Decorating with Gourds

I don't know about you, but these "Dog Days of Summer" have me already pining for Fall and cooler temperatures. Although we won't have even a hint of Fall before October here in Mississippi, that doesn't keep me from thinking about it.

With that in mind, I would like to share one of my favorite Fall decorating items, which you can find at most roadside produce stands or farmers' markets — gourds!

I think gourds are the perfect Fall accessory — they're natural, inexpensive, and you are limited only by your imagination how you use them. Add some vines, berries, and leaves, and you can create beautiful centerpieces and arrangements that will last until Thanksgiving.

You can use them in their natural state, or you can stain or paint them to complement your decorating style ... and one of the best things about gourds is that you can use them from year to year. I store mine in a large plastic bag in the attic, and they have lasted several years.

The following picture features some gourds I bought for my mother and daughter at a yard sale at a farm a few years ago.

Here is the way they looked after we stained them ...

If you would like to try your hand at staining gourds, here are a few suggestions:

When shopping for gourds, be sure to select gourds with character — in various shapes and sizes, and with lots of different colors and patterns. The more interesting they are in their natural state, the prettier they will be after they're stained.

Start with clean gourds. You can wipe them off with damp paper towels or, if you're not going to stain them right away, rinse them off with a hose and place them in the sun to dry.

I use Minwax stain in several different finishes (Special Walnut, Mahogany, Golden Oak, and Walnut, to name a few). You can also use oil paints to add more color, if you'd like.

The best thing about working with stain is that you really can't make a mistake. If one finish is too light, you can just go over it with a darker stain, until the desired effect is achieved. Also, if the gourd has a lot of natural color and interesting patterns, you may want to just spray it with polyurethane to seal it, and not stain it at all.

I use paper towels (be sure to wear gloves because the stains are oil-based), and just "dab or rub" the stains on the gourds. After the stain is dry, spray them with a coat of polyurethane to seal the finish.

Here is a picture of some of my gourds after I stained them ...

My mantel arrangement
(you can click on the picture to get a closer look)

And my Welsh Dresser decorated for Fall ...

If this has inspired you to start your own gourd collection, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I have mine.

Decorating for Fall with Stained Gourds

One of my favorite Fall decorating accessories is gourds. They are inexpensive, come in all shapes and sizes, and can be stained or painted to complement any style decor. Here are a few ways I use mine:

On the mantel of our fireplace ...

The Welsh Dresser in our breakfast area ...

A few closeup vignettes of the shelves:

If you would like to read more about how to stain gourds, you can read a post I wrote a couple of years ago called Stained Gourds: A Fall Decorating Project. It's fun, inexpensive, and you'll be surprised by how many other accessories, besides gourds, you can update for your Fall decorating projects ... just with a can of stain (like plain, inexpensive terra cotta pots, which I plan to try soon).

Happy decorating!

Signs of Fall

Although our temperatures are still hovering in the low 90s, there is definitely a hint of Fall in the air. The sky is brilliant blue, the air seems clearer, and goldenrod is blooming along the roadsides ... a sure sign Fall is, indeed, on its way.

I was trying so hard not to rush the season and at least wait until the middle of September to do my Fall decorating, but yesterday I couldn't stand it any longer. Here is just a preview of what I've done so far ...

The vines and berries are new, but the basket was my great-grandmother's, and I'm pleased with the way it looks on our breakfast table.

I'm still in the "tweaking" stage on some of my other decorating projects, but hope to share them next week. Until then, best wishes to you and your family for a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend.

Fall Decorating Project: The Magic of Stain

[This is a revised version of a couple of fall decorating posts I did last year, which I thought would be nice to repeat for this time of year]

One of my favorite fall decor items is gourds. A few years ago, I stopped at a yard sale at a farm in East Texas, and bought several dried gourds in various shapes and sizes. I took them home, wiped them off with damp paper towels, and then stained them with Minwax stain in several different finishes. I also used oil paints on some of them to add more color.

At that time, I wasn't blogging, so I didn't take a "before" picture, but here is the way they looked after I stained them.

The colors are perfect for fall, and I use them on my mantel with vines, berries, and leaves ...

I also have some on the bottom of my Welsh Dresser in our breakfast area ...

If you decide to try this project, be sure to select gourds with character ... that is, unusual shapes with lots of different colors and patterns. The more interesting they are in their natural state, the prettier they will be after they're stained.

The best thing about working with stain is that you really can't make a mistake. If one finish is too light, you can just go over it with a darker stain until the desired effect is achieved. Also, if the gourd has a lot of color and interesting patterns, you may want to just spray it with polyurethane to seal it and not stain it at all.

I use paper towels (be sure to wear gloves because the stains are oil-based), and just "dab or rub" the stains on the gourds.

Another great staining project is reviving outdoor concrete or resin decor that has faded. Like this little fellow who lives on a rock beside our waterfall.

Here he is after his revival ...
Doesn't he look happier?

Stain also works wonders on concrete urns or statuary. I have a pair of urns in my courtyard and, as you can see in the "before" picture below, the finish had faded and looked awful.

I stained the urns with Minwax Wood Stain in "Special Walnut," which gives them a rich "antiqued" look.

I usually do my urns about once a year, because the stain does fade after a while. This technique works on anything made of concrete or resin, like birdbaths, fountains, and statuary.