I really love forest walks. It improves health and improves mood, gives a creative mood. I love to wander, scattering fallen leaves and twigs with my feet, inhaling the aroma of slightly rotted leaves and dried grass. In the coniferous forest, just under your feet you can find a huge variety of materials for creativity and handicrafts. In old trees, the bark dries out, crumbles and lies at the base. This is a favorite delicacy of bark beetles, which, without knowing it, turn bark into a work of art. I can't pass by. Bark is one of my favorite natural materials. After all, you can make a huge variety of different crafts from it. Bark of tree- great decorative material. Surely in your house there is some little thing decorated with tree bark.
First, I’ll tell you how not to harm your home by bringing tree bark into your home. After all, bug larvae can live in it, which can easily ruin your furniture or even the house itself (if it is made of wood). Collect the bark. Choose the pieces that you like. I usually collect a whole bag! I just can't resist! Then, of course, I spend the whole evening (and sometimes several days) processing it, but that doesn’t matter. After all, at the same time I get excellent material for creativity! In general, collect as much as you don’t mind.
How to process and dry the bark? Fill a large saucepan with plain water and boil the collected bark in it. All larvae in “boiled” form are no longer scary to you! You can also process the bark by special means against bark beetles. Dry the bark by spreading it on newspaper or mesh in a well-ventilated area. I usually dry the bark on a special mesh (I have it not only for tree bark). I made this net from a mesh for cooking fish on the grill. It fell off on her wooden handle, but it was a shame to throw it away. And it’s good that I didn’t throw it away! Now I use this net to dry bark, twigs and some herbs. Try it too. You need to spread the bark on one half of the mesh, press and secure (as you do with meat when cooking on the grill). Then place in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes. Cool (just like you would cook something delicious). The smell is extraordinary! The smell of forest and resin!
The bark is ready to use! Now I’ll tell you what I make from pine and birch bark.
1. Bark paintings. It’s better to take a piece as a basis old plywood. She goes well with everyone natural materials such as bark, moss, straw, brushwood, stones, seeds and dry petals. Old birch bark is an excellent material for any floral composition. Pictures made from this material are especially good! Separate the bark into thin layers of white, pink, yellow and orange. Try to peel it down to the thinnest layer - this makes it easier to glue the bark to the base. Now trust your imagination. Start with the simplest thing - lay out tree bark (dark and brown layers), snow (white layers), sky (pinkish layers). You can glue the bark with hot glue or wood glue. After lubrication with glue, carefully “rub” small strips with a knife and press down with a weight. The finished painting can be varnished.
2. Tree bark photo frame. I cut out two identical frames from thick cardboard. I glue pieces of tree bark onto one of them one by one. Here I like to use pine bark. I glue it around the entire perimeter, trying not to leave gaps. All the pieces are different, so it turns out to be a mosaic of bark. Very beautiful! If there are gaps left, I coat them with glue and cover them with shavings from the same bark (I grate a piece of bark). You can glue natural moss into the gaps. Then I glue the two frames together on three sides (leaving the top side unglued so I can insert the photo). I make a loop - the frame is ready!
3. Decorative frame. I again take cardboard as a basis. I cut out the frame the desired shape. I cover it with natural moss. Then I decorate with pieces of bark. In order to hold the bark better, I wrap it with threads suitable color. I make a loop out of the rope - done!
4. Decorating with bark. Vases, candlesticks and baskets decorated with tree bark. Same principle. First we cover it with moss, then we wrap pieces of bark. The vase is perfect for making winter compositions from dried flowers or pine branches. Candlestick - fits perfectly into a country setting. An old basket decorated with bark will gain new life. Throw some cones into it and New Year's toys– the New Year’s accessory is ready!
5. Tree bark topiary. Place a decorative natural branch in a pot covered with pieces of bark (as described in the previous method). A topiary ball can be made using one of the methods I have already described (article). Cover the ball with natural moss and attach it to a branch placed in a pot. Next, using threads or wire of a suitable color, attach pieces of bark to the ball. You can glue a butterfly or a bird. And the “tree of happiness” is ready!
6. Kora – beautiful filler for transparent vessels. Such a vessel looks beautiful in compositions with dried flowers. And just a vase with pieces of bark - a beautiful, original, slightly unusual decor. Your guests will appreciate this find!
7. Bark panels. That's very beautiful! To do this, you need to specially treat the wall (make it a little rough). Next we apply tile adhesive. Pieces of bark different sizes carefully lay out, trying not to leave gaps. The bark must be well processed! You can varnish the top - it will last longer. But without coating, such panels look very, very beautiful! The neighbors will be jealous!
There are still a huge number in various ways, where you can apply dried tree bark. Hot coasters, original packaging, curtains made of garlands with pieces of bark, various crafts, postcards, appliqués... You just have to use your imagination a little. And don't be afraid to experiment! Good luck!
All photos from the article
Wood is an extremely useful material in construction and households, and today we will look at the use of not the most common wood raw materials, which are usually considered waste. Let's talk about the bark. We will tell you what you can make from tree bark at home, working with your own hands.
Properties and rules for harvesting bark
A little about the features of the material
Almost all plants are covered with an outer layer of special tissue called bark. This is a protective organ, which in the case of trees consists of dead cells and fibers on the outside, as well as several internal layers, such as cork, primary bark, pericycle, phloem.
The outer hard layer is called the crust.
It serves to protect the barrel from:
The inner layers perform various functions, including:
- transport of nutrients;
- protection against temperature changes;
- moisture evaporation.
Important!
Bark is a vital organ for a tree, so it cannot be removed from living plants, as it will be quite difficult to restore the tree bark.
If significant areas of the cover are damaged or removed, the tree dies.
By chemical composition the covering layer has no special differences from wood as such and consists of cellulose, lignin, extractives, hexosans, pentosans and polyuronides.
Accordingly, this material exhibits approximately the same qualities as an array:
- supports combustion;
- does not sink in water;
- conducts heat poorly.
In addition, features are observed - low permeability to moisture, high impact strength and wear resistance.
For simplicity, the structure of the cover can be represented in three main layers:
- crust;
- primary cortex;
- secondary bark.
We won't go into too much biology, just that the different layers can be used in different ways.
For household use in making crafts, the outer dead part of the trunks and roots is used, which is easily separated from the main stem.
It can have a different surface character:
- Fibrous;
- Scaly;
- Warty;
- Furrowed.
This diversity gives us fairly wide artistic means and opportunities to create the most different products, drawings and decorations.
The surface structure depends on the type of wood, so various types are used to make crafts:
- birch,
- pine tree
- maple,
- chestnut, etc.
Important! The bark is easy to harvest and process, has a beautiful texture and color, and its price lies only in your personal time spent searching and collecting the material.
Blank
As was said, it is impossible to remove bark from a living tree, as this can cause irreparable harm to the plant and lead to its death. Therefore, to prepare material for crafts, you need to find a dry log or a freshly cut trunk.
You can also go to the nearest park or forest plantation and collect fallen fragments of pine or deciduous bark, which trees periodically shed as they grow. It all depends on what exactly you plan to do.
Autumn is an interesting time of year. First, the tree crowns turn yellow and red, and then the leaves fall, causing despondency. It is during this period that you need to diversify your life with something interesting and original. It's about crafts from driftwood It turns out that twigs that are unnecessary at first glance can be very useful to you in the interior or on. Let's look at 5 master classes related to making beauty with your own hands.
How to prepare branches for crafts?
From ordinary unremarkable driftwood you can make original wood, which will later be used for homemade gizmos.
Many craftswomen wonder about the intricacies of preparing this material. The process is simple if you follow a certain procedure. For preparatory activities you will need the following items (they are found in almost every home):
- Plastic container.
- Soda ash.
- Sandpaper.
- Linen bleach.
Preparing branches
Using branches for furniture
Large driftwood is ideal for and. Medium sized raw materials will become the best option for making shelves, . And small driftwood will come in handy for individual details. When making furniture structures, it is important to consider some points.
- The driftwood must be strong, since they will have to bear a colossal load, especially when it comes to pieces of furniture of impressive size.
- Raw materials are prepared for work in accordance with the information indicated above. They need to be bleached and sanded.
- Next, the tools are prepared. You will need a drill, nails for knocking down driftwood, if the furniture design allows for this. Other equipment necessary for the project is also being prepared.
- After the production process, driftwood should be treated again with compounds that prevent rotting and pests. Leave it for a couple of days, and then put the piece of furniture into operation.
Since there are a huge variety of furniture designs made from driftwood, it is worth using tips for making specific types of furniture.
Lighting
It turns out you can make a chic one out of driftwood! Of course, there are many design options, but we will consider the process and algorithm using the example of a classic product. No matter what we say about its standardness, it will look unusual, but its appearance will allow it to fit into absolutely any interior.
Now - about the manufacturing procedure. Arm yourself with certain materials and get to work.
- Take one large driftwood (up to 1 m long). It is desirable that it has an interesting shape (curly branches arranged in an original order). Choose the breed at your discretion, but it is best to give preference oak or pine needles: the production process will give you many pleasant emotions, and the result will amaze you with its unusualness.
- Treat the wood according to the first master class, and then make holes in it along the entire length of the base and individual branches at a distance of 10 cm from each other in order to insert decorations into them. These can be metal fittings, decorative stones, ribbon bows.
- Prepare the basis for. It can be a purchased part in the form of a regular stand. Then you need to connect the stand and the driftwood in a convenient way. To do this you will have to acquire carpentry skills; it will be difficult for a beginner. The thickest part of the driftwood should be located closer to, and the thinnest part will act as the top.
- A decorative braid or rope 20-30 cm long is suspended from the top of the structure. On the other side of this thick thread there will be an electrical mechanism, that is, a system for turning the lamp on and off.
- To prevent the light bulb from being “naked”, provide a lampshade for it. This step is a matter of your imagination. Can make it yourself or buy a ready-made option.
- Prepare a rectangular piece of driftwood (this can be a log) 30 cm long and 10 cm wide. Process it in accordance with the first master class. This will be the basis of the panel.
- Another element is attached across the base. It should have the shape of a parallelepiped and coincide in length with the width of the base. Fastening can be done with nails or good glue on wood.
- Next, all you have to do is process the wood and place a candle on the protruding element - your home will be transformed in the blink of an eye!
Original panels made of driftwood
If you want to get involved in the process of such needlework, help you. They are hung on the wall and used as paintings or stands for candles, souvenirs.
In our case, we will consider a master class on making panels.
This is what it looks like original panel. If you follow the instructions given, the result will pleasantly surprise you.
In model work, straw can be pasted over cardboard houses when you need to depict log house. It is used to paste over various cardboard products.
This work is done like this: the straw is soaked, cut to length and smoothed with a not particularly hot iron to form even straw ribbons.
Straw is usually used to decorate things with flat surface: frames, folders, pencil cases, etc. Drawings are made up of straight and broken lines (folk cross stitch, ornaments from geometric shapes, stars, etc.) (Fig. 11 a-d).
Having chosen a design, transfer it using transfer paper to the item intended for finishing with straw.
According to the drawing, the straw is cut into pieces with scissors, then the item is smeared with glue and the prepared pieces of straw are laid according to the drawing. Ready product press with a piece of board and dry.
Hats, handbags and other things are sewn from straw woven into braids. They do it like this: soak the straw and braid the raw straw into 4 and 5 straws (Fig. 11, A). The braid must be long, so as you work, you need to adjust the straws by folding end to end in half. The finished braid, while still in its raw state, is straightened and ironed.
You can make a basket from the ribbons of such a braid in the same way as you do from birch bark ribbons. You can also make a hat.
It is sewn together with threads, starting from the center of the bottom (Fig. 11, B). The finished hat is moistened and smoothed - the brim is on the table, and the head is on a round log, wrapped in some clean rag or on a 3-liter jar.
Crafts made from pine bark.
Various applications in manual work has pine bark. It is easy to process, and with the help of a knife, models, toys and games are made from it. In Fig. 12 shows a boat and a knight chess piece.
To make a boat, take a piece of bark, process its outer part, then outline an oval on top, along which a recess is cut out with the tip of a penknife.
A bench can be made from a separate piece of bark and glued inside the boat.
Chess pieces are drawn on the prepared bark plate. Then the bark is cut according to the design, first giving it a general, rough shape, and after that the details of the figure are cut out.
These crafts are far from exhausting the possible works from natural material, there can be an unlimited number of them. The variety of material will give impetus to your creative thoughts.
Pine bark boat - interesting craft made from natural material for boys. The simplest boat can be made by 8-9 year olds. A complex boat, with small details not only for the child, but also for the father will be a worthy task. Pine bark is a unique natural material. It is very easy to work with and is ideal for teaching boys basic knife and woodworking skills. In addition, the pine bark ship model has the most important quality of crafts for boys. She is active! The ship will really float! Moreover, you can run it not only in the bathroom, but in a spring stream, lake or river. True, having sent him on a river journey, you will most likely have to say goodbye to him. After all, there are no control buttons to return it to the shore. But you can compose any, most incredible and heroic story about the adventures of a brave boat, and at the same time expand your fidget’s geographical knowledge.
How to make a boat from pine bark
Step 1
Before you start making this craft for boys, you need to go into the forest and find thick pine bark. The best source of this natural material for crafts are old, already dead trees, the bark of which is already falling off on its own, or at least peeling off. Having chosen a sufficiently thick piece of bark, we plan it with a knife to a more or less even block.
Step 2
Take a sheet of paper (preferably checkered) slightly smaller in size than the resulting block. Let's use it to make a template for the future bark boat. Inside the template, draw an internal line at a distance of 0.5-0.7 cm, repeating the template. If you are making a boat with a very young master, then it is enough to make only the external template, and skip step 4 when working.
Step 3
Cut out the template along the outer line and transfer it onto the bark using a pencil or felt-tip pen. Then cut out the pattern along the inner line and also translate.
Step 4
Now let's start actually cutting out the boat from the bark. First, take out the middle along the inner marked line. The easiest way to proceed is this: we cut with a knife along the line of the pattern, and then we stick the knife next to the cut line and “break off” pieces of bark. In this case, the edge of our side turns out to be quite smooth.
Gradually remove the entire middle. This is what should happen.
Step 5
Now let's plan off the excess bark from the outside of our boat. It's practically ready.
For a more solid look and to finalize all the irregularities and flaws, we will sand the boat.
Step 6
Now you need to equip the boat with sails and a mast. To do this, plan out an even stick of suitable length and sharpen it at one end. You can use a toothpick or a wooden kebabs skewer for these purposes, depending on the size of the boat.
We tie two straight, short sticks to the mast. We'll get a mast with yards.
Step 7
Cut out a trapezoidal sail from a piece of paper. Let's put it on the mast.
Insert the pointed end of the mast into the bottom of the boat.
The pine bark ship is ready to sail!
***
Such a craft made from natural material can have many options. For example, you can vary the sail material. To make the sail less wet, you can rub a paper sheet with paraffin (candle) or multi-colored wax pencils. The sail can be made from thin polyethylene or from thin pine bark or birch bark.
A boat with pine bark sails.
You can do without a sail altogether and make a boat out of pine bark. Then, when making the body, you must not forget to plan the seat-can. You can insert it as a separate part. It is easy to make oars from pine bark and sticks, and a lifebuoy tied with threads will give the boat additional decorativeness.
A boat made of pine bark is a craft for boys over 10 years old.
But this is a more complex boat, with more details. It is suitable for experienced carvers. Such a model, of course, will also float, but its purpose is rather decorative. Such a ship made of bark is a wonderful souvenir in memory of summer vacation Outdoors.
A ship made of pine bark is a craft for boys from 12 years old.
If you don’t have pine bark on hand, you can make or.
