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Order these Gourd kits for vacation fun!

Native American Social Studies Projects for Kids with Gourds
Note to Elementary School Teachers   Dippers   Canteens    Snakes
What can you do with a Birdhouse Gourd?

Click on photos to see all the cool stuff you get with the Birthday Party Gourd Pack!
 

Easy, Fun, and Cheaper than hiring a Clown!

• 10 pre-painted small black gourds, 2-3" diameter
• 10 paint brushes
• 10 small jars of non-spill, non-toxic acrylic paint
• 10 strands of leather lacing
• 10 Native American symbol sheets - 8.5x11"
• feathers
• pony beads
• one instruction sheet

FYI : Gourds are green when fresh picked, then as they dry and become lighter, they also turn pale and develop black and brown spots of mold- which are easily cleaned off with a disinfectant solution to prepare the surface for finishing with paint, leather stain, wood burning, carving and so on.

Also available are dipper gourds, penguin gourds, canteen gourds and snake gourds. Please specify what kind of gourds you're ordering, or we'll send birdhouse (Chinese bottle) gourds.   

Birdhouse (Chinese bottle) are average 6" diameter.  Dippers are about 9", canteen gourds are about 7", and snakes are about 16" and longer.   $3.95 each

 2-3" mini-gourds in the small Native American Gourd Shaker Kit are $2.95 each.   

PAINTING: Add $1 each if you want them painted matte black. Gourds purchased in kits, below, are pre-painted at no extra charge.

Native American Gourd Shaker Kit     
 When purchasing in kit form, choose NATURAL uncleaned gourd or BLACK   pre-sprayed gourd at no extra charge.                          
 
This is the perfect Social Studies project for students as young as 3rd grade! Seriously, children draw the very best pictographs! (read: "stick figures") and this kit comes with a whole sheet of them for inspiration.

NOW AVAILABLE in TWO SIZES:
Small Gourd Kit with 2 to 3" diameter gourd   $ 8.95
Large Gourd Kit with 6" diameter gourd  $12.95

You get:
one average sized birdhouse gourd, dried & ready to go,
one page of authentic Native American pictographs,
one page info on "What is a Pow-wow?",
one strand of rawhide, a few feathers and a few beads to tie on, non-toxic white acrylic paint, paintbrush,
plus complete instructions for cleaning the outside of your gourd and painting it. OR, at no extra charge, tell us you would like the gourd sprayed Black.

The "shaker" part is the music made by the loose dry seeds inside the gourd and the clatter of the beads on the outside of the shell.   

Elementary School TEACHERS:
This is a very favorite lesson of kids that we've taught! We recommend that you buy one kit (above) for $8.95 or $12.95. That will give you the pictograph sheet and instructions. You're welcome to photocopy the sheet to pass out to your own students as an artwork reference. Then buy whatever amount of individual birdhouse gourds (above) so that you have enough for the whole class and maybe one or two extra in case someone breaks theirs. (not likely, but possible) We guarantee that they'll really love this project! And- we guarantee that ALL of your students will be able to enjoy it no matter what their physical limitations or fine motor coordination skills. It's primitive art at its best!  Now- shake 'em and have a pow wow!

We don't have gourd basketry patterns of our own because there's no need to reinvent the wheel: Ginger Summit and Jim Widess have simply (in our humble opinion) the best book around! It has enough inspiration in full color photographs to keep you busy for a lifetime. No kidding!

What can you do with a  Birdhouse Gourd?
		(Click for enlarged view) Gourds by  Linda Hebert

                       The Complete Book of Gourd Craft by Ginger  Summit and Jim Widess, $26.95
This is a fabulous book for novice or intermediates. Absolutely incredible gourds in 22 projects with 55 techniques. Staining, decoupage, carving, painting, woodburning & more! Plus a comprehensive reference to growing, preparing, history etc. The title doesn't lie! 262 color plates, 172 b/w photos. Softbound.

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