New Year just around the corner and, therefore, it's time to cook new Year gifts and decorations. Who main character V new year's eve?
That's right, even children know this. It's Santa Claus! And so I decided to make a figurine of Santa Claus for a child in the garden, so that it would stand on the street, on the playground. I must say right away that I made this sculpture last year and it has already successfully passed the test in winter, frost and children, and this year it will delight us with its presence again :)
From what I will make the figure of Santa Claus, I knew right away: from polyurethane foam. Firstly, it is quite budgetary (considering the size of Frost - 115 cm), secondly, it is quite fast, since the foam dries for 15-20 minutes and the next layer can be applied, thirdly, products made from mounting foam are light and are not afraid of any weather conditions, with one caveat - the foam must be well isolated from sunlight and moisture. Under the influence of direct sunlight, the foam turns yellow and collapses, and if water gets inside the figurine, then during frost it crystallizes and the figurine can “tear”. How to avoid all this and make a figurine that will last more than one year, I will tell below, in my master class.
So, stock up on patience and a vacuum cleaner, as the work is quite dirty and dusty.
First, I found on the Internet a picture of Frost, which we will do. We need general form, we will make our own details.
As a basis, I took a plastic bottle, which was available, poured sand with stones inside for stability (in fact, this could not be done, it is already great) and inserted a wooden stick from a children's shovel on top.
It turned out the frame of the future figure.
Then we take newspapers and begin to add volume to our blank. We fix newspapers with paper tape. 
When we collect the required volume with a newspaper, we glue the entire blank with kraft paper on top: it will be easier to apply foam later.
When everything dries up, we take the foam and continue to add volume to our Grandfather. When working with foam, I advise you to use gloves, since the foam is very difficult to wash off the skin, and it does not wash off clothes at all. The floor must also be covered with newspapers or film.
When working with foam, I use a special gun (pictured), which allows you to adjust the flow of foam and reduce its consumption. Thin layers of foam should be applied: this way they dry faster and the next layer can be applied. 
We continue to apply the foam layer by layer. Try to keep as few gaps and gaps as possible. If you apply a lot of foam at once, then greatly increasing in volume, it becomes empty inside. And when we then cut off the excess foam, we will have to fill these holes with fresh foam.
At the bottom of the sculpture, we glue the cardboard and also foam it. Unfortunately, I did not film this moment, but I think that everything is clear anyway. If you don't understand, ask, I'll be happy to answer. 
Having collected the required volume on our Frost, we begin to move on to the details. We outline the face, very roughly, the place of the cap and begin to make the collar of the fur coat. To do this, take a thick cardboard or, as in my case, a calendar cover, and fix it in place with masking tape. After that, we begin to apply foam to the cardboard collar. 
When all parts of the figure are completely filled in and look a little like Santa Claus, we take a mock-up or construction knife and begin to cut off everything superfluous. Knife blades must be sharp to make clean cuts. Foam dulls them very quickly and therefore they need to be changed quite often. If suddenly we cut off too much or didn’t like something, you can always increase the volume again and cut off the excess again. This work is not very fast, but very creative. 
Gradually we move from the general to the particular. We draw the details, we pay special attention to the face of Santa Claus, his beard. Fill large cavities with foam. 
When the result suits you, you can sand the sculpture of Frost a little: the foam is perfectly skinned.
Then we apply acrylic putty. You can apply with a brush, but I applied directly with my hands: it turns out much faster. We applied one layer - dried it, sanded it a little and applied the second layer. From the first time it is difficult to close all the holes in the foam. It is very important to isolate the foam well from direct exposure to light and water, as I said above.
We sand the second layer more carefully. Perfect smoothness still cannot be achieved, but we don’t need to. After painting, the irregularities on the fur coat and hat look like astrakhan fur. The face should be given more attention: more carefully fill all the bumps with putty and sand well. On the beard and mustache, draw hairs and strands with a toothpick. 
It's time for painting. First, I painted all of Santa Claus with white acrylic paint. Then, those places that should remain white, I sealed with masking tape. For coloring a fur coat and a hat, I used car enamel in a can. I didn’t like it very much: a rather strong smell that disappears for a long time and plus it dries for a long time. Longer Than Just Acrylic spray paint. I usually paint with Bosco, which is my favorite.
One bottle of car enamel was enough for me to cover 2 times.
The only plus of this paint: rich red-cherry color. Another important point: she did not fit well on the white acrylic paint and went craquelure. Of course, it turned out to be original in the end, but unplanned. This has never happened with Bosco. 
Here is such a beautiful craquelure turned out. 
This is what Frost looks like after painting. 
Now it needs to be spruced up a bit. We take a white lacquer marker, you can acrylic paint and a thin brush, you can contour, and we begin to apply patterns on Frost's fur coat. 
Then I started painting the face. First I mixed umber + pink + ivory and applied it on my face. I covered the mustache, beard and edge on the hat and fur coat with mother-of-pearl silver: it turned out to be a real frost. The photo does not convey this, unfortunately. Then, on the beard and mustache, I applied a little black acrylic, diluted to a state of water. Wiped off excess with a dry cloth. 
Then I drew the eyes and applied blush to the cheeks. True, I again got carried away and did not photograph the intermediate stages of work.
When everything was dry, I covered it in several layers with an aerosol acrylic varnish, Special attention giving the bottom. 
Grandfather turned out to be quite weighty and stable and I had to take him to the garden by car :) The children were happy! 
This year I plan to make a figurine of a deer and a sleigh so that grandfather can safely travel and deliver gifts to the children.
As a blank, I again used a plastic bottle, which I foamed on all sides, and to give it stability, I inserted this foamed blank into a plastic container (you can use an old pan). I fixed this propennennaya blank, - mounting foam. Then the most interesting begins, it is necessary to give an approximate figure with foam. As a sample, I buy a small toy in the store, or a figurine, additionally download pictures from the Internet.
Be sure to allow some drying after each layer. So gradually, layer by layer, a figure is created. If you missed somewhere, you can always cut it off, cut off the excess with a sharp clerical knife. If somewhere it still doesn’t work out, this applies to both large and small parts... we spray the place (from a sprayer, for example) where we want to apply foam, then we foam a small layer (about 4-5 cm), after a minute, spray fresh foam again with water. Now the moment - the main thing is not to miss the moment so that the foam does not have time to dry, and we form the intended bend, shape, etc. with wet hands (I do this without gloves). So you can act layer by layer, achieving desired shape. When the figure takes on its shape, we cut off all unnecessary bumps with a knife, the pits (airs) can be foamed again. Small air vents, there is no need to foam, then everything will be puttied with tile adhesive.
How to make paws, tail .... I take the wire, give it a bend, and also foam it layer by layer, giving it time to dry. The ears of a hare, I made from an aluminum tape 7 cm wide, which I cut across (like a Christmas tree), set a bend, and gradually foamed.
Making foam figures is quite simple. Your summer cottage, garden or vegetable garden will look wonderful thanks to such interesting figures. Before you start, be sure to read the basic rules. In this article, we'll look at how to garden figurines from polyurethane foam with their own hands.
- Prepare workplace, cover with oilcloth or newspapers.
- Read the foam manufacturer's instructions carefully.
- It is impossible to make a figure from polyurethane foam on the street when sub-zero temperature air.
- When working, use rubber gloves, as mounting foam is a toxic material.
- The frame of the figurine must be heavy so that it is not blown away by the wind. As a weighting agent, sand, pebbles or earth are used.
- Mounting foam completely hardens in 10 hours, it is sticky - so if you are working with it for the first time, purchase acetone or a solvent.
- The finished figure must be completely covered with furniture transparent varnish. Thanks to this, the figurine will be resistant to any weather conditions.
You will need: 2 plastic bottles (5-6 liters each), 4 plastic bottles (1.5-2 liters each), plastic bucket (for example: from ice cream), scissors, stationery knife, sand or earth, isolon (linoleum substrate), can mounting foam, adhesive tape, balloon or oil paint, furniture varnish, brush, wire, pieces of linoleum for sheep's ears, superglue.
Master Class
You will need: foam can, plastic liter bottle, bucket, furniture varnish, oilcloth, stationery knife.
Master Class
The polyurethane foam snail is ready!
You will need: old saucepan, iron can, wire, superglue, spray foam, oil paints, furniture varnish, button eyes, scissors.
Master Class
The polyurethane foam frog is ready!
You will need: spray foam, 2 liter plastic bottle, sand, rubber tubes, sleeve from toilet paper, scissors, wire, oil paints, furniture varnish, stationery knife.
Master Class
Foam fox is ready!
You will need: spray foam can, plastic pipe for the frame, rubber cord, stick or wire, superglue, oil paints, furniture varnish, stationery knife.
Master Class
The polyurethane foam lizard is ready!
And for the New Year garden plot you can install a snowman. How to make a snowman from polyurethane foam, see this video!
Absolutely any figure can be made from polyurethane foam. The main thing is to think over the frame and design. Fantasize and create masterpieces with your own hands!
Free translation of a master class on making a snowman. .
I have only seen snow a few times in my life. This is because I live in Florida and everyone who has ever been here knows that we do not have enough of it. Or not at all. This means that I never took part in such childhood activities as sledding, snowball fights and snowman building. (Although I've been skating recently!).
This year I decided to make a melting snowman for the front patio - Christmas decor.
I needed to pick up some kind of material suitable for open areas, so I immediately rejected the idea of a papier-mâché snowman. (Although if you want to make a Christmas decoration for the room, then this method is cheaper.
I used the following materials for making a snowman, although you can replace or exclude something. Everything I bought was from Walmart and Dollar tree.
3 balls different sizes(large, medium, and small)
-Spray paint (I used blue, orange, and white)
-Shine
-Black buttons/pebbles (I used those sold in florist shops for decoration),
- Expanding mounting foam
- Cone (for carrots) (Used for flower arrangements)
- Red Ribbon
- Two branches for hands
- Hat (carnival)
The first step is to collect the base. If you don't want to spend an eternity scrubbing the scum off your garage floor, I suggest laying a large sheet of cardboard on the floor. Also keep in mind that the foam cannot be wiped off clothes, so put on something that you don’t mind ruining.
Start with a big sword - place it on the cardboard. It will stay in place if you attach it to the cardboard with double sided tape. Make the base of your snowman with foam. It's easier to work from the ground up when making a snowman.
You don't have to perfect everything all at once. You can return to the first layer after the foam dries. It expands as it dries and appearance snowman can change. After you have properly strengthened the first ball. you can move on to the other two.
Place two other balls on top of the first ball and tape them together to prevent them from moving.
Foam the joints of the balls. After the foam has dried, you can remove the tape. Or use double sided tape.
After the base has dried, you can proceed to further steps. Add some foam to the balls to create a melting snowman effect. Attach your hands. To do this, attach them with tape to the balls, and foam on top so that the tape from the tape is not visible.
If you want to flatten the foam a little, use a spatula.
And now the most fun part of the project! Snowman coloring time! Start creating. There are no clear instructions for painting with spray paint. But I can give you some tips to achieve the best result.
* Start first with dark paint, and then move on to light.
Needed white color it will be quite difficult to achieve if it is covered in places with dark paint on top. Therefore, you must first cover the entire surface with dark paint, in my case it was blue. Don't let it show yellow foam.
*Lighten the desired areas with lighter paint.
You need to cover with white paint the places that in your view should be light.
I also added some glitter. It's Christmas! Everything must glow!
I also wanted to attach a flashing LED display to the snowman with a wish for a happy new year, but I never figured out how to do it without piercing the balls.
Nose
It's just part of the cone, painted orange. I used a cool gun to attach it to the balloon.
The buttons/eyes/mouth are just black pebbles that fit the shape.
They are sold in florist shops.
Instead of pebbles for the mouth, I would use a twig. It would be more elegant.
We put a hat with a red ribbon or a bucket on the snowman and the snowman is ready.
Dacha is a place where we relax and enjoy life. But decorations for the garden and yard cost a lot of money. Therefore, some owners make crafts from polyurethane foam, which are in no way inferior to expensive figurines made of plastic, metal and wood.
To decorate your household plot, no need to finish art courses and have golden hands. A small set of tools, a little diligence and abstract thinking will allow you to get gnomes, frogs, sheep and Christmas trees from quite affordable material.
Manufacturing technology
First things first, stock up necessary materials and tools. This will determine how well and quickly the manufacturing process will go:
- For the frame of the product, plastic bottles filled with sand, boards, metal objects and thick wire are suitable. Even an ordinary brick can become the basis for a future mushroom on its site!
- Mounting foam.
- Foam gun.
- Gun cleaner.
- If you plan to grow flowers in sculpture, then in the center of it you need to mount some kind of container such as a bucket, tin can or the same plastic bottle.
- Varnish, paint and brushes for them.
- Stationery or other knife.
The very process of creation garden figures consists of two successive processes. First, we apply foam to the base and let it harden a little. Then we apply again and so on until we approach the shape we need.
After that, extra protrusions are removed with an ordinary clerical knife, the sculpture takes on a finished shape and can be covered with paint. The whole work can take from an hour to several days, depending on the size of the figure and the thickness of the applied layer. All this is desirable to do in a separate dry room, where there is no excess dust and children do not run.. Otherwise, you will have to wash with gasoline or acetone an extremely sticky substance, which is polyurethane foam.
Manufacturing examples with instructions
Below are a few examples of different figures that even a beginner can create on his site. The main thing is to strictly follow the sequence of all operations. And in a few hours you will definitely feel like a real creator, from whose hands an excellent decoration for a summer cottage comes out!
Details about crafts from cans read .
Christmas tree
Making a Christmas tree out of polyurethane foam is as easy as shelling pears. To do this, you need to collect twigs and attach them to iron pipe. This can be done with tape or wire.
After that, it is necessary to wet the workpiece from the spray gun so that the foam “sticks” to the base more firmly.
Green acrylic paint is perfect for creating new year mood with the help of such simple things as cutting sticks, twigs, polyurethane foam and fishing line. 
You will find all the information about paths from corks from plastic bottles.
Ball
The ball is the easiest figure to make. It is recommended to start your creative experiments with it, and after that move on to more complex decorations and sculptures.
- We take a can of paint and fill it with sand;
- Layer by layer we apply mounting foam;
- Upon reaching the required size and more or less spherical shape, we remove the excess parts with a knife;
- We cover the product with varnish;
- We choose the paint for our decoration, depending on our preferences;
- If this is a bun or the head of some animal, we make eyes, a nose and a mustache from buttons, fishing line and wire.
It is possible that the material about will be useful to you.
Ram and sheep
- First, let's make a frame. We take several plastic bottles and fasten them with tape. It will turn out something like the "skeleton" of the animal. The lower "limbs" can be filled with sand to make the figure more stable.
- Next, you can already apply foam. But to save it, it is better to wrap the frame with isolon or other polymeric material. The first layer of polyurethane foam - you already have a rough idea of what will happen in the end!
- We make ears from pieces of skin. You can also make them from plastic bottles by preheating and bending them.
- We process the muzzle with a knife, carefully giving it the necessary features.
- We cover the product with varnish.
- With paint we draw eyes, a mouth and other "features" of our sheep or lamb!
Scheme for making sheep.
Goat
- We make a frame of thick wire, with which we wrap several plastic bottles.
- As a frame for legs (bones), it is better to take metal pipes. They can be welded to a pedestal, dug into the ground, or secured with bolts. Your figurine must endure wind and rain, so be sure to securely fasten the base.
- We apply one or two layers of mounting foam.
- We make horns and a tail from wooden sticks or plastic cuts and fix them.
- After applying the last layer, cut off all unnecessary and wrap the product with a sickle or fishing line.
- We cover the surface with a primer and paint. You can choose any color, because it is completely your creation!
- We make eyes from buttons.
- We place our goat next to a pond, in a clearing, in the company of other decorations, etc.
In total, this sculpture will take from one to two weeks to make, as each layer of foam must harden. As a result, from unnecessary pipes, plastic bottles, wire scraps, other "garbage" and several cylinders of mounting foam, you get an excellent decoration for your summer cottage!
What is a plastic curb for tracks will tell you.
New Year crafts
Even with nothing at hand but a wire and a can of mounting foam, you can create excellent New Year's decorations. Various ornaments, Christmas decorations, simple and complex figurines - all this is accessible and simple!
For example, you can make a snowflake. We take a wire of such thickness that it can be bent without effort. We make the frame of the future snowflake out of it. Gently apply one or two layers of foam. Until it hardens, we achieve even and smooth surfaces. If something goes wrong, you can always add a little foam and cut off the protrusions with a regular clerical knife. 
The Christmas ball is made even easier. Tennis ball covered with foam. After hardening, we apply a layer of paint and decorate our New Year's toy in bright and positive colors!
A simplified version of the Christmas tree is made using cardboard or isolon, wound on a rigid base in the form of a cone. Even a child can apply several layers! We level the surface, paint and put it in a prominent place.
How to make a swan from a tire is set out.
Basic rules for working with mounting foam
- Shake the bottle periodically.
- The ideal temperature for work is room temperature.
- Mounting foam does not like straight lines Sun rays. Therefore, it is necessary to work in the shade, and ready product cover with paint.
- The setting time of the foam will vary depending on the manufacturer, temperature and speed of operation.
Important Points
- The paint with which the finished product is coated must not contain nitrocellulose. Otherwise, the mounting foam will soften and the decoration will lose its shape.
- Gloves are a must. Without them, washing hands will take much more time than the process of making crafts.
- Polyurethane foam is a very light material. Therefore, heavy objects must be placed inside any product made from it. It can be a jar of sand, a plastic bottle filled with water, iron base, metal pipes fastened with wire and other massive things.
Video
This video shows how crafts are made from polyurethane foam:
Conclusion
Give your summer cottage beauty and originality can be done without spending a lot of money on it. Foam crafts are easy to make, non-toxic, and come in a variety of shapes. Starting from a simple ball and ending with figures of animals, birds, gnomes and even people!
