More goofy gourds

Arts & Activities, Nov, 2004 by Karen Kostal

I was excited to see the article on gourds in the May 2004 issue, having just finished a gourd project with an after-school class. I decided to send you some pictures of what my children had done, because we took the more whimsical route to inspiration.

After talking about the book, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards, we talked about if we could create any kind of bird, what would it look like. This is because once the children saw the swan neck gourds, they instantly thought birds.

I found gourds in a local greenhouse right after Halloween, and I asked them how much they wanted for the whole bunch. They gave me a great deal because they would've thrown them away anyway, so I took them home. Since the gourds were still green, I had to let them dry first. I then washed them in bleach water to get rid of the mold, and scrubbed off the dry skin. This left the gourds with a smooth surface.

At school, holes were drilled in the base for the legs and attached to a base. The studentse painted them, added feet. They then added feathers, beads, sequins and other odds and ends. The children had so much fun designing their birds. I just had to share them with all of you.

Karen Kostal, via e-mail

St. Alcuin Montessori School

Dallas, Texas