Gourdian Angel Project

I must apologize for the long delay in getting my instructions for making a "gourdian" angel written up and posted here. This summer has been hectic with many ups and downs both in the gardens and in my personal life. But cooler weather and the changing season both usher in positive changes. With that said, I'd like to offer a big thank you to all of my readers for your patience and understanding. I look forward to providing many more fun and whimsical projects that will increase the pleasure we all get from doing what we love to do: Garden!

To make a "gourdian" angel you'll need the following:

· A 1x1 foot section of sheet metal, 1/8 inch thick. I got mine free from a local machine shop. The owner had a huge pile of scraps. Look in your local Yellow Pages for a nearby machine shop. · A pair of tin snips. · Cardboard and a magic marker. · Dremel tool, or something you can use to make the slits in the sides of your gourd with. · A metal file and some sandpaper. · And, of course, you'll need a gourd. I chose the "bottle" or "figure 8" variety. A gardening friend gave me several at a plant swap.

Start by drawing an angel wing on the cardboard. You can trace a picture of an angel wing from a book or magazine, or draw one yourself using your imagination. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Cut out the wings and trace them onto the sheet metal. I think Sandford's "Sharpie" has to be the best magic marker on the market, making it the most magnificent marking maker made (sorry, I just had to do that).

After you have your wings traced, cut them out using the tin snips. Be careful as you clean up the rough edges with the file and sandpaper.

The next step is cutting slits in the sides of the gourd. A Dremel tool comes in mighty handy here. But if you don't have access to one you can use a knife or a scraper, it'll just take a little longer.

If you make your wings using the design in my photo, you can also use it to measure how long a slit you'll need to make so that the end of the wing slides in nice and secure. You shouldn't have to use any glue if you don't make the slits to big. Cut a little at a time, then measure, cut a little more, then measure,and so on until you have the proper sized opening for your wings.

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