Gourd Birdhouses

Gourd Birdhouses

A dried gourd can make a cozy house for some lucky bird and it can make an attractive decoration for a yard as well.

You will need:
Dried gourds
A dremel, drill, or jackknife
Paint
Acrylic sealer
Eyehooks

The best type of gourd to use as a birdhouse is actually called a birdhouse gourd. They dry easily, have a sturdy shell, and are roomy enough for a bird to enjoy. That said, one need not limit themselves only to birdhouse gourds. A gourd birdhouse is as much decorative as it is functional and there are many gourds that lend themselves well to this project. Goosenecks, apple gourds, caveman's club, and others all work well as birdhouses. You should select one that meets your fancy.

First, you will need a gourd. If you have one dried from last year, it makes the task easier. Gourds are best dried by letting them get hit with the frost for several cool nights, just be sure not to let them get too wet. They can also be dried indoors, but require a very dry area. Birdhouses can also be made from fresh gourds, but will sometimes become distorted as they dry.

To begin, scrape off the gourd's flaking outer skin. Using the dremel, drill, or jackknife, cut a hole about an inch and a half in diameter in the lower half of the gourd. Pull out the "guts" through this hole. In a dried gourd, guts have usually hardened and may have to be broken into small pieces to come out through the hole. Be careful not to break the hole when pulling out the guts.

When the inside of the gourd is empty, paint the outside with any design you choose. Using the hole as the center of a flower is always fun. After the paint has dried, spray it with a clear acrylic sealer to make it weatherproof.

Turn the gourd upside-down and drill 3 holes in the bottom. This will allow for drainage should any rain come in the hole. Carefully screw an eyehook into the top of the gourd somewhere near the stem. This is usually where the gourd’s shell is thickest and allows for the strongest hold.

Loop a piece of string through the eyehook, hang the gourd from a tree branch and wait for the birds to move in come spring. It’s good to have the houses out several months before spring. Birds don’t actually claim a house until spring, but they’re searching for good nesting sights well before.

Mini Pies

When you take a brown bag lunch to work multiple days a week, you're bound to eventually come up with some creative, frightening, and even desperate concoctions. This is one of the more edible ones that I came up it. It makes a nice after lunch dessert, and sort of breaks up the monotony.

Ingredients:
Rolled Piecrust
Fruit for pie filling
Honey
Oatmeal
Brown sugar (optional)

It is easiest to make several of these pies at the same time. Start with a rolled piecrust. They’re usually found in the freezer section and are very flexible. Cut the piecrust into 4×6 inch strips. Take your fruit of choice; apples, strawberries, pears, and blueberries all make great mini pie fillings. Chop or mash the fruit, then test the tartness. If the fruit is too tart, add a little brown sugar to sweeten it.

Spread the mashed fruit onto the pie filling. Carefully wrap the edges of the piecrust over the filling, completely encasing it. Pinch the edges to keep them in place.

Using a basting brush, spread honey on all sides of the mini pie. Then roll the honey-coated crust in the oatmeal. It will give a pleasant crunch to the finished pie.

Stick the pie in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. The piecrust should be a nice golden brown when it is done. The fruit inside will have melted down a bit, forming an almost jam-like interior. These pies are best fresh, but will last for several days, and no refrigeration is needed.

Clamshell Tealights

These little candles will burn brightly for 10-20 minutes.

You will need:
Empty clamshells halves
Beeswax or another type of wax
Double boiler or two pans
Wicking
Newspaper

To begin, cover your work area with newspapers, as this is a messy craft. Soak the clamshells in warm water, then vigorously scrub them out to remove any clam residue. When the shells have dried, place them on a flat surface to see how well they set. Most of them will lean forward a bit, but try to use the flattest shells as they will hold more wax.

I always use beeswax for these candles as it is the longest burning and it is easy to wick once it begins to cool. However, other waxes can be substituted for beeswax.

Melt beeswax in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, this can be easily done by placing a pan of water beneath the pan with the wax. Melting wax this way is a safety method, as it keeps the heat from directly hitting the wax. Beeswax is highly flammable so do not leave it unattended even for a minute. If it begins to smoke, remove the pan from the heat immediately.

It is best to melt the wax on a low temperature. It may take a bit longer, but it also reduces the risk of wax fires. Do not cover the wax when melting it, but keep a lid handy in case the wax does catch fire. The lid can be used to quickly smother the flames.

Once the wax has completely melted, remove it from the burner and let it cool for 1.5 minutes. If you wish to add color, now is the time to do so. You can also add scent after the color, but it is usually not necessary with beeswax as it bears a natural honey scent.

Measure a length of wicking 1 inch for each shell candle you have. i.e. 12 candles is a 12 inch wick. Dip the wick into the wax, completely covering it, then set aside and let it cool.

Fill each clamshell to the brim with beeswax, taking care not to overflow it. While the beeswax is cooling, cut the wax covered wicking into 1 inch sections.

When beeswax cools, the bottom and the sides are the first to harden. Watch the shells carefully and when the wax at the edges has hardened about 2 millimeters from the edge, place a piece of one-inch wick into the liquid center. Let go and the wick should stand on its own. Repeat with the remaining shell candles.

After 4 hours, the candles should be cooled completely. At that point, they can be lit or saved for another special occasion.

Upcoming Shows

I will be at the Canandaigua PTSA Holiday show on November 19th. I'll have a few new kinds of soap that I didn't have at the market over the summer, as well as some holiday oriented crafts.

Also stop by the Cheshire Union open house November 18-21st.

Broom Ladies

These cute little brooms are functional as well as decorative. Made of broomcorn, they are excellent as hand brooms.

You will need:
Broomcorn (also called ornamental grass/sorghum)
Material for dress, face, and hands
Cotton
Yarn
Markers
Raffia
Needle and thread
Glue
Before the invention of nylon brooms, broomcorn was (and often still is) used to make corn brooms. It is not actually a type of corn, but in fact a very large grass. The nickname of broomcorn was derived from the fact that the grass stems are so large they closely resemble cornstalks.

Begin by shucking the seeds from the broomcorn heads (if your broom will be merely decorative, the seeds can be left on for the colorful effect) Tie several of the shucked broomcorn stalks together with raffia just above the heads, and again about an inch from the broom’s top. Form a raffia loop, and attach this to the top tie.

Cut 2 identical dress shapes from material and sew them together. Make sure the neck hole is large enough to fit over the broom handle. Cut a head and a pair of hands from material. Stuff them with cotton. Sew the head to the front half of the dress. Sew the hands to the sleeves of the dress.

Slip the dress over the top of the broom handle, sliding it down until the skirt part of the dress covers the heads of the broomcorn. Leave about an inch and a half of the broomcorn peeking out beneath the dress. Using the markers, draw a face on the broom lady. Cut a few pieces of yarn and glue them to the top of the head as hair. Embellish the broom ladies with miniature baskets or tiny brooms of their own glued to their hands.