Gourd Crafting
This is the first, I hope, of many projects using dried, cured gourds from the garden. I used a Cucuzzi Gourd ‘Lagenaria siceraria’ to make a sort of autumn cornucopia. I initially I chose to grow Cucuzzi gourds because they are edible when young and more disease resistant than squash. I let some grow large so I could experiment with gourd curing and crafting.
I simply left the gourds on the ground outside all winter. I have read it’s best to keep them off the ground on a hard surface, but my gourds did well strewn on the ground. They began to mold and look funky. This is perfectly normal and part of the process. Only if they get soft spots and rot should you throw them out. How do you know they’re ready? The outer shell will be hard and sound hollow and woody when tapped. If you shake the gourd like a maraca, you should hear seeds rattling around inside.
Do as much of the soaking and cleaning as possible outside, as the gourds are covered in mold. Soak the gourds in warm water, with a dash of bleach, for an hour or so. The gourd will float, so it’s a good idea to weigh it down or cover it with a wet towel. Use a copper scrubber to scrape off the thin layer of skin on the outside of the gourd and let dry in the sun. Once the gourd is dry, it should be a light tan color. I used an Exacto knife cut an opening in the gourd. I would NOT recommend this method. The gourd’s “shell” was thick and difficult to cut through. This took a lot of time and it’s a wonder I didn’t cut myself. Since then, I’ve purchased a wood burner with a cutting tip I am hoping will work better in the future. I know some gourd crafters use power tools, which probably work great for those of us not power tool challenged. It is important to wear a mask while cutting into the gourd and cleaning out seeds and particles. The tiny particles can irritate the lungs and cause serious damage over time.
Use a melon baller or spoon to scrape out the inside of the gourd. Save seeds for next year’s garden, if you wish. Wipe the gourd inside and out with rubbing alcohol and let dry.
I used a wood burner to burn some autumn leaves, acorns, and other designs.
I used a natural colored leather shoe polish to give the gourd a touch more color and shine and filled the cavity with little “gourds”. (Most of these types of gourds are actually cucurbita pepo and not true gourds.) I did not put any clear protective coatings of polyurethane, as this gourd will stay inside and will not be exposed to the elements. The project was more time consuming than anticipated, but I am happy to have preserved part of my garden to enjoy for years to come.
