How to Make a Snowman From a Gourd

Look for a shaped gourd.

Transform a dried gourd into a holiday decoration.The gourd you select should have a top that is smaller than the bottom, in a modified hourglass shape, in order to make it into a Christmas snowman. Gourd snowmen make festive Christmas decor for a front porch, table or windowsill. If you will be drying your own gourd, plan ahead; it can take a month or longer to dry a gourd for crafting purposes. Does this Spark an idea?

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Bottle-shaped gourd
White vinegar
White acrylic craft paint
Paintbrushes
Black acrylic craft paint
Orange clay
Craft glue
Red ribbon

Instructions

- 1
  
  Dry the gourd. If you grow gourds, leave a gourd on the vine until it dries naturally. Pick a spot such as a shed where the gourd will stay cool and still get some ventilation if you purchased a gourd. Set the gourd on a table and rotate it every other day. If mold forms but the gourd is still hard, scrape the mold off with a dull knife and wipe the gourd dry. Shake the gourd when it feels light; if you hear the seeds rattle, it is ready for crafting.
- 2
  
  Purchase a dried gourd as an alternative. Dried gourds are offered on craft sites on the Internet and such auction sites as eBay.
- 3
  
  Paint the entire surface of the gourd white using acrylic craft paint. Allow the paint to dry.
- 4
  
  Brush some black acrylic paint around the top of the gourd and the stem to make the snowman's black top hat.
- 5
  
  Add facial features and buttons to the snowman using the black craft paint and a small paintbrush. Make the eyes and mouth on the top part of the gourd and the buttons going down the bottom of the gourd.
- 6
  
  Form a small carrot from a piece of orange modeling clay for the snowman's nose. Dab a small amount of craft glue onto the clay and stick it under the snowman's eyes.
- 7
  
  Tie a red ribbon around the middle section of the gourd for a winter scarf.