Best Uses for Gourd Seeds
You do not need to throw your gourd seeds in the trash just because you can't eat them; you can use those seeds to make all sorts of cool crafts! You may not have realized this, but there are over seven hundred species of gourds, though the most familiar to you may be pumpkins. Gourds belong to the Cucurbitaceae family of vines and are some of the most unusual fruits in the world. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and some record-breaking gourds have weighed more than nine hundred pounds. Just like the gourds themselves, gourd seeds come in lots of shapes, sizes, colors and patterns. You can use those seeds to make thoughtful gifts for your friends and family or cool pictures to decorate your room.
Seed Mosaic
A seed mosaic is a picture that you make by gluing all sorts of seeds with different colors, patterns and sizes onto a firm surface in a pattern. Gourd seeds are perfect for making seed mosaics, especially since they come in such a wide variety. To make a seed mosaic, begin by collecting as many different types of gourd seeds as you can find; you want to especially hold on to seeds that come in different colors. You are going to need a lot of seeds to make a mosaic so it might take you a while to collect them. If you only have a few gourd seeds, you can supplement them with other types of seeds or dried beans or lentils. Get a firm surface to make your mosaic on. The mosaic will be heavy when it is finished and if you try to make it on a regular sheet of paper, the paper will just fold and tear. A sheet of cardboard is perfect for this project.
Begin by painting your sheet of cardboard a solid color. This step is only necessary if the cardboard has any kind of writing or pattern on it and will keep that writing from showing through your mosaic. Let the paint dry. Now draw the outline of the pattern or picture you want to make on your cardboard. If you do not already have an idea, make a few sketches on some scratch paper first. Once your outline is on your cardboard, label it so that you do not forget which gourd seeds go where. Create your mosaic by carefully applying a drop of white glue on the back of each seed, then placing the seed on the cardboard. Be very careful not to jostle the cardboard while the glue is still wet. Apply the seeds one by one, right next to each other until the whole piece of cardboard is covered by your mosaic. Allow the glue to dry completely.
Seed Jewelry
If you only have a handful of gourd seeds, you should use them to make a necklace or bracelet. Poke a hole in each of your seeds with a pin. You can string these seeds along a length of fishing line, using the seeds just like you would use beads.
