October 2nd, 2011

Today, ladies and gentlemen, and I going to write about gourds. Yes, you heard me: gourds. Gourds have been used for thousands of years as food, decorations, bird houses, and musical instruments. What is a gourd, exactly? A gourd is either a fruit or vegetable, the reproductive organ of the plant that produces it. Squash also fall into this category. Like with squares and rectangles in Geometry, all squash are gourds, but not all gourds are squash. Looking at non-squash species of gourd, only a few are edible. However, that does not limit the uses to which they can be put, particularly when dried. For instance, I went to a local fall festival yesterday, and my mom purchased for me two small gourds, each just slightly larger than my hand. I have set them on my altar, as my closet area is cool and dark, and over the next few months, they will dry and turn into lovely hand shakers. I did the same thing last year, and already have two lovely ones. These are great for instruments, and also for decoration when not in use. I love the sounds of gourd rattles during chanting, particularly during rituals. Now, I like to leave my gourds plain, as it gives them a more natural look, but if you like, one could also add beads, bells, twine, etc.. Indeed, if one was feeling particularly crafty, you could even paint on designs or traditional symbols. Dried gourds can also be carved into birdhouses by creating a bird-sized hole near the base and removing the seeds. A cord can then be strung through the top, and from what I hear, they're pretty weather resistant. However, if you're concerned about rot, you could coat the outside (and inside too, if you can) with a bit of resin or other finishing product. A final project I saw in a craft book once called for covering a dried gourd in wax crayon, and then using a knife, pencil, or other scraping tool to etch off the crayon to create designs. In the book, theirs looked like a bird, but you could easily make other symbols or pictures. If you were to have a feminine-shaped gourd, one could even make a goddess! So go on, get a few little gourds, and get crafting!