Country Gardens – July 2019

11

COUNTRY GARDENS // FA LL 2019

STEP 1 Clean the gourd

by soaking it in water for

5 to 10 minutes. Wearing

a safety mask, use the

copper scrubber and/or

scouring pad to remove

soil, mold, and mildew

(accumulated as gourds

air-dry in the fi eld).

STEP 2 Use a pencil to

mark a cutting line around

the gourd shell where you

want the rim of your bowl.

Pierce the shell using the

tip of a utility knife to

make an opening, then

use the hobby knife with a

saw blade to cut along the

marked line.

STEP 5 For an optional

decorative touch, use

a drill to perforate a

pattern around the rim.

STEP 6 Wearing gloves,

brush wood stain onto the

exterior of the gourd. Set

the gourd aside and allow

stain to dry. Apply clear

sealer and dry overnight.

STEP 3 Scrape out the

dried inner pulp and

seeds with a large spoon.

Soak the gourd bowl in

water for 10 minutes to

soften any remaining

pulp. Scrape again to

remove all loose pulp.

STEP 4 Set the gourd on

a folded towel or rag to

steady it while you work.

File the cut edge of the

gourd to make it even,

then smooth the edge

with sandpaper.

Make a Gourd Bowl

MATERIALS:

Celebrate the arrival

of fall by bringing a bit of the harvest

season indoors. Dried hard-shell

gourds are a natural decor go-to

and an ideal material for crafting

lightweight yet sturdy bowls. You

can grow gourds in your garden,

but it’s easiest to buy them ready for

crafting, even if they need a quick

bath and a scrub.

Visit a pumpkin patch, a farmers

market, or an online source to fi nd

these autumnal treasures. To ensure

they will hold their shapes, mature

gourds should air-dry on the vine

over three to six months until

golden brown. If plucked from

the vine while green, fresh gourds

may not dry well without shriveling

or developing dents. (Dried gourds

purchased in the fall were grown

the previous year.)

To make a gourd bowl, select a

hard-shell gourd shape such as

gooseneck, apple, kettle, drum, or

birdhouse that will sit stably on a fl at

surface. Cleaning, cutting, and

sanding gourds releases mold spores

and dust, so wear a safety mask

during these steps.

Experiment with a variety of

fi nishes to see what appeals to you.

Add a pretty hue to the shell by

applying wood stain, shoe polish,

leather dye, or a rub-on wax metal

fi nish. For a gilded touch, apply

metal leaf onto the cut edge of your

bowl. Whether or not you decide to

add color, a coat of clear

polyurethane or acrylic will protect

and enhance the gourd’s natural

beauty and seal colored fi nishes.

Large dried gourd

Large bucket

Safety mask

Copper scrubber

Scouring pad

Pencil

Utility knife

Hobby knife with saw blade

Large heavy-duty spoon

Towel or rag

File

Sandpaper (medium grit)

Drill and bits (optional)

Waterproof gloves

Foam brushes

Wood stain (we used Varathane Wood Stain

in Black Cherry)

Clear satin-fi nish polyurethane sealer

VISIT A

GOURD

FARM

page 24

For more information, see

Resources on page 103.