Waffles the Tongue-Out Puppy

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick a round pumpkin and open the lid

   Choose a pumpkin with a smooth, tall front so the face has room to sit high and centered. Cut a lid at an angle around the stem so it rests back in place without falling in, and scoop the insides until the front wall is about one inch thick. A thinner wall makes cutting the fine lines much easier. Scrape the inside of the face area extra smooth so light spreads evenly.

2. 2

   Transfer the puppy design

   Print or draw the dog face with two floppy rounded ears, squinting happy eyes, a round nose, an open muzzle, and the small hanging tongue. Tape the pattern flat and poke dots along every line with a pin or a poking tool. Space the dots close together on the curves of the ears and tongue so the shapes stay clear. Peel the paper off and connect the dots lightly with a marker if it helps you see the plan.

3. 3

   Cut the eyes, nose, and ears first

   Start with the small stable shapes: the two squinting eyes and the round nose. Use a fine carving saw and let the blade do the work with gentle pressure, keeping your free hand behind the blade. Then cut the two ear outlines, which are larger openings but sit far from any fragile detail. Push each freed piece out from the inside so you do not tear the edges.

4. 4

   Carve the tongue and muzzle outline

   Now cut the small curved tongue, leaving it connected only at its top so it hangs into the open mouth. Take your time here and use a fresh, sharp fine blade for clean curves. Cut the outline of the muzzle and the smile lines next, keeping the tongue attached to the rind above it. This order keeps the tongue supported while you shape everything around it.

5. 5

   Open the mouth gap last

   Finish by clearing the open space around the tongue so it appears to hang inside the glowing mouth. Make these final cuts slowly, supporting the tongue with a fingertip from behind so it does not snap free. If any edge feels loose, leave a tiny extra bridge of rind rather than forcing the cut. Clean up any rough lines with light passes of the blade.

6. 6

   Light it and take the photo

   Drop in a battery LED light or two so the whole face glows warm orange, and skip real candles near the thin tongue and ear cutouts. Set the pumpkin on a flat surface like a stump or step at dusk for the best contrast. Rotate it slightly until the eyes and tongue all catch the light evenly. Snap your photo while the sky still holds a little blue for that cozy evening look.

Written with AI to match this design