The following article was contributed by Phoebe Welburn. For gourd suppplies, and more ideas about crafting with gourds, including kid's crafts, visit the Welburn Gourd Farm.
When people first hear that gourds are rapidly becoming the most popular
medium for crafters, their first reaction is, "Gourds? You mean those
squash-things they make birdhouses out of?" Exactly. Only now gourds have
evolved way beyond birdhouses. Not only have gourds expanded into every
reach of the craft world, they've also made it into the art world as well.
Gourds that can be classified as 'fine art' can sell for as much as $20,000
and are now displayed in art galleries across the nation!
Gourds can be grown on the ground like pumpkins, or on a trellis or arbor,
and take a full year to grow and dry. While growing they are green and quite
heavy, but after 4 months of drying time they become hard like wood, very
light weight, and are completely hollow inside except for the dried up pulp
and seeds.
The difference between hard-shell gourds and the colorful gourds you find in the supermarket in the Fall is that they don't rot on your kitchen table. Hard-shell gourds can last indefinitely and have actually been found in the Egyptian pyramids intact! The durability and consistency of the hard-shell gourd make it the perfect medium for arts and crafts.
While some gourds are now readily accepted as fine art, most of the gourd work you will find out there falls into the category of crafts.Anyone who
has wandered into a craft store to pick up just one item, only to emerge
hours later with five bags of goods, knows just how captivating crafting can
be!
If you consider yourself to be passionate about crafting, you may very well find your next crafting project will involve gourds! So what do you need to know to be considered 'savvy' in the gourd world? Here are some gourd basics to get you started:
First, gourds have a look and consistency similar to wood. This means gourds
can be cut, carved, sanded, stained, painted, glued, beaded, polished,
etched, wood burned (burned into with a pyrography tool), and practically
anything else you can imagine.
Another appealing factor with gourds is their whimsical shapes. Spend any
amount of time with gourd lovers and sooner or later you will hear something
to the effect of, "Each gourd has its own personality. When I pick up a
gourd, it speaks to me, it tells me what to create with it." And if you've
looked at any finished gourd pieces, you'll know this to be true.
The reason gourd crafting is becoming one of the fastest growing trends is the incredible versatility gourds offer. Do you love basketry? One of the
biggest trends in gourd crafting is fiber art. For instance, weaving pine
needles or other natural fibers along the rim of a gourd bowl creates a
beautiful look and is often one of the first gourd projects a beginner will
create.
Perhaps designing with colored pencils is your passion. Colored pencils are absolutely stunning on gourds and have resulted in some of the most famous gourd art pieces. In fact, everything from water colors to acrylic paints are used on gourds. The American Society of Decorative Painters has embraced gourds as one of their most popular mediums. Adding color to a gourd can really bring the project alive.
Many gourd crafters prefer to compliment the earthy look and feel of the
gourd by using more natural substances. Dried leaves glued on with a light
spray adhesive is a common approach for many crafters.
Many artists use a DremelT tool to carve intricate designs and add
3-dimensional detail to the gourd surface. Creating cut-outs with a
mini-crafters saw opens up all kinds of possibilities with design.
Leather dyes have become the coloring agent of choice among many seasoned
gourd crafters because they allow the natural markings of the gourd to show
through. Leather dyes come in many colors, and they give the artist or
crafter the ability to produce a whole range of different effects.
A large percentage of gourd crafters today came from the woodworking
industry. Artists and crafters with a background in woodworking just seem to
be drawn to gourds. Some of the most stunning gourd art is created using
nothing more than a simple wood-burning tool available at any craft or
hardware store for under $20. Many first-time gourd crafters choose to
simply stencil a pattern on their gourd and then wood burn the pattern onto
the gourd surface. This technique allows even the first-timer to create
stunning gourd pieces in just a few hours.
Gourds are a natural product so no two gourds are ever alike. This diversity
means you as the crafter never get tired of working with gourds because each
one stimulates a new idea. For many gourd crafters, each gourd is a new
opportunity to try something they haven't done before, to create a piece
that is unique in every way.
With each gourd having its own character or personality, and with so many
ways to work with gourds, the crafting possibilities are literally endless!
So where do you get started? If you are not sure what area of gourd crafting
will interest you, start with a simple project to give you a feel for the
medium and download these free instructions for a Gourd Easter Basket, shown at right.
You may also be interested in the many photographs and tips featured in our article on Gourd Purses.
Many other web sites also offer great gourd project ideas and simple gourd kits
designed for beginners. Try typing 'gourd projects' or 'gourd kits' into
your favorite search engine to get some ideas.
Another great resource for beginners is "The Gourdzette," the official
newsletter of the gourd community, which you can subscribe to for free. It
is published every other week and includes all kinds of information on gourd
shows and activities, gourd resources, new gourd projects, and gourd
crafting tips and advice. Visit www.thegourdzette.com to subscribe.
If you have yet to try gourd crafting, now is the time to get involved.
Gourds are rapidly becoming the favorite medium among crafters and the
industry is growing almost daily. Get in on the fun and give gourds a try!
About the Author:
Phoebe Welburn is the Vice President of the Welburn Gourd Farm, the largest supplier of hard-shell gourds in the world for the past 24 years, producing over 350,000 gourds per year. In 1998 she founded the annual International Gourd Art Festival, currently the most popular gourd show in the country. For more information, go to www.welburngourdfarm.com or call (760) 728-4271.
I would like to start crafting with gourds too. Don't have alot of $ and was wondering if anyone had any leftover gourds they might want to get rid of? I'll take any size or shape or even slightly damaged gourds. I tried to grow some last year but don't know what I did wrong. They bloomed but by the time they got an inch or two long they started to rot and then fell off? I would appreciate any help!
LiveLaughLearn – VA
Sep 05, 2008 - 16:07
The gourd art looks so astounding to me (a simple crafter). I am about to lead a class for individuals with intellectual disabilities and have almost completed the task of coming up with a list of projects that 1. Are fun and fairly simple. 2. Haven't been done a million times. and 3. Are practical (i.e. may get some use around the home instead of going to the "I did another craft class" closet)
Now to the point...any ideas for a gourd related craft project that could meet these requirements? I've seen online dealers selling clean, dried ready to craft gourds but don't want to waste the money without a concrete idea on how they could go about crafting. HELP.
Reply to LiveLaughLearn
Ann G – south bend, IN
Jun 02, 2009 - 09:38
I also teach a crafts class in a facility offering day services. I struggle as you do to keep things adult yet simple enough for my clients to accomplish. I have a limited budget so most of our crafts come from things that are easy to come by and inexpensive, and usually lots of natural items. An easy way to use the gourds would be to clean them, cut a hole for bird house entry, then decoupage on pictures cut from magazines or greeting cards. They make beautiful bird houses. We also used the long handled gourds and cut a circle out of the front,(with the handle up). The inside was then filled with potpourri and twine attached at the top (end of the handle) to hang. Some chose to paint the gourds other used shoepolish to give it a varnished look. I would love to exchange some ideas with you if you are interested.You may contact me at: goensa@logancenter.org.
Thanks!
Ann
Marylou Linton – San Diego Ca
Aug 18, 2008 - 14:37
you know just because it's a bird house gourd that dose not mean all lyou can make out of it .You can make a bowl with it or a vase just let your mine go for it and have fun with the gourd. hope this helps.
marylou
Gourd gardener – alabama
Jul 27, 2008 - 11:22
I just harvested a bourd early... oops the stem is still green and, should I coo it or carve it? will it be able to dry? I'm new to this and, how do you carve gourds to look like birds and all, i'm wating for my other three gourd stems to brown, please reply if you can answer any of these questions! thank you
Reply to Gourd gardener
hn
Jan 18, 2009 - 20:56
Please learn to spell.................
Jean Byrne – Alabama
May 02, 2008 - 13:02
After a long lay off I am back into painting and carving gourds. I use my rotary tool set to cut, carve and smooth edges of gourds. I have found nothing more suitable although sometimes it is difficult cutting a straight line with the cutter attachment. Any other ideas?
Reply to Jean Byrne
shelly – Brooksville, Fl
Aug 05, 2008 - 06:38
Try a Keyhole saw.... that should help
pam larkey – south whitley ,indiana
Apr 05, 2008 - 18:24
Thank you so much! I have looked all over this silly computer and finaly found a site that really helps!
Danny Wilson – Indianapolis, IN
Mar 30, 2008 - 16:31
I am interested in gourd crafting. Ihave done a couple of very simple burning projects. Where would I be able to learn more about gourd crafting. I planted 3 seeds last summer and ended up with about 50 bird house gourds. I wanted to make gifts for relatives, but not all bird houses. What would you recomend. I could not help but marvel at some of the carvings that I have seen online. Are many of those cut be hand or lasered or what? As I stated I am new to this and have no idea.
While growing they are green and quite
heavy, but after 4 months of drying time they become hard like wood, very
light weight, and are completely hollow inside except for the dried up pulp
and seeds.
If you consider yourself to be passionate about crafting, you may very well find your next crafting project will involve gourds! So what do you need to know to be considered 'savvy' in the gourd world? Here are some gourd basics to get you started:
One of the
biggest trends in gourd crafting is fiber art. For instance, weaving pine
needles or other natural fibers along the rim of a gourd bowl creates a
beautiful look and is often one of the first gourd projects a beginner will
create.
Leather dyes have become the coloring agent of choice among many seasoned
gourd crafters because they allow the natural markings of the gourd to show
through. Leather dyes come in many colors, and they give the artist or
crafter the ability to produce a whole range of different effects.
, shown at right.
Gourd Crafts, 20 Great Projects to Dye, Paint, Carve, Bead and Woodburn in a Weekend
The Complete Book Of Gourd Craft
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