My Ivy Gourd

Here is the finished product,
ready for the birds of next
summer.

This was a fun and easy project.
The gourd used was a birdhouse
gourd.
It has been drying since fall.
Here are the steps in making one
if anyone would like to try.. 

1.  Soak gourd for 15 to 20
     minutes.  Then scrub off the
     mold it accumulates while it
     is drying.  You can add a little
     bleach to the water too if you
     would like.  I used comet.    
     It will keep some marks and                  
      imperfections, that adds
     character.
2.  Cut an entrance hole with an
     exacto knife, cut a small hole
     under it to glue a perching
      branch to. (you can see the
      little hole in the pic to the
      left.  It does not have the
      perching branch yet.)  Also,
     put a couple small holes near
     the top of the gourd to allow
     for a hanger of some kind.
3.   I burned my design in with a
     soldering iron, but you could
     paint yours on.  I dyed the leaves
     with ink, and rubbed it off to
     just leave a stain.
4.  Swirl Thompsons water sealer
     inside the gourd to protect it from
     any moitsture.
5.   Spray the outside with spary
     shelac.  Mine has 2 coats of
     shelac on it.

       Have fun and be creative!
           Anyone want seeds?

Email me for seeds

To Return to my Main Page