Crafting With Gourds

April 10th, 2006

Gourds are so versatile and there are so many different things you can do with them. When you think of a gourd, think of a wood product. That will help you when you start asking what type of materials can be used with them.

Gourds can be painted, burned, stained, dyed, cut, or if you find one that is just too beautiful to do a thing with, leave it natural.

There are a few basics to gourd crafting. First start with a dried gourd. Different shapes will lend themselves to different projects, so find a gourd that will be the best for the project you will be working on.

Next you will need to clean the gourd. Why do you need to clean it? Because the dried mold and skin will flake off eventually if you ty to paint over it.

So to clean, you wet down the gourd and then scrub the skin and mold off. A copper scrubber works well, plus a knife and small wire brush for the stem.

To wet the gourd, you can just place it in a sink full of water and turn the gourd over a few times, letting it soak for 1/2 hour or more, depending on the skin. Some skin is harder to remove.

Remember, cleaning is a messy job and you may not want to use the kitchen sink. I am lucky enough to have a laundry tub to use when cleaning in the house. If it’s warm outside you may want to find a large tub to use. Another method you can try on a nice sunny day, is to put the gourd or gourds in a black plastic bag. Spray in some water and close it up. Let it sit in the sun for a couple of hours and then work on cleaning them. The secret is to get the skin good and soft. If you are having rainy weather or using a sprinkler to water the lawn, just place your gourd out in the lawn and let it get wet that way.

When the skin is softened, it is time to clean your gourd. I like to use rubber gloves when I am doing this. I’ve talked to some people that have broken out in a rash because they were allergic to the moldy skin.

Take your scrubby and start rubbing all over the gourds. Use the wire brush on the stem and on the bottom where the blossum was. Sometimes you need to use a knife for stubborn areas. When everything is cleaned off, let the gourd dry a couple days before working on it.

When going through the cleaning process you will sometimes find a gourd that has a soft spot. That means the shell is very thin in that area and may not be worth keeping. Sometimes parts of the gourd can be salvaged and used as pieces in other projects.

Martha Bloom

More information on gourds can be found at Martha’s Gourds.

Entry Filed under: Gourds