Display Your Gourds in a Fun and Unique Way!

I’m sure by now everyone has seen the Pinterest pin of the gourds with wire feet made to look like ducks! It is such a fun photo, and I have to admit I tried the wire method, and sadly my gourd ducks kept falling over. I had put the idea of a duck gourd aside, as a “Pinterest fail” in my book. Recently a good friend suggested, why don’t you design and 3D print your duck gourd feet. Hmm…I thought I have the tools to do it, why not give it a try! Challenge accepted! Not to mention we have an amazing Duckie for inspiration!

I went to designing some duck gourd feet in Tinkercad, which if you are new to 3D printing, is a great place to start learning 3D design. I tried a few different designs, had a few fails, and finally designed a more blocky type duck foot design, and the Duckie Gourd Feet were born! It’s a very simple design, but I’m still learning so much about 3D printing.

After 3D printing the Duckie Gourd Feet, it’s very easy to use them! Find your favorite gourd, I prefer the more crooked neck type gourd. You can even use a pumpkin if you would like. I suggest a gourd of medium weight, too heavy and you might cause your duckie gourd to topple over.

To make the hole for the Duckie Gourd Feet, use a 5/16″ drill bit, marked at 3/4 of an inch. I used some tape to help me. Mark the location of your feet using the pointed end. I purposely designed the point for this purpose. Very carefully drill into your gourd. If you have a thinner gourd, then drill your hole closer to 1/4 of an inch. On some gourds you may go all the way into the gourd center, that is ok.

Gently push your Duckie Gourd Feet into the gourd, you want the fit to be snug, so don’t push too hard. Depending on the rind of your gourd you may need to give it a good push, but always be careful. When I drilled my hole I went a little sideways, so my gourd looks like the Duckie is dancing!

After you have installed your Duckie Gourd Feet, find the perfect place to display your Gourd Duckie! If you print this file on your own, depending on the filament (we used PLA) you print with, you may want to leave your Gourd Duck in the shade. Since you are adding holes into your gourd, you may notice over time as your gourd starts to naturally break down the hole for the feet may get larger. The Duckie Gourd Feet also work great with craft pumpkins and gourds so you can keep them year-round!

I hope the Duckie Gourd makes you smile as much as it made me smile. What a fun way to celebrate fall and Ducks at the same time!

We offer already 3D printed Duckie Gourd Feet here in our Etsy shop!