Add some glitter to your gourds this fall

It’s been a rough week in the Craft Corner. Not only has our normal routine been disrupted by several unforeseen events, but our planned project was a disaster — one that we couldn’t even run as a don’t-let-this-happen-to-you column.

We had to throw something together fast, and all we can say is thank goodness for little pumpkins and glitter glue.

Pumpkins and gourds will be showing up again in Craft Corner before autumn slips away, but for the moment we’ll focus on one very quick, very easy, way to decorate these fall staples.

All you need are pumpkins or gourds, any size, and some glitter glue, available at any craft store for about $2 a bottle.

Before applying glitter glue, clean your pumpkin/gourd and dry it thoroughly.

We decided to try a drizzle-type application, reminiscent of the icing on a bundt cake.

To apply the glitter glue, squeeze it out in a smooth-flowing line without pressing it onto the pumpkin/gourd. In fact, if you can, squeeze the glue out of the bottle and pull it away from the pumpkin/gourd, letting the string of glue fall into place. Apply a bit of pressure to the end of the glue string to secure.

When deciding on a design, keep in mind that the glue — while it goes on in a spaghetti-like string — will flatten and spread out as it dries.

You will also want to do a test run with the glue on each pumpkin/gourd, as it sometimes refuses to stick to the surface. Our white gourd sample (see the photo) with the gold and white glitter is a good example, as the strings of glue are not stuck to the gourd at all. If we had used a different design, such as stars or swirlies, they would probably have fallen off.

One way to get around this is to coat the pumpkin/gourd with a layer of decoupage medium before applying the glitter glue. The decoupage medium will dry clear, but will act as a sealer so the glitter glue will stick.

Craft shows

Since the instructions for our last-minute save project are fairly short and sweet, we’ve decided that this is a good time to mention a few of the larger holiday craft shows that are rapidly approaching.

One of the most popular events of the holiday season is A Victorian Country Christmas, which features plenty of arts and crafts booths, but also live entertainment for all ages, food and children’s activities.

It will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28 through Dec. 2 at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Admission is $9 general, $7.50 seniors and students. Visit the Web site at www.avictoriancountrychristmas.com for event details.

The Seattle Christmas Gift Show will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 16 through Nov. 18 at the Washington State Convention Center.

Go to www.showcaseevents.org/seattle_event.htm for details.

In Tacoma, The Holiday Food &Gift Festival will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 25 through 27, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Tacoma Dome.

Details are available at www.showcaseevents.org/tacoma_event.htm.

The Christmas Memories holiday show is set for 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 16, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 17 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

Check out the Web site at www.xmasmemories.com/3%20Rivers%20page.htm for details.

The above shows are the biggest ones of the holiday season, but there are literally hundreds of smaller events — many closer to home — happening throughout the fall.

Interested in showing your own crafts at one of the shows? It appears that time has run out for the Puyallup and Kennewick events, but you may still be able to sign up for the Seattle and Tacoma shows. Check the Web sites for specifics.

We’ve also seen some booklets listing Washington and Oregon events, as well as a holiday bazaar guide, published by Gail’s Guides. They can be ordered online at www.gailsguides.com, or purchased at book stores and some craft stores (we found them at Craft Mart in Marysville), for $25.98 for the Washington events and $12.95 for the bazaar guide.

Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com