How to Decorate a Gourd Bowl

Decorating gourd bowls can not only show off your creative side, they can also be practical additions to your home. Gourds come in all shapes and sizes and are relatively inexpensive in most hobby shops. They are also quite simple to grow if you have the space for the vines.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dried Gourd
• Acrylic paint
• Saw
• Woodburner
• Varnish
• Various artists’ brushes

1. Begin by cutting the bowl from the gourd. You can choose to cut the top off or cut around the center for two different bowls from one gourd. A Dremel with a saw blade attachment is perfect for this, but any small saw will work. Clean out the inside until the bowl is smooth.

2. Decide if you want to outline your design or go freestyle. If outlining, use a good quality pencil to lay out your design.

3. Choose whether you are going to paint the gourd, use a woodburner or both.

4. Fill in the outline with the method of your choice from step three.

5. Paint a coat of varnish over the finished gourd. If you have used paint, be sure to allow it to dry thoroughly before applying the varnish. Varnish the inside of the bowl also. Let the varnish dry overnight and your gourd is ready to use.

Tips & Warnings

• This can be a great project to do with pre-teen or older children.
• Gourd bowls can be decorated to coincide with the seasons. Use colors in the patterns that reflect the time of year.
• Gourd bowls can be used as key holders, flower vases and candy dishes. Make sure any candy stored in the bowl is wrapped.
• Never allow children to work with wood burners with out adult supervision. The tip of a woodburner can cause severe burns.