How to Decorate Dried Gourds
A dried gourd has both an interesting shape and a hard, woody texture when dried, making it a long lasting and durable material to decorate for a craft project. There are a variety of different arts and crafts techniques that work well for decorating a gourd's surface, many of which can be used together to create a personalized work of art.
Things You'll Need
- Soap
- Scrub brush
- Fine sandpaper
- Pencil
- Craft knife
- Dremel
- Wood burner
- Varnish or acrylic paint
- Beads, rhinestones and jewelry cabochons
- Craft glue or hot glue
Instructions
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1
Clean the dried gourd. If the gourd has been cut open, clear out the insides with a stiff-bristled brush. Wash the entire gourd with hand soap and warm water. Towel off, then air-dry.
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2
Sand the dried gourd. Give the gourd a rubdown by hand with sheets of fine-grain sand paper. Pay attention to any rough spots and to stems. Repeat this process after any carving or cutting.
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3
Sketch potential designs on the gourd's surface in pencil. A dried gourd takes pencil markings and erasures well, so take advantage of this to get your design just right before you make it permanent. This is useful for any type of abstract or geometric shape design, but is especially helpful if you want to draw a complex picture on the gourd's surface.
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4
Etch the gourd, if desired. Hold the gourd in a vice and carve designs with a sharp craft knife or a Dremel with a sanding attachment. This will require a light touch, as a dried gourd is woody, yet thin.
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5
Create any designs on the gourd's surface with a wood burner. Again, mind how thin the gourd is by making sure never to hold the burner in one place too long.
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6
Finish the gourd. Apply varnish to preserve the gourd's natural color and texture, or paint the gourd. Varnish with a light, spray finish or paint with acrylic or latex paint.
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7
Decorate with beads, if desired. Glue beads, cabochons or rhinestones directly to the dried gourd's surface with a strong craft glue or hot glue, or tie strings or woven bead work around the gourd. With strung beads, you should also secure them to the gourd with a dot of glue to keep them from slipping and gathering in one place.
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