Waterproofing a Gourd

By

MaryC50

Jane, you can seal it with polyurethane (from any hardware store.) While they feel 'woody', gourds aren't wood and unless the shell is very thick, it's probably a good idea to seal them, as they will over time absorb water and if they're set on a nice table, for example, the moisture seeping through will ruin your furniture. It's ok to leave them 'as is' for birdhouses, but for planters it depends how/ where you'll be displaying it. An alternative to sealing is to get one of those plastic saucers -some are clear and flexible, from your local garden center and put one in the bottom of the gourd & set the plant on that. That's something that worked fine for me. I've done many art/ craft shows selling my gourdcraft and I get your question a lot!

By

shellyscorner

Click on the url link below. It's what a fellow thrifty user posts as how she uses a gourd as a planter. It's really very cute!
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http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf445477.tip.html

By timmel (Guest Post)

I don't think you have to waterproof them. My grandma always had some hanging around outside.