C. Angela Mohr Knihy

Explore creative techniques for crafting holiday ornaments using fruit gourds, including a Santa head from a banana gourd and a snow couple from mini-bottleneck gourds. The book presents eight engaging projects that combine paint, beads, ribbon, and other household items to bring your gourd creations to life. With 203 color images and detailed step-by-step instructions, it caters to both beginners and advanced artists. Additionally, a gallery of completed projects offers inspiration for your own innovative designs this holiday season.

The shape of an Apple Gourd makes it perfect to decorate for beginning artists. Ten projects include a 'Be My Valentine' gourd, fish and rooster adorned gourds, a gourd decorated with gift wrapper, and a 'Thinking of You' gourd with well-wishes written on it. There are many techniques presented. Through 178 color images and step-by-step directions you can use color, paper, common art supplies, and special effects as decorations. A gallery of finished projects will inspire your own creations.

Bring new direction and inspiration to your gourd crafts by adding motion! Gourd art is often stationary—either elaborately decorated items of beauty or practical tools—and introducing motion breaks the world of gourd crafts wide open. Using small gourds and easily accessible tools and supplies, learn to make your gourd projects spin, jump, and more! Clear instructions and step-by-step photos teach how to generate four basic types of movement in any spinning, jumping, up and down, and rise and drop. Create a flock of moving flamingos, kinetic sculptures, a human in a swaying rowboat, spinners that create optical illusions, a duck that waddles complete with flapping sounds, and many more. Written with beginners in mind, these ideas provide inspiration for modern gourd crafters to explore new, dynamic, and active avenues for their creative talents.