Champ the Golden Retriever

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick a tall pumpkin and open the back

   Choose a large, smooth pumpkin with a flat area wide enough to fit the full standing dog. Have an adult cut a lid from the back or bottom rather than the top, so the front stays clean for the design. Scrape the inside wall behind the dog down to about one inch thick with a scoop or loop tool. A thinner wall lets more light pass through your fur strokes.

2. 2

   Transfer your stencil

   Tape your golden retriever stencil flat against the front, clipping the paper edges so it hugs the curve. Poke the main outlines with a transfer tool or pin, spacing dots close together on the tail, chest, and leg feathers. Peel the paper and connect the dots lightly with a washable marker. Step back to check the pose reads clearly before any blade touches the skin.

3. 3

   Shave the body to a mid glow

   Use a shading tool or lino gouge to peel the top skin off the whole dog shape, leaving the orange flesh exposed but not cut through. This peeled layer is what will glow dim orange when lit. Keep the depth even so the body reads as one soft mass. Test often with an LED flashlight held inside to see where light comes through.

4. 4

   Carve the directional fur strokes

   Working from the spine downward, drag long tapering cuts that follow the fall of the coat so strokes overlap like real fur. Thin each stroke enough that lamplight passes through, but stop before you punch a hole. Curve the strokes around the chest, belly, and the feathered tail and legs. Vary length and pressure to build depth instead of a flat texture.

5. 5

   Add the brightest cutouts last

   Once the etching is done, cut all the way through only a few key spots: a thin bright edge along the back, the lit rim of the tail, and small highlights on the face and legs. Save these full cutouts for last so the surrounding fur stays supported while you work. Keep any thin slivers wide enough not to crumble. Clean up ragged edges with a detail knife.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Drop in a warm LED puck or string light, never a candle, since the thin peeled areas can scorch. Set the pumpkin on a step or porch and dim the surrounding lights. Snap your photo at dusk when the glow contrasts best with the sky. A second painted-dog pumpkin alongside makes a charming pair.

Written with AI to match this design