Creating a Painted Dipper Gourd

How to Make a Decorative Dipper Gourd

Ginger Summit of Los Altos, Calif., has authored several popular books on gourd crafts, including
“The Complete Book of Gourd Craft” (Lark Books, $18.95), now in its 10th printing, and
“Gourd Crafts: 20 Great Projects to Dye, Paint, Carve, Bead, and Woodburn in a Weekend”,
which will be released this winter by Lark Books.

According to Summit, dipper gourds have been used for thousands of years as cups, spoons, and ladles.
Below are her step-by-step instructions for creating a festive decorative dipper gourd:

🎨 DIY Instructions for a Decorative Dipper Gourd

  1. Clean the gourd: Wash the outside thoroughly. Cut it in half lengthwise and clean out the interior. File and sand the cut edge smooth.
  2. Condition the interior: Brush a light coat of salad oil onto the inside of the gourd.
  3. Sketch your design: Use a pencil to draw festive decorations like autumn leaves or holly sprigs. Extend the artwork onto the handle.
  4. Paint the design: Fill in the sketch using acrylic paints.
  5. Add detail: Outline the painted design with a black pen or permanent marker. Let it dry completely.
  6. Enhance with texture: Apply dimensional paints for a raised, textured effect. Allow to dry.
  7. Seal the gourd: Finish with a clear coat of polyurethane. Before applying, test the sealant on a scrap piece of gourd to ensure it won’t smear the design.

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.