Creating Crafts with Gourds
One might say that gourds exist for those who have the heart to give them life. With an almost universal history that dates back to ancient times, gourds survived to take root even in the New World. Most gourds not classified as squashes are inedible and lend themselves primarily to decoration, or as water and carrying vessels. Throughout time people have used gourds to create milk pots, churns, bowls, ladles, spoons, work baskets, floats, pipes, carved objects, musical instruments. Their various sizes, colors, and shapes, and their durability, allow you to create nearly anything within imagination.
I became acquainted with gourds after moving down South. I had seen them occasionally while growing up, on farms that surrounded town, often hanging as water dippers near the wells. But I began to see them in multitudes in the North Georgia mountainsides and throughout the Georgia farmlands, hanging from tall metal spires to serve as birdhouses for purple martins, at various farmer markets, nestled in corners at flea markets, in forgotten piles at the end of fields. Their simple beauty – the shapes and colors and quiet personalities – captured me.
Over the years my delight in gourds has grown. I continue to be enamored by their endless possibilities. Working with gourds is a soothing and peaceful craft, requiring only one’s hands, a few basic tools, and a touch of imagination. For some of you, depending on where you live, the first challenge might simply be finding gourds. You can find them at some farmer markets, and you can purchase creativity kits that now include gourds, but the most cost effective way for you to attain your gourds is through a wholesale supplier. This provides you with the greatest variety from which to make your choice. My own supplier is a farmer in southeast Georgia with an incredible 100-acre gourd farm. In the past I traveled to the farm to select my own gourds, but since I have moved I order by mail and am always delighted with the parcels I receive. One excellent resource for finding gourd growers and general information is the American Gourd Society.
Selecting Gourds
The gourds you choose to work with are usually those to your liking, the ones in which you can already envision your creations. The different varieties of gourds lend themselves to different craft pieces – bowls, vases, buckets, dippers, bird feeders, ornaments. Your individual taste will guide you to the gourds you want. Make sure that any gourds that you might want to use as bowls or as vases have level bottoms.
When selecting gourds, be sure that they are sturdy and durable. Sometimes during the course of drying, they can become dry rot, making them more susceptible to cracking or breaking as you work on them. A properly dried gourd is very sturdy and can hold water, as throughout history gourds have been used as water vessels (canteens, dippers, and bowls). To test a gourd, hold it between your hands and press its surface to check for weak and brittle spots. Visually check the gourd for any holes and cracks. Most of the gourds you test will probably be quite hearty; however, checking them as you choose them will prevent you from taking home any that you cannot use. If you order gourds, remind the sender to check them for dry rot before sending them.
Cleaning Gourds
When you are ready to work with gourds, the first step is cleaning them, as they usually come fresh from the fields. Cleaning gourds requires only dishwashing liquid, sandpaper, a table knife or chisel to use as a scraper, a bucket or sink of water, and a good bit of stamina. If you clean a number of gourds at once, in assembly-line fashion, not only do you have to clean up the mess only once, but you will also have a supply of gourds that is ready to be worked on.
To clean your gourds –
1. Immerse the gourd in water to thoroughly wet it.
2. Put a generous amount of dishwashing liquid on the gourd. Let the gourds sit a bit in order to let the dishwashing liquid soften the hardened dirt.
3. Using your table knife or chisel, scrape the gourd to remove the bulk of the dirt. The longer you allow your gourd to soak, the easier this will be. Scrape as hard as is necessary, as much of the dirt has been baked in by long sunny days. This task is very rewarding as you begin to reveal the colors and designs hidden beneath the dirt.
4. Use soft- to medium-grained sandpaper to scrub the gourd after you scrape it. This removes any remaining dirt from those harder to reach places.
When the gourd is clean, rinse it off with clean water and set it on newspaper to dry.
Cutting and Gutting Gourds
I recommend that you cut open and gut the gourds in an outdoor area, if possible, or in a well-ventilated indoor area, as these steps create dust that you can inhale. Wherever you work you should wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose to avoid inhaling the dust. You should also wear eye goggles to protect your eyes from particles.
Depending on your plans for your gourd, you might want to remove only the top of it (for buckets or bowls), or remove the top and also cut it in half (for masks).
The following steps will make cutting your gourd as simple as possible:
1. Using a pencil, mark the area you want to cut. For instance, if you want to remove the top in order to make a bowl with a lid, trace a circle around the top. To draw a more precise circle, use a drawing compass.
2. Using the utility knife cut along the line you have drawn. For better control and safety, place the gourd on the ground, holding it with your free hand. Use a straight-down cutting motion and apply even pressure. If you try to force the knife blade by twisting or turning it, the blade could break or the gourd could crack.
3. Cut along the entire circle that you have drawn. Ensure that all of the cuts penetrate the gourd. Each gourd has a different thickness, and the vigor that you need to put into this task will vary.
4. When you finish cutting, use your chisel or your table knife to apply a small amount of pressure beneath the lid and pop it up.
After you remove the gourd’s lid, clean out the dried pulp and seeds. Initially, you might find it easier to remove the pulp by hand. If the pulp is difficult to peel away from the inner walls, use a table knife or a small chisel to scrape it away. Once you remove the pulp, use sandpaper to sand the inside, as well as the cut edges. During this task, wear eye goggles and a facemask!
You need very few tools for gourd work. I use primarily hand tools, as I enjoy the pace and the sense of feeling that they afford me. As you progress, you might find that you prefer to use hand-held electric tools, such as a Dremel? or an electric sander. Following is a list of items and tools you will need for your own gourd work:
• Dishwashing liquid and sandpaper.
• A regular table knife or a small chisel.
• A utility knife (or a Dremel) for cutting the gourd or for carving designs.
• A woodcarving knife with a U-veiner blade for cutting holes in pieces that you want to hang, or for alignment purposes. A Dremel with a small drill bit is also good for this task and easy to use.
The style of decorating that I use to add designs to my gourd is wood burning, also known as pyro-engraving. People have found many ways to decorate their gourd crafts, including carving them when wet (such as calabashes), painting them, adding other materials to them (feathers, leather, beads), and creating musical instruments. The types of craft pieces you can create are innumerable: vases, bowls, buckets, hanging flower pots, bird feeders, chimes, water dippers, and masks. If you want to have some fun and personal delight, spend some time in the world of gourds. They will whet your artistic appetite.
