| Gilded Gourd Luminaries |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-402 |
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Q: Can you give me some ideas for some natural looking candle holders? A: Consider turning ordinary gourds into beautiful luminaries. These make great accents for use indoor or outdoors. Gourds come in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes and colors. You can grow them in your garden or purchase fresh gourds (figure A) from farmer's markets. Predried and prepared gourds of in various forms can also be purchased from crafts suppliers, many of which can be found via a simple internet search. Gourds can be dried and used in their natural state (figure B), or they can be scrubbed, bleached or painted. In our demonstration, dried and hollowed gourds -- with the tops already precut (figure C) -- were painted gold and used to create decorative lanterns.
Materials: Dried gourds
Spray paint
Cordless drill
Strung Christmas-tree lights or votive
Stencil cutouts (optional)
Wire (optional)
Steps:
- Once you've selected a dried gourd in the size and shape you want, spray paint it in the color of your choice. For ours, the outside of the gourd was spray-painted in several shades of metallic gold to create a visually interesting pattern.
- Once the paint has dried, use a cordless drill to make holes in the shell of the gourd to allow light to shine through once a candle or light is placed in side. The shell of the gourd is brittle and easy to drill through, but press firmly when you drill (figure D) to avoid slipping and scratching the painted surface.
- Create a pattern of your own design by the placement of holes (figure E). You may want to simply create geometric patterns, or you may want to make a pattern in the shape of leaves or other objects. You may find it helpful to mark the pattern out on the gourd before you begin drilling. To create larger openings and an open pattern, you may also want to use a craft saw.
- Once your lantern is complete, place a votive candle inside. Be certain to use a votive-holder as a safety measure. For additional safety, a better choice might be to use a string of battery-operated cool-lights like those used to decorate Christmas trees (figure F).
- You can use gourd lanterns like this as table decorations or as luminaries to line a walkway, or you can suspend them using fine wire (figure G).
- For further embellishments, you may want to decorate the outside of your gourds using natural or artificial leaves (figure H), or decorate them using stencil cutouts (figure I).
Q: What's the best kind of ribbon to use when hanging ornaments? A: There's no one best style. The type of ribbon you select can depend on the artistic style or decorative motif you're after. Silk or grosgrain ribbons are both well suited for hanging ornaments. You may want to coordinate with dominant colors in the room where your ornaments will be placed. Other than that, simply select ribbon in a style, color and pattern that suits your fancy. A useful tip, however, is to place a little glue or clear fingernail polish on the ends of the ribbons to prevent unraveling.
Q: How can I prevent cording from unraveling? I taped it before I cut it, but I don't want to leave the tape on my finished project. A: If the cording has been sewn into something like a pillow or curtain, it shouldn't unravel when the tape is removed. If the ends of the cording are hanging loose, simply dab white glue on the ends and wait until the glue has dried before removing the tape. An alternative is to tie a knot at the end of the cording if that look is suitable for your project.
RESOURCES :
The Complete Book of Gourd Craft: 22 Projects, 55 Decorative Techniques. . .
Model: 1887374558
Author: Ginger Summit
Gourd Crafts: 20 Great Projects to Dye, Paint, Carve, Bead, and Woodburn in a Weekend
Model: 1579901522
Author: Ginger Summit
Gourd Fun for Everyone
Model: 0891349936
Author: Sammie Crawford
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
North Light Books (F & W Publications)
Website: www.fwpublications.com
Decorating Gourds: Carving, Burning, Painting, and More
Model: 0764313126
Author: Sue Waters
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