It is that time of year; football is coming, the leaves are ready to change, and the smell of pumpkin will invade households’ nation wide! In case those clues don’t give it away, I am of course talking about Fall! For many families Fall presents a wonderful time for family activities. Of those crafts have always been a main staple in the realm of Fall activities. One great means of crafting that really can bring out your artistic side is making gourd art!
Some might initially think of gourd art as an elementary school project they reluctantly embarked upon in second grade, but this is no longer the case. You can use gourd art to create a variety of crafts and furniture. What crafts and furniture you ask? Well you can make centerpieces, lamps, jack-o-lanterns, stringed instruments, drums, birdhouses, decorative bowls, canteens, and more! The possibilities with gourd art are as endless as your imagination. Just Google image search gourd art and you will see fantastically fun and creative, one of a kind artwork. In case you are looking for a place to find epoxy resin and other art materials, check out this website.
Now that you are intrigued you are probably curious as to what it is that makes gourds such a great medium for arts and crafts. That answer, while containing several parts, is easy to explain and just as easy to understand. Gourds have a hard exterior that closely mimics the feel and versatility offered with wood. Now virtually everything that you can do too modify and morph wood into art you can also do to gourds. This includes: cutting, carving, sanding, painting, gluing, beading, staining, polishing, etching, and the list goes on. Honestly, although it would not be the most economical of decisions, you might could use gourds to build a home.
Another awesome aspect of gourds that makes it a fantastic craft medium is the shape. Earlier, I mentioned Google Image searching gourd art, now just Google Image search gourds. Look at all of those unique shapes. You can stare at the organic results for hours, as if you are staring at clouds, and picture all of the possibilities with the fascinating shapes and sizes. The diversity and complexity of each gourd style and shape means that each piece of art you craft will be different than any other gourd art of past or present. There are not many mediums that offer that uniqueness, it’s as if each gourd has its own fingerprint, personality, and appearance (that sounds familiar).
Getting Started With Gourd Crafting
Okay, so now you are thinking that this gourd art stuff might be for you. You are however wondering how exactly you should get started. That is a valid curiosity but like most of the illusive answers we seek today, the solution can be found on the Internet! The American Gourd Society (AGS) “promotes interest in all activities relating to gourds”. On their website you can find how to guides and learn about AGS chapters in your area. On the “Garden Web” forum you can meet and connect with gourd crafters, as well as find even more how to guides so you can begin your first gourd craft. Another great information source for starting your gourd-crafting journey is YouTube. Simply search gourd crafts and you will be introduced to various fun and helpful gourd crafting videos.
Once you begin crafting with gourds it is safe to say you will have a newfound hobby, possibly even obsession! You will quickly learn all of the possibilities that gourds offer. Motivated by these possibilities you will be able to constantly churn out new unique art that your family and friends are sure to love. There are also excellent Internet sites specifically designed for selling crafts, so you never know where your gourd passion will take you!