Florida Grown
Gourds and Pine Needles
Preparation of the Gourd
All of my gourds are grown at a central Florida gourd farm where they are dried and stored in crates for sale. Dried gourds are dirty, dusty, moldy, and need to be cleaned outside and inside.

First the gourds need to be soaked in water, then scrubbed, opened, and all the membranes and seeds scraped out.

Then the gourds are ready for crafting. Gourds have a very similar consistency to wood and can be carved, burned, drilled, and painted just like wood.