Gourds are not only a mystery to people who venture out to their local pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin, but also to the people who sell them.
Linda Hiatt, co-owner of Hiatt Farms, said she sells an assortment of gourds in a variety of amusing shapes, which even perplex herself.
"Everyone is fascinated with the gourds," she said. "We had one that looked like penguin. Another looked like a swan, so they have some unique shapes."
The gourds typically do not hold any edible potential, she said, but they serve a different purpose.
"A gourd to me is decoration and if they dry out and the seeds are in them, they'll rattle."
Hiatt said she personally uses gourds as decoration and couples them with pumpkins.
"They're pretty and they are a part of fall," she said.
Don Ruch, professor of biology, dispelled some of the mystery about gourds by saying gourds are actually considered fruit.
"Gourds are in the cucumber family so they are related to pumpkins, melons and squashes," he said.
Gourd bird house1. Get a gourd, preferably a bottle neck gourd, which has a fat base with a thin neck.
2. Next, secure the gourd to drill a small hole in the top of the gourd neck so the gourd bird house may be hung outside.
3. Make sure your gourd is secure for this next step. Using a hole saw attachment for a drill, create a opening that will be at least one to two inches in diameter in the lower section of the gourd.
4. Seed your gourd. Don't throw them away because they can be reused for planting.
5. If you choose, you may add a perch for the birds by drilling small hole under your main entrance and insert a dowel.
6. Finally, decorate your gourd. Be creative with your design and use paints, markers or even use a wood burner. To withstand the outdoors, it will need to be coated with a varnish.
Gourd basketGourds are a versatile crafting product. One example of gourds flexibility is a gourd basket.
1. Choose a gourd with a generally round shape.
2. Outline areas on the gourd with a pencil that will be cut out in order to create the handle.
3. Cut out the opening around the handle.
4. Now that there is an opening, seed the gourd, and if you prefer, smooth the interior of the gourd with sandpaper.
5. Again, decorate your gourd according to the occasion. This could be used to hold candy for Halloween or for any occasion.
SOURCE: allfreecrafts.com/nature/gourd-crafts.shtml
Gourd cat1. Have the appropriate gourds for the project. You will need a bottle-cross gourd, a dipper gourd and two to three gourd tops.
2. Use a saw to cut off the dipper gourd's elongated end so it may serve as a tail for the gourd cat.
3. Next, cut the gourd tops vertically. These pieces will serve as the feet and the ears of the cat.
4. Drill a small hole into the bottom of the gourd that will serve as the body and insert the dowel. This will serve as support for the tail.
5. Trim the pieces needed to create the feet and ears to fit the contours of the gourd. Once these pieces are in place, glue them onto the body. Also attach the tail.
6. Decorate your cat to look like your cat or the cat you always pretended to have. You can drill small holes into your cat to insert pipe cleaners that act as whiskers.
SOURCE: twincreek.com/gourds/craft/craft.html
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