Things You'll Need:
- Gourds
- Paint
- Clear shellac
- Sharp knife
- Decorative pieces
- Permanent marker
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Step 1
Wash your gourd on the outside and dry thoroughly. If planning to use the inside of your gourd, spoon out the seeds and strings to remove from the inside.
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Step 2
Determine what shape you want your gourd to take. Whether a turkey, pilgrim or scarecrow, it may be necessary to cut your gourd to achieve your desired figure. For example, you may need to cut holes in the side or along the top of your gourd to add arms, legs or a head. Instead of cutting your gourd, consider attaching these pieces with hot glue or even just painting them on. You could also poke toothpicks halfway into the side of your gourd and add any decorative pieces to the exposed toothpicks.
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Step 3
Trace the shape you would like to cut (if cutting) into your gourd using a permanent marker. Follow these lines with a sharp knife and cut to make your shape. Otherwise, paint, hot glue or insert your decorations to your gourd as desired.
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Step 4
Consider etching into the gourd’s skin with a sharp object to further personalize your gourd.
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Step 5
Add twigs, pieces of straw, seeds, fruits, nuts or ribbon to make your gourd take shape. For example, add pieces of straw for a scarecrow gourd. Or, attach white ribbon around the middle of your gourd to resemble a pilgrim's belt. You can add these decorative pieces on the outside of your gourd or along the base. As described in Step 2, you can use hot glue, toothpicks or paint in this step.
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Step 6
Paint any added color or decoration as desired.
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Step 7
Paint your gourd with a clear shellac. This preserves the color of your gourd for up to a year.
