At Martha's Gourds, we specialize in "ready to craft" gourds. These gourds are great for the artist or crafter without the time or the correct tools needed to get the project off to a good start. I personally clean, cut, drill, scrape, and/or assemble all of the gourds you see for sale here.
Why should you buy ready-to-craft gourds? Here are the five top reasons:
Growing gourds takes six months or more, and drying them properly can take up to a year after that. That is a long time to wait! Then you still have to clean them! And if you are not skilled in woodworking, cutting and preparing gourds for painting will take much longer than it should. If you buy ready-to-craft gourds, you don't have to do any cutting or cleaning! You dive right in to painting, wood burning, or whatever you want to do!
You might not have the correct tools for cutting, carving, and drilling gourds in your house already. Buying these tools is expensive if you are only going to do a few projects. If you buy ready-to-craft gourds, all of the cutting is done for you, so there is no need to buy any extra tools.
Did you ever see how moldy gourds get while they dry? If you grow your own gourds, you have to scrape all that gunk off! You're bound to get clumps of mold and gourd skin all over your clothes and your sink. Not to mention, un-cleaned gourds have a very distinct odor that will stink up your house! Also, dried up gourd "insides" must be scraped out if you open up the gourd, and that dust will fly everywhere.
If you buy ready-to-craft gourds, the cleaning has all been done for you! You won't have a mess of gourd remnants lying around.
When cleaning gourds, it is common to find holes and warts hidden underneath the dirt and moldy gourd skin. If you buy uncleaned gourds, you never know what you'll find. If you buy ready-to-craft gourds, you know exactly what you are getting. Not only have I cleaned them, but I have fixed any flaws they might have had such as holes or warts. I have also listed these flaws in the product description.
There are two big health concerns when working with gourds. First, some people have allergic reactions to moldy gourds that have not been cleaned. Second, cutting and grinding gourds creates a lot of dust. That can be very hard on your respiratory system, so it is advisable to wear a respirator. There is even a condition called the "gourd flu" to describe the resulting illness. If you buy ready-to-craft gourds, you won't encounter any mold, and you don't have to do any cutting or scraping, so there is no dust cloud.
So, if you have decided to purchase "ready-to-craft" gourds and get a headstart on your project, click here: Find Gourds for Sale!