Gourds are a staple of the fall season. You’ve may have seen these odd shaped fruits next to the pumpkins at your local grocery store and wondered what you could do with them. Although related to the pumpkin, gourds for the most part are inedible and usually dried and used in fall decor. Gourds are believed to be the oldest plant domesticated by humans and have been used for musical instruments, eating and cooking utensils and the skin of gourds was even used during surgery in Neolithic times to cover the missing parts of the skull. There unusual shapes and textures make them a favorite of crafters world wide.If you’d like to try your hand at creating something out of this unusual fall staple but don’t know what to make with gourds here are my favorite ten things that you can do with gourds to help you get started.
Ten Things You Can Do With A Gourd
Combined with fall leaves, mini pumpkins and other signs of fall small colorful gourds make a beautiful centerpiece to place on a mantle or on your dining room table. You can use a combination of dry or fresh gourds in a variety of shapes and colors to create a truly unique display.
2. Musical Instruments
Dried gourds have a natural resonance and have been used for hundreds of years in many cultures to make musical instruments such as drums and stringed instruments. Gourds can also be filled with other materials to make rattles and shakers to use as musical accompaniments.
3. Funny Faces
The unusual shapes and textures of gourds make them a natural medium to use to create funny faces to use as decorations around your home. To create funny gourd faces you can paint facial features on the gourd or glue on a variety of materials such as feathers, wiggle eyes, bits of material and even smaller gourds and vegetables.
4. Bird Houses
One of the most popular crafts to make with a dried gourd is a bird house. They are fairly easy to make, have a natural look, are very durable and birds love nesting in them.
5. Decorative Bowls
Dried Gourds have been used for hundreds of years as bowls in many cultures as both a needed serving dish and as works of art.Today most gourd bowls that you see are purely decorative in nature and aren’t used for serving. Gourd bowls are usually painted and or carved in a variety of designs and look great as a home decor item.
6. Gourd Jack-o-Lantern
Dried hard shell gourds make excellent jack o lanterns. They are a little harder to make than regular jack o lanterns and require the use of a drill and small jigsaw but once carved and varnished you will have a gorgeous carved jack o lantern that can be used for many years to come.
7. As A Food Source
While mostly inedible some varieties of gourds such as the spiny bitter gourds are used as a food source in many countries. The spiny bitter gourd can be used in curries, pickled, stir-fried, in salads and soups. However they are inedible raw and must be cooked in order to eat them.
8. Painted Gourds
The smooth surface of dried hard shell gourds makes an excellent medium to paint on. The finished pieces look beautiful when varnished and displayed and will last several years.
9. Serving Bowl
Soft skin gourds can be cut in half and hollowed out to make attractive bowls to serve soup in on a chilly fall or winter evening. Their bright colors are a perfect way to brighten up your table especially on a dark and rainy night.
10. Gourd Canteen
The Mexican Water Bottle Gourd, Canteen Gourd or Chinese Bottle Gourd can be dried, hollowed out and coated inside with beeswax to make a watertight canteen. Not only does this make an attractive and durable canteen its also a very environmentally friendly creation.
Sources:
The Wild and Wonderful World of Gourds
