't need it to. You just need it to cover the inside part that people can see when looking at the jack o lantern's face. Use your paint brush to get paint on any part of the pumpkin that needs it if its not flowing to that spot when you rotate the pumpkin.

Let dry completely (face side up so none of the paint drips out of the pumpkin!

Step 7: Paint Outside of the Pumpkin

Use your glow in the dark puffy paint to decorate the outside of the pumpkin however you wish! I made my paint on the thicker side so it is more likely to glow its color when exposed to light then darkness. I want it to be obvious that there is paint on there.

Let dry (my paint says it'll take 4 hours to dry. It also depends on how thick you put it on. The more thick it is the more it'll glow with color). I found that the paint glows more distinctly than the pumpkin itself.

Step 8: Sit Pumpkin in the Sun

Sit the pumpkin outside or in a window so it can soak up the sun.

Step 9: Let It Glow!!

Turn off the lights and see your pumpkin glow!!! If you leave it outside all day it'll glow more. This picture was taken after the pumpkin was in the sun for about 2 hours.


Hope you enjoyed this Instructable!!

Halloween Decor Contest 2016

Participated in the
Halloween Decor Contest 2016

Pumpkin Carving Contest 2016

Participated in the
Pumpkin Carving Contest 2016