First I had to find gourds large enough to work with. I searched every craft store and garden center in my area and could not find gourds and most people I questioned didn't seem to know what I was talking about. Next I called my parents to see if they could find some gourds and send them to me, which they so kindly did, but the gourds they sent were way to small to use. So I did the next thing I looked up Gourds on Amazon.co.uk, but they were not listed, so I tried the US Amazon site and found them. Happily putting my order in my basket my lovely husband informed me that if they aren't sold on the UK site it probably means that gourds are not allowed into the country:( being a plant and all. Ignoring his warnings I ordered them, conveniently forgetting to tell him the shipping cost were nearly double the cost of the actual gourds, because now I HAD to get those gourds and proceed with my grand craft idea.
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| The gourds arrived 3 weeks later:) |
Now that I had my gourds I looked on the web to see how to cut them...um no I didn't think to do this before actually ordering the gourds.... What I found out was gourds can cause gourd flu, due to the mold spores that occur during the drying process. After spending several days researching gourd flu and trying to decide if this is really dangerous, I proceed, taking precautions...
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| I open the doors and window of the house and Princess and I start working on cutting the gourds....which leads to problem number 3:( |
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| None of the knives we have will actually cut the gourds. We tried the pumpkin knives, steak knives and every knife we have in the kitchen. After much, much effort I finally got one cut...I had no idea how tough these things were:( Kids left me by this time as they were bored watching me cut the gourd and seeing very little progress.
Next, I start calling everyone I know to see if anyone has a kind of knife that will successfully cut through a gourd. No one I know have any ideas on what to use. According to the web site I found I need an exacto saw blade which I cannot find here, yes I have look. Have I ever mentioned that I hate shopping and this one craft alone has meant 2 separate shopping trips with the kids in tow...pure and utter torture:(!!!!
To be continued...if and when I ever find a way to cut these gourds! If you have any good ideas please list them in the comments below because I am becoming a bit obsessed over cutting these gourds and completing my grand craft idea!
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We cut gourds for an Ethiopian project last year. I used a large bladed serrated knife. They are not easy to cut. We gave up on Yerba mate cups though and just learned about the tea last month..lol. Good luck, can't wait to see how it turns out.
ReplyDeleteCould you use a squash? Gourds are really different types of squash. We love butternut and use a large kitchen knife to cut them. They are difficult to open up and take a lot of pressure.
ReplyDeleteYou could also try an avocado. When they are cut in half and the skins dry out they look like cups to me. Good luck.
You can try this website: http://www.arizonagourds.com/CarvingInlay.html Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteAre you trying to copy my crafting style? Not looking things up ahead of time? That is so classic me! Not the best crafting technique is it? I'd ignore the whole gourd flu thing, the people who warn you about that are probably the same types who warned me about the hazards of picking mushrooms. Old fuddy duddies! True, they are alive and healthy fuddy duddies... I'm assuming that your gourds are dry?????? What about a saw? A rotary saw would probably cut it in seconds. If you're not the power tools type, maybe a hack saw? Or a Dremel, which is like a handheld power tool and are nice little things to have around for all sorts of stuff.
ReplyDeleteWe grew gourds in our garden last year. We used a utility knife to cut it. Worked great! We made birdhouses and some dippers. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteWe grew gourds in our garden last year. We used a utility knife to cut it. Worked great! We made birdhouses and some dippers. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the feedback, I haven't given up on these super hard gourds. I will find a way to cut them:)
ReplyDeleteNo ideas, but enjoyed this post anyway!! :) I love it when a plan comes together- but even when it doesn't, it can be an adventure!
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ReplyDeleteToo funny. (to read, not to experience) I've had this kind of thing happen many times with various projects.
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