How to make DIY paisley 'chickens' out of gourds!

Gourds usually find themselves regulated only to autumn decorations. Not so when you're as innovative and artistic as the creative blogger behind Suzy's Artsy-Craftsy Sitcom. This woman has turned ordinary gourds into beautiful works of year-round folk art by applying brightly colored paint and creating fun flock of hens for indoor or outdoor decoration.
Suzy Myers indicates that of the hundreds of DIY tutorials on her website, this particular project is her most popular. Once you see the whimsical finished product, you'll totally understand why! For these paisley chickens, Myers uses dried gourds, acrylic paint, Polymer Clay, hot glue, and a varnish finishing spray. 
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Here's her rough process:
Myers first cleans her gourds to create a smooth canvas for painting. She then uses acrylic paints and a spray varnish to provide a base coat and paisley patterns for this funky-colored flock.
Next, she constructs the comb, beak and wattle by shaping, baking and adhering Polymer Clay. For full instructions, visit Suzy's Artsy-Craftsy Sitcom site.
If you don't feel yourself flocking to chickens, there are other decorative gourd uses that will turn an eye and cause a conversation, such as a gourd owl or a gourd bird house that both use acrylic paint to provide a bit of decoration and function. And if you're wondering when to grab a crop of gourds for your next art project, farmers typically harvest them in November!
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Make sure to SHARE this cute flock with friends and see if you can get your own neighborhood of gourd girls started.