How to Make a Gourd Ornament Tutorial

If you enjoy crafting, you are going to love making this gourd ornament. What is a gourd you ask? A gourd is a vegetable, that when allowed to grow and dry out on the vine, makes a very nice, solid crafting object that is hard and very much like wood. If you have never had the pleasure of crafting a gourd, then do yourself a favor and try it, you just might get bit by the "gourd bug" and be hooked like we are. For a mass amount of info on gourds, and to see some awesome gourd art work, visit The Gourd Reserve.

Supplies Needed

gourd

acrylic paint (any color)

puff paints (any color)

small eye screw

cording to hang ornament

clear acrylic for top coat

Instructions for ornament

First take your eye screw, (if this is how you plan to hang your ornament), and screw it into the top of the gourd, then thread your cording through the eye screw and knot it off. If the gourd has a nice stem and you want to preserve the stem, just drill a hole through the top of the gourd, underneath the stem, and run a cord of some type through the hole and knott it. Next paint your gourd whatever base color you want the gourd to be. After that drys, paint on a second coat if needed. Next decide what design you want on your gourd ornament. I like teble clef notes, and swirls, but you can do whatever design you like on your gourd. Once you have your design in mind, (draw it on if you need to), take your puff paints and start creating. I like to use at least two different colors of puff paints, it gives the ornament more personality, (see photos of varrious ornaments), I also like to use the puff paints with glitter in them.

When you get the puff paint on your ornament, hang it somewhere to dry over night, or for about 10 hours or so. Once your ornament is dry, coat it with a clear acrylic top coat. I like ceramcoat gems, they come in different glitter colors and look really cool over the puff paints. Once your top coat is dry, your ornament is ready to display.

I like to add little ribbons tied into bows at the top of the gourd, it gives it a little extra pizazz, and it looks really neat too. Play with colors and designs, and come up with your own gourd ornament collection for your tree this Christmas.

Happy Gourding!