Yes, that was a gourd pun. Although I must admit that my all time favorite post title ever was Oh My Gourd (see that post here). Anyway, in case you couldn’t tell, this post is about gourds. I like injecting a little seasonal interest into our home in a few fun and inexpensive ways (think Halloween decor like this and Thanksgiving decor like this). And given my love of all things white and ceramic I couldn’t help myself when we came across these faux gourds at JoAnn Fabrics for 50% off their $2.99 price tag (so I grabbed all five for $7.45).
Then I spray painted the heck out of them with some white glossy paint. Hard to believe, I know. At least I’m consistent with my white object obsession.
Within a few minutes of spraying and a few hours of drying I was left with these babies. Which I’m happy to report not only look like glossy white ceramic creations, but also feel just like them too (they were made of dense foam that was a bit heavier than you’d expect, so the whole result is actually a lot more convincing than I thought it would be).
I like how they look grouped on a ceramic cake stand and definitely plan to work them into this year’s Halloween and Thanksgiving related decorating adventures. Speaking of seasonal decor, what are you guys doing to usher in the temperature change and those upcoming holidays? We had to put the heat on for the first time last night. Brr.
Stefanie says
Lol this is too funny – I just did this EXACT thing this past weekend!
Great minds (who are also both born in NJ and now live in VA…) think alike!
Maya says
Not quite as festive this way, but way classier and more subtle. I’m curious about how you might end up mixing these gourds with fall colors to make them more seasonal later on!
Lindsay says
Pretty! Was it hard to spray paint them all over? I always have trouble with oddly-shaped objects. Any tips?
YoungHouseLove says
Just wait for one side to completely dry and rotate them to the other side and spray that! Patience is the key in all things paint related…
xo,
s
Brigid says
For the first time this year (ok, let’s make that ever…) I pulled out my new crock pot and made baked potato soup and had one of my best friends over for dinner to catch up after a few busy weeks.
I also bought some new scented candles to fill my apartment with warm vanilla, fall harvest and orange spice scents to make my apartment feel even more warm and cozy.
Krystal says
Wow, those really do look like ceramic!
I went to the apple orchard with my parents over the weekend, and I was bound and determined to pick a white pumpkin like you guys had last year. Once we got out to the pumpkin patch, the heavens opened up and started down pouring on us. To speed up the process I asked the tractor driver/farmer where I could find a white pumpkin and he replied, “Oh, the white ones are already picked and in a box up front!” 30 minutes later after riding the tractor back to the front I walked away with freezing, soaked through clothes and the biggest white pumpkin I could find. I’d say it was a success.
Cammie says
Those surely look glossy and gorgeous… But I loved them in their original glory, too. Those colors just invoke a sense of FALL.
Jules says
These look exactly like the white ceramic gourds for sale for $10 a piece right now at Z Gallerie! Way to go!
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
We’re adding splashes of fall colors including mustard and chocolates. I also have a few spray painted items in the works for Halloween and Thanksgiving decor. I love the look you’ve achieved. If only our leaves were changing to really get fall started.
http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/
candace @ thecandace.com says
YAY – this is a fun post! I jumped on the All Things White Ceramic bandwagon and now I have some pretty seasonal decor too! I’m still working on a cute place to display them and to spook-ify my little casa for the holidays.
Check them out: http://thecandace.com/2010/09/29/candace%E2%80%99s-crafty-corner-an-afternoon-pumpkin-de-white/
Sarah says
Clever I must say. We grow our own gourds (much like John and his accidental farming) we found that they are quite simple to do. I wonder what spraypaint would do to the real thing? Have you ever tried it? I’m guessing they won’t last as long. I must say that your white beauties can be enjoyed year after year which is really quite smart budget-wise!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
We’re betting spray paint would work on a real gourd (we painted pumpkins last year and they lasted a good while- longer than cutting them open at least). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Meagan says
You’ve probably mentioned it quite a few times in previous posts, but which spray paint do you use to get that glossy effect?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Meagan,
We just use high gloss white (as opposed to something flat or semi-gloss). Rustoleum is always a good brand (never trust $2 spray paint, spring for the $6 stuff).
xo,
s
Nicole says
Fun twist! Reminds me of your porcelain animals. :) I got some real gourds from my aunt and am ready to fall up my front porch!
Jessica @ How Sweet says
They look gorgeous! A perfect example of why this is my favorite season!
danielle says
these do look cool but i definitely do prefer the original colors. i love fall colors though!
Anna says
We went pumpkin picking at our CSA farm yesterday. I’m hoping to finally learn how to carve a pumpkin this year!
Theresa says
Adorable! I saw another cute project somewhere online last week, where the gourds were painted then decoupaged with a beautifully graphic black and white print (I think the project actually utilized paper beverage napkins).
Erin says
Wow, those look far more awesome than I would have expected.
Erin says
Actually, I have a question…did you paint those yourself Sherry or did John paint them? I am just wondering because I have a 3 month old daughter and whenever I try to paint something I end up spraying a little whilst holding my breath in fear of inhaling fumes that will get into my bloodstream and pass to my daughter…maybe I am just overly cautious/freakishly weird.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
I actually sprayed those babies myself but we have a gas mask (not one of those paper ones, but a real one with a filter that we change) so I don’t have to inhale anything and worry about it getting into the ol’ breast milk. I definitely have the same thoughts as you about it, so the gas mask is totally worth it!
xo,
s
Tashia D says
They look great! I noticed that the one that used to be grean and yellow really looks like a goose now that it’s white!! Too funny considering your love of ceramic animals!
maryeliz says
The particular spray-paint transformation reminds me of the drained-white vegetables from Bunnicula.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnicula
But cheers to your innovation. I can see that you’ll make these look great in your space.
Christy says
I’m surprised you all turned the heat on already! We had the windows open in Baltimore :)
We made some great crockpot chili yesterday and plan on picking apples and pumpkins next weekend. Definitely making homemade applesauce with the apples! For decor, I have a few decorative pumpkins out, apple smelling candles, fall colored table runner with a bowl of decorative fall colored balls and pumpkins, a basket of apples, and a mum on the front porch. Love this season!
Do you guys turn to any fall classics for food during this time of the year? Chili, pies, caramel apples, pumpkin seeds, football snackies, etc?
YoungHouseLove says
Well John attempted a pumpkin smoothie yesterday morning (epic fail, it tasted like baby food) and we are craving chai tea, so I’d say we’re getting into the season. I love pumpkin seeds and caramel apples so they might be next!
xo,
s
Christine says
Ha, a few years ago in a design class at Parsons our prof made us draw a gourd in class (I named him Gourdon) and incorporate it into a book jacket for a fake anthology of American short stories. Check it out!
http://christine.gritmon.com/Anthology.html
As for what we’re doing to Fall it up, not much yet – we’ve got three small pots of mums (red, orange and gold) in between our path lights in the front, and I’ve wrapped a fake leaf garland I had from forever ago around the grapevine wreath that was on the door to our house when we got here. Inside, we mostly get seasonal with scent, so an autumnally-scented candle is burning in our living room and I’ve been baking lots of apple crisp. I’m considering putting the red pepperberry garland on the fireplace, but I may wait until closer to Christmas for that (that’s when we really decorate inside). :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, Gourdon. Love it.
xo,
s
Cindy @ The Flipping Couple says
Do you prime your spray painted creations? Or, in what circumstances do you recommend priming? I think the gourds look great! Love the clean white look. : )
YoungHouseLove says
We prime when something’s wood and it might bleed or when something is super slick and needs the adhesion help. Since the gourds were foam and very absorbent we didn’t prime and it worked out just fine. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
I had an Oktoberfest themed party this past weekend and had a blast creating decorations. I used oversized beer mugs (Fred Meyers 20% off $4.99) and filled them with gold bead necklaces and topped them with tissue paper. I also used apples, burnt orange tulle, and a red/orange leaf vine to decorate my table. The food was amazing, the company was the best…love that I can leave most of the decor up for the next couple months, hahaha.
Scott says
How funny is it that, before I started reading and could only see the before picture, I thought to myself, “they would look so much better painted white”. Not that that was a huge leap or anything close to psychic given which blog this is! :0)
susanne bloom says
Off topic, but I thought of you guys when I visited an open house yesterday. A gorgeous, character filled 1920’s home that needs carpeting ripped up..(I caught a peek of the beautiful, original Douglas Fir underneath)….paneling ripped off, cabinets painted. But it was a gorgeous, loved home. You would just need to move 500 miles north, just south of Boston…We would love you have you!
YoungHouseLove says
OOh that sounds like fun! We’re buying it in spirit (just not in actuality)!
xo,
s
Angela says
They don’t look bad but I loved them in their original colors too. I also prefer to buy the real thing, even if they rot within a few weeks.
Wendy @ A Southern Accent says
Are you guys going to do a Halloween decor post like you did last year? I loved all of your ideas and thought about them when I decorated some this weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Wendy,
For sure! Hopefully we’ll squeeze it in this week or next!
xo,
s
Angela says
Also, I just noticed you said you put the heat on last night. And you live in VA. Wow! We live in the Berkshire mountains so we know cold and we’re trying to keep it off until November 1st.
mike says
what does the husband think of the white obsession? :)
YoungHouseLove says
He’s not really a bright orange and red foam gourd guy so he was all for a little makeover. I think he’s just happy I’m obsessed with something as innocuous as white and not pink or feathers or something. Haha.
xo,
s
Candace says
TOTALLY did the same thing! Only, with shiny metallic gold. Gotta be me!
http://candyskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/pumpkin-pickin.html
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
I actually found a white ceramic owl candle holder (or kitchen scrubber holder – unclear actually) and thought of you guys! Haven’t figured out where to put it yet though. I did do an interim fall mantle project using non-obvious fall decor (with the exception of one lovely green glass pumpkin). Check it out here –
http://houseography.blogspot.com/2010/09/little-bit-of-fall.html
Kate says
Off topic, but saw this and found it to be pretty funny. Thought you might find it funny too. :)
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1662389/for-minimalist-mommies-and-babies-a-modern-dollhaus
YoungHouseLove says
That’s too funny Kate! Thanks for the link!
xo,
s
Roshni says
Wow!! That definitely does look ceramic-y!! I was wondering if you were going to ‘garnish’ them with some fall leaves to add some color to it though!
Carmen says
I have some orange faux pumpkins primed and drying outside so I can paint them silver. :) Your gourds look great white.
Margie Walker says
I love it! Great job!
We live around a ton of wheat fields that have all started to be harvested. We went out to one of the fields that have already been harvested and harvested some of the wheat that was left over. We put it in a vase with a ribbon around it and now it looks beautiful. What a way to celebrate FAll! We are going to use it all October and even into November to decorate for Thanksgiving. We are pretty excited and we love it! If you want to see a picture..please visit our blog…
http://margieandandrew.blogspot.com/2010/10/little-bit-of-ashton-inside-of-our-home.html
Thanks for being wonderful!
Liz W. says
HEAT ALREADY?????!!!!!!!!!!! That just made my stomach churn a little. I love the arrangement. Can’t wait to see where they hop to next! I have a decent-sized apartment, but it is overwhelmed by baby gear (haven’t been able to implement all of your great space saving suggestions yet). I plan to get everything tidied up and start getting festive soon, but for now Pumpkin Spice candles are doing the trick to get me into the fall spirit :)
Sara says
I started to pull out the fall decor this weekend, even though we rocked 90 degree days on both Saturday and Sunday. Mustard colored print tablecloth, refilled square vases with deep red, orange, and green cloth napkins, refilled another vase with wine corks…oh, and added pops of color with Granny Smith apples (I love bright colors, and fall colors aren’t too bright…).
I don’t have enough to create a cohesive look though – have you just added on over the years? Or splurge and buy a lot at once?
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely add over the years! We’re too cheap and wishy-washy to spend a hunk of cash on a bunch of decor all at once, especially since our style and preferences tend to evolve (if we bought a ton of stuff four years ago we’d probably dislike a lot of it now). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kyle says
Those are too cute. I’m wishing for delicious fall weather and in the meantime, reading your posts, draping the front door with fake spider webs, and baking the heck out of some fall-themed cupcakes, pies, and breads.
D says
Looks just like these http://www.zgallerie.com/p-9671-ceramic-pear-squash-white.aspx, but for a fraction of the cost!
Katie says
Hi YHL! I have a question unrelated to today’s post… I know you guys have made artwork and other projects with Photoshop. What version do you use and/or recommend? I am new to DIY digital art and I’m curious if there’s any version/program you could recommend I look into for getting started. The Adobe site can get a little techie! Thanks so much!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
We have Adobe Photoshop CS version 8. Love it!
xo,
s
KT Murphy says
I love them!!! You’ve also been my inspiration to paint these vintage peacocks of mine! I bought them from the Good Will a few years ago. I had a little spat with an old lady who wouldn’t let go of half of the pair. I won! My husband and I call them our chickens, and are now a part of the family. What has been an inside joke will now be a white glossy beauty. Anthropology will be jealous. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Andrea @ whiteinspirations says
Hey, Sherry, is there a support group for people who love white? I would be one of them for sure! LOL
I’m addicted to white, too! I recently sewed my living room curtains and people don’t even ask me “which color”, they just say: “they’re white, right?” :)
Katrina says
Looks so cute! We just did some spooky decor for our entry and will all decorate the front of the house and dining room…love this time of the year
jenny says
this is a fab idea! I love it!
Rachel says
Nice gourds! I have an obsession with “sugared” faux fruit (the kind coated in tiny clear beads) and I definitely have some sugared pumpkins and gourds. I noticed Walmart has faux gourds and pumpkins (“sugared” and non) for just $1 each. They’re the Better Homes and Gardens brand.
I’m all decked out for fall. I’m most proud of my pair of front porch planters, each consisting of a purple fountain grass (remaining from summer’s annual display) surrounded by a fuchsia mum, a winter cabbage plant, and a pie pumpkin. They look so cute!
Jenny says
I just did this exact thing last night as well! I used real mini pumpkins and gourds and it looks just the same. I fell in love with the ceramic ones at Pottery Barn, but for the price I thought, I could do that! I also stock up on giant Pumpkin Spice candles from Wal-Mart. They make the whole house smell like the holidays:)
Jen K says
Love ’em! I’m going to steal your idea : )
Jennifer says
Such a lovely gourd makeover!
Emily @ The Happy Home says
you know, i have not found ONE thing i want to spray paint yet, but you totally have me jonesing to do so. i clearly need to get out in the stores and look for potentially not-ugly things!