Proof of concept: Gourd candle holders

I'm back to playing with the gourds again. There has been an idea rumbling around in my head, on how to make a candle holder where the light streams through holes in the side of the gourd. I decided to experiment, and test whether or not I could make it work. This isn't a finished piece--just a test of concept. I tried poking holes with an awl, and that worked for smaller holes. But just poking holes doesn't work so well for larger holes--the gourd tends to crack. However, a dremel seemed to work just fine.



























I tried sharpie marker on the outside. It doesn't smear after the gourd is sealed with the matte finish spray I use, but I'm not convinced. I think when I do a finished piece, I'll go back to using the leather dyes, with detail work possibly in wood burning. I really need to get my hands on some of the specialty gourd ink dyes. Maybe I can invest in them after I've sold a couple of these.

Stay tuned for the finished candle holder! I've got the design in my head. Now I just need to get it into tangible form...