Wash and clean a large gourd, such as kettle, martin or large cannonball gourd.
Cut large triangular openings on both sides, 3-4 inches from the bottom. You can use a mini jigsaw, drywall knife or exacto blade with saw attachments. Sand the edges smooth.
Clean out the seeds and scrape the interior.
If you wish to add colour to your feeder, do so at this point. You can burn, paint or stain a design on the outside surface, and you may paint the interior if you wish.
Clear coat both the interior and exterior surfaces with water-based urethane or spar varnish to make it waterproof.
Attach decorative green twigs (willow, dogwood, vines) around the outside of both openings using copper or corrosion-resistant wire. Drill small holes for the wire. Twist wire ends together to lock them into position and hold the twigs firmly.
Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the feeder so rain won’t collect in it and produce mildew or rotten seeds.
Lay a circular piece of screen in the bottom of the feeder to add further drainage and to prevent the seeds from falling through the drainage holes.
Drill two holes in the top of the gourd and attach a rope or wire handle (knotted on the underside)
Hang your feeder in the yard, fill with seeds and enjoy. Try to position it so that squirrels can’t reach it.
Wash and clean a gourd, such as a bottle, swan or maranka gourd. Your choice of design will determine which shape of gourd you use. You may decide to make a human-looking puppet, an animal, dragon or bird.
Cut two lengths of ½ in.- 3/4in dowel 2-3 inches wider than the gourd. Drill holes through the gourd at shoulder height and hip height of your design and insert the dowel through both sides of the gourd. The dowels should be parallel to each other. These are the anchors for the legs and arms.
ARMS:
Cut shorter pieces of dowels suitable to be arms for your design. Attach store-bought hands to the end, or make your own from scraps of ¼ in wood. You can glue or screw them on.
Use metal eyescrews screwed upright in the ends of the new arm dowels. Use long wood screws that will fit through the eye and still allow movement to attach these arms to the end of the dowel fixed in the gourd. You now have two complete arms attached to the shoulders that should move freely. The head of the screw must be large enough so that the eyescrew doesn’t come off.
These can be long so that they support the puppet if it needs to walk on all fours, or short to be used as wings.
Add metal eyescrews to the top of each hand to tie the string onto.
LEGS:
Cut shorter pieces of dowels suitable to be legs for your design. Attach store-bought feet to the end, or make your own from scraps of ¼ in wood. You can glue or screw them on.
Use metal eyescrews screwed upright in the ends of the new leg dowels. Use long wood screws that will fit through the eye and still allow movement to attach these legs to the end of the dowel fixed in the gourd. You now have two complete legs attached to the hips that should move freely. The head of the screw must be large enough so that the eyescrew doesn’t come off.
These can be long so that they support the puppet if it needs to walk on all fours, or short to be used as stumpy fins.
Add metal eye screws to the top of each foot to tie the string onto.
Paint your puppet in the design and colours that you have chosen. Add a metal eyescrew to the top of the head of your puppet. Measure strings for the arms, leg and head and attach to the eyescrews on the puppet. Using 2 dowels or wood strips approximately 12 inches long, cross them at the centre into an "X" shape and secure. Tie the string from the head to the centre point, and the strings from the legs and arms to the ends of the "X".
