You can shape bird's nest gourds and add decorative or interesting features by taking a young gourd and wrapping it with different materials. Gorilla duct-tape is very strong and doesn't seem affected by rain. You can take say a 1" strip of it and wrap the gourd's circumference. The gourd will continue growing except where the tape was...or wire or whatever you chose to use. I like multiple circles on the gourds...they bulge out above and below the restriction you put on them.

I know that people use molds to make faces, tie knots in the long handle dippers, and it makes sense that other shapes can be obtained by wrapping growing gourds with different materials. I am such a neophite that I didn't even know there was sugh a thing of Gorilla duct-tape! I bought some Gorilla glue but am not sure I like it altho many people I know do think it is the greatest.

If you have photos of some of your shaped gourds I sure would like to see them.

Rita in Michigan