Have I got a gourd fall project for y’all!

Earlier this fall, I stopped by a local pumpkin stand to pick up a few “ugly” pumpkins for our front porch and stumbled upon an amazing selection of dried gourds. Impulsively, I picked up a couple thinking they’d be perfect for fall decor. While I originally intended on displaying them as-is, I later to try a little experiment with them to create a look that’s more “me” …

I love the appearance of aged, primitive vases and bowls, but they can be quite expensive. So with a little inspiration from Pinterest, I decided to try my hand at transforming these gourds into my very own primitive-inspired vessels. Let’s take a look!

BEFORE …

AFTER …

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Dried gourds (as many as you’d like)
Dremel tool, jig saw, or hand saw
Rag
Stain or paint (I used this charred wood accelerating stain, which we already had on-hand from other projects)
Polyurethane finish (optional)

Step 1

Clean the gourd. To do this, simply wipe it down with a damp cloth — you don’t want to soak the gourd, but instead focus on removing any loose or excess dirt.

Step 2

Cut the gourd into your desired shape. Once you’ve cut enough to remove the “guts” from inside of it, go ahead and remove them. Continue to slowly cut around the gourd, being careful not to apply too much pressure — I accidentally put a giant crack on one side of my bowl, but thankfully you can’t see it when it’s displayed.

SAFETY FIRST: I didn’t realize until afterward, but you should wear a mask while cutting/emptying the gourd as some of the dust particles can be irritating to breathe in (just because it’s natural doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe). Thankfully I did this step outside, which helped to reduce irritation.

Step 3

Stain or paint the gourd. I wanted to create a natural, wood-like finish, so I chose to stain the gourds with a charred wood accelerator stain, which we already had on hand. I love how this color brings out the brown and black tones of the gourd. If staining, I’d also recommend sealing it with a final coat of polyurethane, which gives the vessel a bit of shine and polishes it off nicely.

If you desire a raw, ceramic-esque finish, you could also try mixing a little paint with baking powder and apply to the gourd. If you haven’t heard of #TrashToTerracota yet, go check it out. This viral DIY by Geneva Vanderzeil is genius!