Gourd Birdhouses

About a month ago we had our First Annual Gourd Washing Day here at Tyndall Acres.

Lydia and I both decided to enter a special event at our local fair called Wings. This event featured different bird crafts for adults and youth. We both decided to enter the Functional Birdhouse category and make birdhouses from some of the gourds we grew.

First step was to purchase a hole saw attachment for our drill. We referenced this chart to decide how large to place the opening for the birds.

It turns out gourds are quite sturdy. We needed Keith’s manly strength to get the job done. 😘

Whew! That was enough work for one day! A few weeks later we finally finished the birdhouses. We got out the drill again, this time to drill drainage holes in the bottom and also holes near the top for hanging.

I can’t believe I didn’t get more pictures of this process, but the next step was to rub a small amount of wood stain on the gourds and hang them in the garage to dry for a day. The wood stain gives them a smoother, more finished look.

The next day we painted then with acrylic paint. Apparently this is the only picture I took on painting day.

We let them dry another 24 hours, then sprayed them with clear sealant and hung them to dry for yet another full day. Finally they were ready to take to the fair!

Lydia and I both won a blue ribbon in our categories, plus six dollars each.

Later we saw this display of birdhouses by the Missouri Department of Conservation. It seemed an appropriate end to our evening at the fair.