I have had these gourds for a few years now. I originally intended to make them into bird houses. Which is a project I also have done in the past.
But, while removing the dead flowers from the dining table, and realizing I had nothing to fill the vase with, an idea came to me. I had recently purchased the pedestal at a local craft store for my vase to sit on. And while looking at it empty, I knew that I wanted to make a centerpiece that was not only a statement, but also something that I could leave up through the fall season without having to replace it every week.
I started with just cleaning the gourd with a wet paper towel. Allow the gourd to dry before staining.
Add the get stain and cover with a uniform coat.
I let it sit for about a minute and wiped the stain off with a rag. I was happy with the color so I stopped here. If you wanted a darker color, you could reapply a second coat.
(stained gourd is on left) As you can see, the stain does not cover up the imperfections of the gourd, it actually enhances the variation of the natural colors of the gourd. Allow the stain to fully dry. I left mine outside over night. It was dry in the morning.
At this point, you could leave it as is, apply a wax to protect the gourd, and make the colors pop. Or you could apply a spray sealer to the gourd. I chose to spray sealer on it. I used what I had on hand, which was a gloss enamel finish. I sprayed 3 light coats on it, about 10 minutes apart from each other.
And that was it! Super easy to do! I set the gourd on the pedestal and laid various preserved leaves, pods, dried oranges, and of course Indian corn around it. If you do not have such items, you could use anything! Get some leaves off the changing trees and lay those around it. You could also use pine cones from your yard, or even purchase a small wreath from a craft store to set it on. Or, if you are local to our store in Kalispell, MT come and see us as we sell all the items shown!
But, how ever you choose to decorate it, you now have a centerpiece that can be changed out with the seasons!
Materials needed:
Gel stain - can be found at any Lowe's or Home Depot. I used Minwax gel stain in Hickory.
Foam brush
Gloves
rags
wax or spray enamel top coat. This can also be found at any Lowe's or Home Depot store.
Gourds - I have used this supplier several times over the years. Great prices, and quality gourds: https://www.ebay.com/str/frontporchcraftsandgourds
Pedestal base - I found mine at Michael's craft store, and was able to take advantage of a coupon I had. Most craft stores have them in various styles and colors. So, you can choose one that fits with your own decor.