Great Gourds: Turning Them Into Art

GROWING GOOD GOURDS:

If you choose to collect and save seeds from year to year, be sure to segregate them, so you don't end up raising mongrels in the future! Most are easy to grow in fertile soil and full sun. Make sure to water regularly especially in dry spells.

Gourds tend to set fruit later in the season which can be a problem if you are impatient or have frost early. Clip off the growing tip of the main vine when it reaches 8 to 10 feet. The plant then directs its energy to the side shoots, resulting in earlier and bigger crops.

It is ready to be clipped off when the tendril next to its stem turns brown. When you do remove it leave an inch or two of stem on top just as you would for a pumpkin.



TO CURE:

Once you pick the gourd, it's time to cure it. To minimize the chance of rot, wipe off the surface. A towel dampened with disinfectant such as rubbing alcohol works well.

Put it in a warm, dry place with good air circulation, such as a shed or garage on slatted shelves or screens. Don't let them touch one another, and if they show signs of rot, discard right away.

For small ones, curing may take only a week. For bigger ones, it can be months. During this time, they dry out and lose most of their weight. You'll know they are cured and ready for decorating when the seeds rattle inside and the skin is leathery.

TURN IT INTO ART:

Mold often develops on the skins of gourds. But as long as it is superficial, no harm is done.

Once fully dried and cured they can be coated with shellac or light polish of ordinary floor wax to help preserve it and shine it up a bit too. You can then decorate it with paint, shoe dye, wood stain or burn patterns. Embellish with glued on decorations such as feathers or shells.

If you want to carve or cut your cured gourd, soften it slightly with before hand. To do this, soak it in warm water for an hour, or wrap it in a damp towel and seal in a plastic bag for half a day. After that, the thin patches of outer skin will be easy to remove with steel wool or a sharp knife.

If you cut it open and find a relatively smooth interior, scrape out the dry seeds and pulp. Moisten lingering pulp to help loosen it. This will also keep down the dust, which can irritate your lungs.

Now Make it Art

Masking tape

Dremel tool

Drill

Sandpaper

Spoon

Stain, varnish, or paint

Wood-burning tool

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Determine how high up the side you want to make the basket rim, then place masking tape around the circumference.

2. Use a long strip of masking tape to divide it in half vertically. Start on one side at the rim line and go down to the bottom and up the other side. Repeat on the other side.

3. Use shorter strips of tape to fill in areas. You only need to go from the rim line to the bottom. (You may have some overlap at the bottom, this usually will not affect your basket because it is not necessary to continue the pattern all the way to the bottom.

4. Add horizontal lines to simulate a weave. Use short pieces of tape and encircle it.

5. Now you are ready to burn your design. The wood burner will burn through the tape and into the gourd. (If you choose to paint the weave pattern instead, simply place your tape farther apart so you can paint between the lines).



6. Remove the tape, and add any additional designs you like. (Darkening the corners of each square can add depth to the weave.)

7. To finish off, tape off the handle and use a dremel or similar tool to cut out the handle and top rim of the basket.

8. Remove the seeds and dried membranes from inside.

9. Sand the insides.

10. Stain, varnish or paint.

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