Dehydrated gourds must have the thin
layer of dried outer skin and the mold on their shells removed before they can
be crafted. Gardeners soak the gourds in
pails of water and use a copper scrubber to expose the brown/tan outer
shell.
Some people add a little bleach
to the cleaning water but we here at the Virginia Lovers’ Gourd Society (VLGS)
do not use bleach due to the odor. However, a pair of gloves do not come amiss!
Once the outer gourd shell is clean you
may begin to craft your gourd. If you
are going to cut open the gourd to make a bowl or a birdhouse, use a jigsaw or
a drill and bit to accomplish this task.
Note: Always wear a
protective breathing mask and eye wear when cutting, sanding or cleaning out
the inside of a gourd. The dust is very
fine and abrasive.
To clean out the inside of a gourd,
which is referred to as gutting, use a scraping tool to remove the seeds and
white pith. Some people use a drill
press while others use wire brushes attached to a drill to clean out the pith.
As far as decorating the outer shell,
you are only limited by your imagination.
Anything that can be used on wood can be used on gourds: paint, dyes, shoe polish colored pencils and
wood burning.
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