Information About Gourds Hard shelled gourds are members of the pumpkin family. The gourds are green and heavy when ripe. They need to dry for about six months before they become hard and very much like wood. |
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When
dry, gourds are lightweight. The thickness of the "walls"
of the gourd vary, and it's difficult to know how thick they are until
the gourd is cut open. They can be cut open with a small
saw. At right is a picture of a cut gourd before it is cleaned of the
seeds and pulp. The pulp is dry and must be cleaned out by scraping and
sanding. It is a messy process which creates a lot of fine saw dust. |
The gourd's shape, size and natural characteristics usually inspire a design. I create the design by drawing directly on the gourd with a pencil. Once the design is decided upon, the gourd can be cut open. The gourd can be cut into a bowl, box, vase, or left unopened. |
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© J. Elaine Senack