Select
gourd
Select a bottle gourd that has a smaller bulb on top to serve as Santa’s head with a large bulb on bottom, which will become his jolly mid-section.
Wash
and dry
Remove the stem at the top and wash the gourd thoroughly, scrubbing off dirt with a pot scrubber. Let it dry completely.
Fill
in holes
Fill in any holes or irregularities with wood putty and then sand it with fine sandpaper.
Paint
the hat
Paint Santa’s red hat rimmed in white on the top of the gourd with a tassel hanging down the back of the gourd.
You can skip painting the hat and either knit
or buy a small Santa hat.
Paint
the face
Paint the eyes, eyebrows, nose, rosy cheeks, and mouth on the upper bulb. Add white painted hair on the sides and in back. Then add a moustache and a beard that can extend down onto the lower bulb of the gourd.
Create
the body
Paint the lower bulb of the gourd red to look like Santa’s suit, with a black belt and white-trimmed sleeves ending in white mittens.
Add creative details, like a sack full of
toys, a scroll list, and a wreath.
Finish
Let the paint dry and add a coat of clear acrylic spray finish. If the gourd won’t stand on its own, place it on top of a small grapevine wreath.
Select
gourd
Wash
and dry
Fill
in holes
Paint
the hat
Paint
the face
Create
the body
Finish
