HOW TO DRY PUMPKIN FOR CRAFTS AND DECOR

From the collected "natural products" in the garden can get real works of applied art. For some, such a statement sounds somewhat unusual, but there is a fair amount of truth in it. It is only necessary to take a closer look at the beds, and you will surely see a suitable “blank”. Especially in this respect, massive melons and gourds stand out, therefore we will consider what can be made from grown and prepared ornamental pumpkins.

What can be made of pumpkin

The first thing that comes to mind is the "head" on Halloween. But on this decorative "ability" cool culture does not end there.

You can also dry the orange for decorative purposes.

If you arm yourself with fantasy and make some effort, then from this plant you can build:

The simplest candlesticks, lanterns or boxes (it all depends on the size of the workpiece).

Did you know? The Aztecs especially valued the flowers of such plants. Their special status was indicated by their own name of the processes. - ayoshokchilitl.

A vase with a cutout under the plastic tray in which the flowers will stand. It is even easier to insert a cut flat bottom into the bottle. Often they are treated with decoupage glue and “dipped” into sugar - they produce spectacular sparkles.

In terms of technology, pots and small saucepans, which emphasize the taste of cream soup, are considered more complex.

Important! In addition to the lagenarium, for the manufacture of decorative items often take the fruits of the variety Kukurbita. But these catchy vegetables of golden, orange or red color have one serious minus: After 3-4 months, the bright "clothes" begins to dim rapidly.

Openwork lamps or clocks that perfectly complement the interior of the living room or gazebos.

Toys of varying difficulty - muzzles and boats, carriages or "prefabricated" little men from several pumpkins.

It turns out that the assortment of handicrafts made from prepared decorative pumpkins is limited only by the imagination of the master. But no less important are the blanks themselves, which are worth mentioning separately.

Choosing a pumpkin for decor

Best of all, a small plant weighing 100 to 500 g is suitable for such purposes. You can take all the ripe and healthy "roundworms" from this weight category. Fruits with more impressive dimensions, in turn, are distinguished by thicker flesh, which rot rather than reach the desired condition.

With your own hands you can make beautiful crafts for the garden - a ladybird, gabions, decorate a stump, fountain, wattle fence or a dry stream.

Naturally, the pumpkin should be whole, without scratches, and even more cracks. No less important are the gathering place and its time. So, the best choice would be a fruit hanging on a dried whip of brown color. But the immature, too loose, or "stuck" the first frost specimens should immediately be put aside.

A separate topic - decorative melon lines. The most popular of them are such varieties:

"Orange"really similar to citrus. Small sizes (up to 300 g) in combination with bright color make such fruits a welcome decoration. In appearance, they can be either spherical or slightly flattened.
"Tangerine". These crumbs are easily recognizable by smooth skin with underdeveloped ribs.
"Chalmoid". Differs in an unusual type of fruit which are as if collected from two parts. The variety is considered large and affects a variety of design options. Large top half specimens are often called fungi.
"Baby Boo", which, due to its small (10 cm) diameter and white color, can be mistaken for gigantic garlic.
"Kleine Bicolor". The contrasting color scheme of the pears is underlined by a clear border: a dark green bottom with light stripes gives way to a rich yellow top.
"Sweet Dumpling". Quite large (400-500 g) fruits with ribs delight the eye by alternating white or yellowish "faces" and green stripes with frequent white dots running along their entire length.

Important! With the open "garden" drying the plant quickly begins to "give out" an unpleasant smell, so it is better to place it away from the gazebo and paths.

In addition to varietal diversity, there is also a species "spread". The fact is that pumpkins of original “bottle” shape that are in demand as decorations belong to another species known as lagenaria. And already from this “section” stand out the most spectacular varieties like the club-like “Cobra” line with a spotty color and a bizarre shape.

Familiarize yourself with useful properties, variety of varieties and subtleties of lagenaria cultivation.

Training

Even before the pumpkin, which has fallen in love, is dried up, in order to get handicrafts out of it, it will have to be properly prepared. This process does not conceal any special tricks and boils down to such procedures:

To begin with, the peel is washed in a soapy solution and thoroughly dried.
After that, the fruit is rubbed with alcohol or any liquids with its "participation".
It remains to move the pumpkin in a place protected from sunlight. In such a room should be good ventilation. There the blank will stay until its shell begins to change color (it is about 1-2 weeks).

How to dry the pumpkin for long-term storage

Proper drying is a delicate process, besides requiring considerable patience. If the fruit of the usual form can dry from 3 months to half a year, then more than “skinning” lagenaria will take at least 10 months (or even 1 year).

Did you know? On the preparation of 1 liter of pumpkin oil takes an average of 35-40 fruits.

The main rule - shrinkage should be natural. Some try to accelerate its progress by "running" in a microwave or oven, but this negates the entire decorative effect of the fruit: with the slightest mistake, the pumpkin will turn out to be baked, and it will be more reasonable to eat it. With such heat treatment, the structure of the fibers is disturbed, and as a result, the peel loses the necessary rigidity.

Therefore, it will be better to let the moisture flow "drift off." The role of drainage is assigned to the pores covering the surface of the fruit and the stem. Immediately before drying the whole ripe pumpkin chosen for decoration, you will have to put an oilcloth or a piece of thick film under it - with time it gives a natural leak. This is a necessary condition for storage in indoors. This method is the most popular and simple, but it has its own nuances that it is desirable to keep in mind:

The fruits are laid out (and better - hung) on the loggia or balcony. If “recumbent” storage is planned, try to place the pumpkin on a table with frequent gaps between the slats - they will provide adequate ventilation.
Do not forget about the constant air circulation (for these reasons, one-piece countertops and closed cabinets, warm kitchens or musty cellars are not suitable).
The first couple of weeks, the blanks are inspected every day, rejecting too soft or wrinkled specimens. There is one tricky moment associated with mold. It may appear on the peel from exposure to moisture flowing from the fetus. Such "tracks" are easily erased, but after a couple of days they appear again. It is not scary - at the end of the drying you will see an unusual pattern on the skin of the vegetable.

Important! Especially fodder varieties are difficult to decorate - not every knife will cope with bulk and dense flesh.

Immature pumpkins rot most often, while striking at the same time their ripe "colleagues." Seeing a small spot, try to press it with your finger - rot gives in immediately, and it is better to throw out such a copy. By inexperience, the “effect” of rot can be confused with the mold, which was mentioned in the paragraph above.
For a uniform shrinkage, weekly rollovers are required (at least once a week or one and a half). This simple manipulation will not let the pumpkins rot.

Did you know? Every autumn (from September to November) the German city of Ludwigsburg turns into the "pumpkin capital of the world." It hosts the largest festival entirely dedicated to this culture.

Some highly ornamental varieties in warm regions can be dried and fresh air. Here, too, has its own technological subtleties:

First of all, the fruit is cut with a 4-5 cm tail. You should not tear it off - the moisture evaporates much worse through an uneven opening, which will slow down the whole process.
Tail is also required (severed stalks are very susceptible to rot).
The future "decor" is suspended separately or placed on ventilated wooden pallets. The rest of the requirements are the same: regular inspection and "scrolling" with rejection as needed.

Speaking of waste. Prepare for the fact that even with the correct content of 7-10% of the blanks will go to the compost pit - such is the fee "for beauty."

In addition to the two main methods, there is one more. This storage "on the vine"which is practiced by followers of the most natural agricultural practices. Everything is simple here - the fruit dries without separation from the plant. For the best effect, they are placed in divided sections of the fence or paling with prepared niches.

The obvious advantages of such drying are considered excellent ventilation, coupled with a good "preserving" ripe pumpkin, which is not afraid of rain or frost. Already after the cut, it can be well varnished or painted. Among the shortcomings, the insecurity of such plantations stands out - they can easily become prey to the dachshund or to suffer from large animals.

You can make an original flower pot from a pumpkin and plant in it, for example, chrysanthemums, asters, a viol, or decorative cabbage and pepper. It will also look beautiful mixture of succulents, such as young, Haworthia, aloe, cacti, Lithops.

How to determine readiness

Having found out the main details of drying, let's not forget about such a question as checking the readiness of a product for artistic processing.

You can determine it by color: the fruit completely dried from inside will fade a little (if a normal pumpkin was used in the course). Lagenarii change their green color to yellowish-brown or become completely brown.

Important! In the manufacture of lanterns walls are treated with vinegar from the inside. This significantly reduces the risk of mold.

In order to finally be convinced of the result, take a vegetable in your hands - it must significantly lose weight. Do not be lazy to also shake it: the thud of galloping inside the seed indicates the already decorated "decorative" billet. After such a simple test, you can safely cook a pumpkin for Halloween, good, now you know how to dry it "from and to".

How to store a decorative pumpkin and crafts from it

The finished products from the prepared fruits have a long shelf life. So that they will be pleased with their appearance for many years You need to remember a few simple rules:

The temperature in the room should be within + 12 ... +28 ° С. Drastic drops are contraindicated.
Dampness and contact with moisture are excluded. The same applies to the sun's rays. The best option would be to keep it in a dry dark corner.
Immediately after treatment (cutting or varnishing), it is desirable to open the surface with colorless nail polish or transparent furniture varnish. This will keep the “structure” for a long time and will not allow it to become covered with cracks or become soggy with a few drops of water.

Did you know? In the old pumpkin seeds were considered an invariable attribute of the love potion.

Dried "artistic" vegetable try not to keep on the street in the open (regardless of the season). To decorate gardens and arbors, it will have to be shaded.

Now you know how to make a seemingly inconspicuous culture a masterpiece of applied art. We hope everything will turn out without any difficulty. Success in creative work!