Making a Gourd Scoop

When I flipped this warty gourd over it had a crack running horizontally through it.

So I decided to cut it in half and keep the good half to make a scoop.

Since the warts make it look interesting, I'm leaving it as it is.

When you purchase gourds, clean them well, make sure they are dry, and store them indoors in a cool dry place.  This gourd was left outside in the weather and when I flipped it over it had a long vertical crack.  I was able to cut it in half and use the good part for a scoop.

Even though many cultures have used gourds for centuries to eat from I think I'll just use this for non-food uses, like scooping lavender into sachets or scooping birdseed into juggling balls. Some people are allergic to gourd dust, so I'd hate to sell it to someone and have them use it to scoop their oatmeal or flour and then have an allergic reaction. But that's a whole 'nother subject.