Here
is a video for making snowmen out of dried birdhouse gourds. A little
paint and some black felt is all that's necessary to transform a gourd
into a charming holiday snowman.
Birdhouse gourds are commonly made into birdhouses, as the name would
suggest, but they also have many other crafty uses. Due to their shape,
they make excellent wintery snowmen (which fortunately don't melt). All
it takes is a little paint, using techniques that can be done by
anyone. It's just basic painting and doesn't require any special
artistic skills.
The best place to get birdhouse gourds is during the late fall.
If
you use them for Halloween or Thanksgiving decor, just save them instead
of throwing them out after the holiday. The best way to dry them is to
leave them outside for a night so the frost hits them. This changes the
composition and makes the gourd shells nice and hard, perfect for
crafting.
If there is any leftover "skin" on the gourd, it can sometimes
peel and be unattractive on a crafted project so it is best to scrape
off the skin before working with the gourd. This can be done with steel
wool or any firm bristled brush. Once the gourd is ready, you can begin
making it into a snowman.
Snowman gourds
