How to Make a Gourd Bowl

The sizes of bowl you can fashion from a gourd vary greatly.

Gourds have been used by people for uncounted millennia. Primitive uses for gourds range from water dippers to bowls, from decorative elements to musical instruments. The process used to fashion a bowl from a gourd is very similar to the process that has been used for thousands of years. With a gourd, some simple tools and a modicum of patience, you can make and use your own gourd bowl.

Things You'll Need

• Gourd
• Knife
• Bucket
• Towel

Instructions

1. 

   Either turned on end or balanced upright, the bottom section of the gourd will be the bowl.

   Plant and harvest a gourd from your own garden, or purchase a gourd from a farm stand or farmers' market. Select a gourd that has a large, round bottom section.

2. 

   When you shake a gourd and hear it rattling like a maraca, the gourd is ready for crafting.

   Place the gourd in a dark, dry location for one year. Check from time to time to make sure the gourd is not getting moist. Elevate the gourd if moisture is evident on the bottom of the gourd. Shake the gourd to listen for the seeds inside beginning to rattle.

3. 

   Soak the gourd in a bucket of water.

   Submerge the gourd in a bucket of cold water for 15 minutes. Place a wet towel over the section of the gourd exposed. Turn the gourd and soak the other side for 15 minutes, placing the wet towel as before. Scrape the dirt and mold off the shell of the gourd using a knife or steel wool scrubber. Place the gourd in a warm, dry location to thoroughly dry, for approximately 30 minutes.

4. 

   No two gourd bowls are alike.

   Lay the gourd on its side. Cut across the top edge of the largest portion of the gourd to create a bowl with a long handle, using a sharp knife with a serrated edge. Alternatively, stand the gourd upright and cut the long neck off to create a round bowl.

5. Remove the top portion of the bowl after making your cut, and sand the upper edge of the bowl to create a smooth lip.

6. Scrape a butter knife throughout the inside walls of the gourd to remove the seeds and insides; shake them out.

7. Paint the outside of the bowl with acrylic paints, if you wish, following with a coat of shellac, when the paint is dry, to make your design permanent.

References

• Gourd Art: Wild Craft Gourd Art
• American Gourd Society
• Earthborn Gourds: Cyndee Newick