[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Using Your Gourds / The humble squash come out of their shells with quick creative touches anybody can do”][vc_single_image image=”679″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Not many crafts are quick enough to do in one afternoon, yet look like they’ve been slaved over for weeks. We’ll name one: gourds. But chase those visions of rattles out of your head; gourds offer grownup savvy, too. If you’ve got Martha Stewart-like creative leanings and lead a time-starved real-world life, then gourd crafts are for you.
Members of the cucurbitaceae family, which includes melons and squash, gourds are the only ones that dry with a hard shell. You can decorate this shell just about any way you wish — rustically with carving and wood burning, elegantly with metallic paint and beads. Often you need little more than materials you have around the house. No special tools are required.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]You might opt for simply polishing them to a bright sheen with shoe polish. You can also give gourds another dimension by attaching items such as beads, netting, plant pieces, string and leather.
Anything goes — and anybody of any age. “You don’t have to be an artist to do gourd crafting,” says Ginger Summit, a Los Altos writer of several books on gourds. Her “The Complete Book of Gourd Craft” is in its 10th printing, and “Gourd Crafts: 20 Great Projects to Dye, Paint, Carve, Bead, and Woodburn in a Weekend” will be released this winter by Lark Books.
“There’s no long learning curve when it comes to gourds. The first time out with a gourd will be a success.”
What is the lure of gourds? It’s their earthiness and unintimidating nature, says Carol Morrison, a Palo Alto cultural anthropologist whose hobby is growing and crafting gourds.
“Gourds have a sensual feel that’s almost like skin,” she says. “And they’re so easy to work with. People who think they aren’t artists pick up a gourd and begin working on one and suddenly discover that they are artists.”
Hard-shell gourds (lagenaria) have been grown and used for thousands of years and are a staple in many cultures as storage vessels, utensils, dishes, water containers, baby bathtubs, seed containers, vases and musical instruments. Though their main use has been utilitarian, many cultures over the years also have adorned them with designs and patterns.
You can make just about anything out of gourds, says Sunnyvale gourd artist Janet Hatfield, who specializes in painting gourds with Native American designs. “There’s a plethora of projects for the gourd crafter, from dolls to birdhouses to jewelry.”
And bowls, vases, cups, candleholders, tortilla warmers, tea cups, musical instruments, Christmas tree decorations, nativity sets, cornucopias, planters, lamp shades and even bells.
Let your imagination be your guide.
PREPARING CRAFT GOURDS
Gourds are easy and fun to work with and they won’t break your bank or take weeks to make. As a matter of fact, there’s plenty of time to create holiday decorations with gourds, including tree ornaments, says gourd crafter and author Ginger Summit. Here she tells how to clean and prepare your gourds for crafting: The gourd must be completely dry before it can be crafted. Shake the gourd. It should be light in weight. If the seeds rattle, or the pulp thuds against the gourd’s interior, it is dry. Most gourds available for crafters through gourd farms have already been dried. They will generally be covered with mold and dirt, which must be removed. Follow these steps: 1. Soak the gourd in warm water for up to 15 minutes, then scrub off the mold and dirt with a metal kitchen scrub pad. For many projects, the gourd is now ready to be decorated, although you may also want to go over the shell with very fine wet/dry sandpaper to remove any blemishes or rough spots. 2. Cut the gourd shell to clean the interior. Most tools designed for woodworking are suitable for gourd craft as well. Mark the line where you will be cutting. Stabilize the gourd on a foam pad and with a sharp kitchen knife make a hole in the gourd shell large enough to accommodate the blade of a small keyhole or hobby saw. Use the saw to carefully cut on the line you have drawn on the gourd shell. You can also use a power saw. 3. Remove the gourd top and pull out all the loose pulp and seeds. Scrape out the pulp that is stuck on the interior of the shell with a serrated utensil, such as a grapefruit spoon. When the gourd interior is clean, file and sand the cut edge of the opening. A word of caution: Many people are allergic to the dust created when cutting and cleaning gourds. Wear a mask during this portion of the work and work in a well-ventilated room or outdoors. Squirting the gourd’s interior with water as you work will also minimize dust.CREATING A PAINTED DIPPER GOURD
For thousands of years around the world, gourd dippers have been used as cups, spoons and ladles, says gourd craft expert Ginger Summit, who offers instructions for creating a festive dipper gourd. 1. Clean the outside of the gourd. Cut in half lengthwise and clean the interior. File and sand the cut edge. 2. Brush a coat of salad bowl oil on the interior of the dipper. 3. Draw decorations on the gourd in pencil, such as autumn leaves or sprigs of holly. Be sure to extend the design to the gourd handle. 4. Use acrylic paints to fill in the design. 5. With black pen or permanent marker, outline the design and and add details. Let dry. 6. Use dimensional paints to create texture. Let dry. 7. Seal with clear polyurethane. (Before spraying on, test on a scrap of gourd to make sure that the polyurethane won’t make the design run.)WHERE TO FIND THEM
The shiny, often bumpy gourds in stores this time of year are ornamental, generally not used for crafting. You want hard-shell lagenaria gourds, which can be grown in your garden or bought at gourd farms, where you’ll find thousands of gourds of different shapes and sizes. Gourds that were grown this summer and harvested recently won’t be ready for decorating for two to six months, when they are dry. If you want to try gourd crafting sooner, contact a gourd farm and choose from last year’s stock. Most gourd farms do mail order. Gourds generally range from $1.25 to $4 apiece, with very large gourds costing up to $30. — Zittel Farms, 6781 Oak Ave. (near Folsom Auburn Road), Folsom; (916) 989-2633. — The Tree Mover Tree and Gourd Farm, Palmdale; (661) 947-7121. — The Gourd Factory, Linden; (209) 887-3694. — Rocky Ford Gourd, Cygnet, Ohio; (419) 655-2152. Specializes in seeds, but some gourds are available. — The Caning Shop, 926 Gilman St. (at Eighth Street), Berkeley; (510) 527-5010. Web site: www.caning.com. Carries a variety of gourds, gourd crafting supplies and books. — Blithe Spirit, 18 E. Blithedale Ave. (at Throckmorton Avenue), Mill Valley; (415) 383-6427. The gallery has decorated gourds by crafter Nancy Miller.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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© Julie Bawden-Davis