This title features a multitude of advice from choosing the right gourd to which tools to use. Gourds make the perfect three-dimensional canvas; with their varied sizes and shapes, they're nature's gift to the crafter, who can use a multitude of techniques to transform them into breathtaking pieces with South-western flavour. Cut them, carve them, paint them, inlay them with stone or embellish them with leather, fur, feathers and botanicals: the magnificent possibilities are all featured in this splendid guide, which covers all the crafting basics. This work helps you find out how to choose the right gourd (or grow your own); what safety procedures to follow; how to clean, cut, and smooth the gourd and which tools and decorative materials to use. It includes 21 projects that range from rattles and vessels to masks and rainsticks.