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Making Gourd Birdhouses Step 1: Sand. The first step to cleaning up the gourds is lots of sanding. Step 2: Drill. Using the 1″ Forsner bit, drill a hole in the main cavity of your gourd. Step 3: Paint. Depending on your style, you can paint the gourds however you like or finish them with a clear sealant. Step 4: Hang.
What kind of paint do you use on gourds?
Acrylic latex and oil-based paints works the best when decorating a gourd. These types of paint come in very vibrant colors and can last for years if used for indoor decoration. If you want to use your gourd for outdoor purposes, try applying a clear finish to extend the beauty and durability of the gourd.
How do you prepare a gourd for a birdhouse?
How to Turn a Gourd into a Birdhouse Directions Use pumpkin carving tool and cut a circle into belly of gourd. Lightly sand outside of gourd with 220-grit sandpaper. Drill horizontally through top of gourd, using a bit the same size as wooden dowel. Draw design onto gourd with pencil, and trace with paint pen.
How do you seal birdhouse gourds?
To finish your birdhouse gourd it is important to use a high-quality outdoor sealer. My favorite choice is Varathane Clear Gloss Spar Urethane Spray Paint. It leaves the gourds well protected, shiny and beautiful, and it is really easy to apply.
What is the best paint for birdhouses?
When painting birdhouses, use a latex-based paint meant for exterior use. Latex-based paints are water-soluble, which means they are both safer and more durable. Latex paint is very similar to acrylic paint, but latex paint is water-based and acrylic paint is chemical-based.
How do you prepare gourds to paint?
Spray the gourd with a clear coat of polyurethane spray paint and let that dry. The clear coat will protect the gourd and bring out the beauty of the natural colors. Doing this before painting will show you what the gourd will look like if you leave it natural. This step is optional.
How do you seal paint on a gourd?
Gourds should be painted before using for purple martin housing. But before painting, they should be treated with a preservative to help make them last longer. This can be accomplished by either brushing on Thompson’s Water seal or a good dunking in a copper sulfate solution.
How long do gourd birdhouses last?
Cured hard-shell gourds are almost as tough as plywood, and they will last up to 30 years if properly coated with a preservative and handled with a little care. These basic gourd birdhouses are popular with the birds and purple martin landlords.
Do birds like gourd birdhouses?
Gourd birdhouses, although most popularly used for Purple Martins, will also attract other species including bluebirds, woodpeckers, wrens, nuthatches, chickadees, finches and swallows. They can also serve dual purpose as feeders too when the birds are completed with nesting season.
How do you keep gourds from rotting?
Space the prepared gourds on a few layers of newspaper in a dark, warm, dry area (such as an attic) with good ventilation. Replace the damp newspaper every few days, turning the gourds when you do. Heat accelerates drying and darkness will preserve the gourd’s color.
How do you seal gourds?
Melt a block of paraffin wax to prepare to seal the interior surface. As soon as the wax is completely melted, remove the gourd from the oven, and, quickly but thoroughly, paint the inner surface of the gourd with wax. Apply two or three additional coats of wax, allowing the gourd to cool completely between coats.
How do you weatherproof gourds?
Plasti Dip is also a tried and true method of waterproofing a gourd. It creates a rubber like coating on the inside of the gourd. Then, there are methods that don’t require sealers at all. Insert a plastic or glass container inside your gourd to serve as a holder for water or plants.
How do you make gourds shiny?
How to Make Gourds Shine. Making gourds shine for displays is easy. After washing the gourds, coat each one with a thin layer of floor wax. After they dry, they will have a subtle shine that makes them so pretty for display.
What color birds hate?
Birds- birds hate the color white and tend to avoid it when possible—virtually all shades of white trigger danger signals in birds, which is why they tend to avoid it. Bugs- shades of green and blue do not register well with birds on the UV spectrum, which causes them to avoid these colors when they see them.
Is acrylic paint safe for a birdhouse?
If you are planning on using the birdhouse indoors, you’ll be fine using regular acrylic paint and don’t need a sealer (other than Mod Podge). If you’d like to use the birdhouses outside, you’ll want to use an Outdoor rated paint. My choice for paints are FolkArt Outdoor or Multisurface.
Is acrylic paint bad for birds?
When you paint a birdhouse, you must make sure you choose a non-toxic acrylic paint, otherwise it can be poisonous for the birds. Florescent, metallic, or iridescent paints should generally be avoided because of their overly dramatic brightness and other additives in the paint that could be harmful to wildlife.
Can you paint fresh gourds?
No, you cannot. Gourds must cure first, which could take up to five months or so. Gourds mold during the curing process and must be cleaned with bleach, soap and water, which would clear off or damage your paint.
Can you paint gourds with acrylic?
That does not mean you can’t go out and use other color coats for your gourds. Most art stores will have a wide range of choices for you to choose from. Some common ones include acrylic paint; oils based paints, leather dyes, inks, and coloring pens. Enjoy coloring your gourds, we sure do.
Can you paint gourds with acrylic paint?
A painted gourd has a surface that will accept just about any art medium! though, we prefer acrylics.
How do you dry a gourd for painting?
How to Dry Gourds in 7 Steps Wash the gourd in warm soapy water. Dry the outside of the gourd. Dry out the inside of the gourd. Turn the gourd every few weeks. Assess the curing process. Clean the cured gourd. Paint or decorate the cured gourd.
