Gourds are autumn’s oddballs — lumpy, bumpy, and shaped like nothing else in the garden. That is exactly what makes them wonderful to craft with. This set takes the gourd four ways: a bowl to hold treasures, a candle holder to glow, a lantern to light, and a paint palette shaped like the gourd itself. Every template prints on one page, so the gourd patch is ready in one download. Print the pack, cut the shapes, and give the strangest vegetable in the garden a second life.
The pack is free to download — no sign-up, no email gate — as a PDF in A4 and US Letter, with four templates, one per page.
Ages 5–8. These are black-and-white paper templates of gourd projects, not real gourds: the bowl, candle holder and lantern are paper versions of crafts that, in real life, use a dried gourd an adult must cut with a knife. The paint palette (template 4) is cut-and-use, suitable for 5–6s. The bowl, candle holder and lantern suit 6–8s with supervision, and younger children can make the paper versions as stand-ins. An adult handles any candle — a tea light is a real flame.
Gourd Bowl
Colour the bowl, cut along the dashed lines and fold the pieces into a little gourd bowl to hold treasures. It is a paper version of a real gourd bowl — in real life, a dried gourd is cut open with a knife, so that part is strictly an adult’s job.
Gourd Candle Holder and Lantern
Two ways to make a gourd glow. Colour the candle holder, cut it out and stand it around a tea light, or build the lantern with its petals, handle, leaves and base band. Both are paper templates of real-gourd projects, and an adult handles any candle — a tea light is a real flame.
Gourd Paint Palette
The paint palette is shaped like the gourd itself — colour it, cut it out and use it straight away. It is the simplest make in the pack, a cut-and-use template suitable for 5–6s.
How to print (A4 and US Letter)
Print the PDF single-sided on A4 or US Letter, 100% scale. Colour first, then cut along the dashed lines, then assemble. A dried gourd, paint, and a tea light cover the supplies; an adult cuts any real gourd and handles any candle. Each template is one page, so a classroom can print one craft per child or the whole pack per table.
Looking for more autumn makes? Browse our November Crafts for Kids collection.
