Gourds

When I was little, my mother had a painted gourd birdhouse one of her aunts made for her. I have no idea where it went, but I started doing some research on them, I was amazed at how widely they were used. Did you know there are bowls, dippers, drinking vessels, hats and musical instruments made from gourds?

Hard-shelled gourds are members of the pumpkin and squash family and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. When they are dry, which takes about one to six months, they are as hard as wood. While growing they can be “trained” by bending them or placing them in a container.  When the gourd fills out the container, break the mold.

After picking, the gourd must be cured and dried prior to painting or using.

I’m always looking out for new things to make, so all I can say is . . . stay tuned and see what I can do next year.