This one-day workshop, open to adults and children ages 11+ with an accompanying adult, will begin with a brief introduction to gourd varieties, how they are grown, and traditional ways gourds have been used in the United States and around the world. Participants will clean and prepare their own gourds to understand the practice of gourd crafting from the ground up.
With step-by-step demonstrations and guidance from the instructor, you’ll experiment with techniques to decorate your own gourd birdhouse, such as decoupage, engraving, and gold-leaf appliqué.
All experience levels are welcome.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Abeni Pierson, folk artist, Where the Pines Grow
Age: 16 and older, or 11 and older accompanied by an adult participant
Course number: A052
Instructor
Abeni Pierson, folk artist, Where the Pines Grow
Abeni Pierson is a Chicagoland native, fiber artist, educator, and the founder of Where the Pines Grow. She studied fashion design at Columbia College Chicago, but over time felt pulled away from the fashion industry and toward a more sustainable way of making.
Now living in Northern California, Pierson works with plant fibers she forages, cleans, and dyes by hand. She is committed to keeping the language of American folk arts alive by leading workshops around the U.S. in pine needle weaving, gourd carving, cattail weaving, and broom corn weaving. Her classes are welcoming and grounding, encouraging people to slow down, create with their hands, and reconnect with the natural world.
What to Know
This program takes place indoors.
All supplies are included. Pricing is per person.
Safety instruction and protective gear will be provided as you work with saws, engraving tools, and Dremels. Participants ages 11 through14 will be provided precut gourds to avoid saw usage.
There will be a lunch break midway through the program. Please bring a sack lunch and water.
This program is open to all experience levels.
If you decide to continue exploring gourd crafts at home, the instructor will have additional blank gourds available for purchase.
See Education Program Policies for information about cancellations, refunds, and scholarships.
Program Schedule
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thornhill Shelter (parking lot P-21), West Side
