Got a question. Every year I see those little gourds for sale around halloween time. I've often thought I could do something with them but I've heard horror stories about working with them. Pretty sure you need to dry them out, etc. but have no idea what is correct and what is just stories. Please let me know what you do to yours. Thanks!

Morning hjvagar...If you are speaking about the one that are like squash striped ones then they can not be saved. They are called " Ornamental gourds " and the ones that I grow and save are called " Hard shelled gourds " In my experiance and I have tried beleive me LOL the ornamentals do not dry. They rot and its not pretty. If you find hard shell gourds that are green you can hang them where the air can circulate around them. If the air doesn't get around them they will rot too. Keep them outside all winter long. It's the freezing and the thawing that helps cure them and make them hard. In the spring I bring mine in ( about april ) and give them a good scrubbing. Soap, water and a drop or 2 of bleach. Leave them for another week or 2 to dry again and your good to go. Maybe someone here has a secret for drying the other ones and I would LOVE to see what people do as well. Hope this helps a bit.
Penny

Drying ornamental gourds depends on when they are planted, harvested, and where they are purchased. Some areas may not have a warm or long enough growing period

If they are collected before the vines start to dry and shrivel, they may not be mature enough to withstand the long drying process. And, if they are commercially grown and sold, they may have a wax coating to make them last longer. If that is the case, the moisture in the gourd may not be able to escape the gourd. Then it may decay and rot.

I think that local farm markets would be the best place to purchase unwaxed gourds. You would also have the opportunity to ask the grower if they are or not.

I bought some last year from Walmart when they reduced them to 50¢. They were in a net bag. I hung them in my craft room in that same bag. I didn't wash them or even open the bag. They all dried. One did shrivel up, but didn't rot.

Here are a few links for information on drying ornamental gourds. You will find many more sites by searching for "how to preserve ornamental gourds".

I hope this has been helpful to you. Oh, BTW, I have made hundreds of ornaments from the ornamental gourds. I have finished almost 200 just this year.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/n...news.cfm?NewsID=7924

http://www.ehow.com/how_732961...corative-gourds.html

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12394092.tip.html

http://gardening.about.com/od/...rieties/p/Gourds.htm

farmerswife this is wonderful. I have never had any luck with them. Well you know I'm off to the store now to get a few of these beauties. I knew you would come on and give us this great info. THANK YOU! I hope it works for me as well. Would love to see some of your work...hint, hint. LOL
Penny

As usual fast replies from the generous ladies on this forum! Thanks you two! I'm headed out to see if I can find a local grower to buy some! (And I agree with Panny - hint, hint lol)

Hope both of you have as much success with the gourds that I have!
I haven't posted any photos for quite some time since many of my pieces are copyrighted by other artists. A lot of them are my own ideas though.
I once designed and gave someone a pattern for a Mickey Mouse orn. She told me that it was only to be used to make a couple of orn. for her grand children.
I later found it on the internet. It was the identical pattern with my drawings and handwritten instructions that I emailed to her. Disney productions is very fussy about using their characters in any way! I'm thankful, though, that I didn't have my name on the pattern. Since then, I'm a little leery about posting photos.
Have fun with the gourds, Ladies!

I've saved the ornamental gourds too. i collect them, but place them into a wire basket and leave out all winter...some make it some do not...here's one from last yr.
Melinda

GourdSilly...WELCOME! Nice gingie! Glad to see that you have joined in the fun and that we can save these. Well, I'm giving it that good old try one more time. Crossed fingers and toes and lots of luck!
Penny

Love the gingie too! That is cute! And thanks for the advice. Hope mine make it through the winter here too.

thanks for the welcome, I've tried for yrs to get on this site and for one reason or other it won't work... and then poof... it worked! Hubby just found a dried gourd from last yr while weeding...making it into a Frankie (stein).


here's a chicken,I've added air dry clay to.
melinda

Oh my gosh! That is just too cute! It's funny - some people can't get in here while others can and then all of a sudden it switches and the ins are now among the outs. I wish HGTV would just fix this site for once and for all. Thanks for posting the pic.