How to make garden figurines yourself? Ideas and master classes

Features of decorating a site with garden figures

The main purpose of garden figurines is decorative, but they can perform a practical function and serve:

• flashlights;
• stands for hanging and climbing plants and flowers;
• bird feeders and drinkers;
• decoration of artificial reservoirs;
• seats - these can be all kinds of original stones or stumps on which you can rest, etc.

The decor should be in harmony with the landscape design and buildings on the site - a country house or a permanent house.

In a good, solid yard with a house made of modern materials, products made from car tires or bottles will look out of place - more noble materials are needed: stone, wood, metal. And on a modest summer cottage, all kinds of “handicrafts” from whatever comes to hand will be quite appropriate.

The main thing is to feel the style and not create bad taste. It’s enough to love your site, feel its beauty, use detailed instructions, and you won’t need a landscape designer.

How to properly decorate a site with figures?

When decorating a site, follow these important rules:

• Compliance with landscape style . Choosing a rustic design means forgetting about plastic and giving preference to natural materials.
• Amount of decor. Don’t overdo it and use the golden rule – it’s better not quantity, but quality. It’s better to have one large, well-executed element than a dozen small, botched items.
• Choosing a location. If you are not sure whether a garden figure will look good in a certain place, use cardboard models that can be made, for example, from boxes of household appliances. It’s a good idea to draw up a diagram of the site on paper with an accurate drawing of future elements.
• Size. This plays a role in landscape design. Place miniature figurines on a low, trimmed lawn, and place larger elements next to bushes or in areas with tall grass.
• Create compositions . It’s not a good idea to place decorations alone around the area. Use it to decorate and create a flower bed, garden path, fountain or pond.

When is decorating with shapes a bad idea?

Homemade products do not always look organic. The worst thing is when the decor is made of poor quality, from the cheapest materials and according to the most “ancient” instructions. If your grandmother decorated her dacha or yard with rubber tires, simply laying (digging) them around the area, it is not necessary to repeat the experience of generations - it is better to take a modern approach to the issue.

If there is already purchased decor on the territory, but you are “pushed” for creativity, remember that homemade and purchased figures will be different, therefore, it is better not to mix them in one composition.

If you bought gnomes in a store and decided to build them a house, “brothers”, Snow White or precious stones, it will go together beautifully.

What can you do on your site?

Fencing.

The fence is an important part of any site. And to make it, you don’t have to buy expensive materials; you can use the “gifts of the forest.” A picket fence made from branches collected in the forest will look original.

Fences are needed not only to surround your garden from the outside, but also to divide the space internally.

These can be slatted walls that will appeal to climbing plants, or flower boxes arranged vertically in a checkerboard pattern. This wall looks very beautiful thanks to the flowering plants.

Flowerbed.

This is the kind of craft that no garden can do without. But a stump left from a cut down tree, a log, or even an ordinary large log can become a flowerbed. But you will have to arm yourself with a chisel and a hammer to hollow out a recess in which the flowers will then grow.

You can make it simpler and decorate a ready-made flowerbed with twigs or neat bars.

Bridges.

The decorative bridge will delight both children and adults. You can even dig an artificial pond for it, but even without water such an element will look quite natural.

Track.

Ordinary paths instantly change the impression of your dacha or garden. Neatly designed paths help create the “face” of the site.

And making them is as easy as shelling pears:

1. It is enough to prepare tree cuts and collect pebbles from the shore of the nearest body of water. At the same time, the cuts do not have to be the same diameter - it will be even more interesting if they are different, but the thickness should be the same.
2. Don't forget to first dig a trench (its depth should not exceed 10 cm) and fill it with sand.
3. Cuttings, pebbles, earth are laid on top, and lawn grass seeds are planted.

Choosing a landscape design style (photo examples)

When choosing figures, it is worth remembering the design and following the overall theme, which will be in harmony with the style of the site. If the garden area is decorated in a country style, feel free to place gnomes and figures of domestic animals - roosters and hens, goats, cows, geese, ducks, etc.

The oriental style dictates a limitation in figures, so one large statue of Buddha, a stone lantern, a crane or a dragon will be enough. It can also be almost any creature frozen in meditation. Japanese gardens are designed in the spirit of minimalism, and stones rather than figures should predominate in them.

Provence is similar to a rustic theme, but sculptural elements should not be painted in all the colors of the rainbow; choose white, sand and gray shades. Lavender colors would also be appropriate.

, the high-tech style is the most difficult for the home craftsman. But a couple of concrete balls (cubes, rhombuses, pyramids - other geometric shapes) will successfully emphasize the taste of the owner of the site. Modernism is not very common in Russian regions, but European practice is gradually winning over our owners of private houses. Laconicism, whimsical forms and asymmetry are the main points of this style.

Today there are many fans of the Greek style - to recreate it, sculptures of ancient Greek goddesses, amphoras and fragments of columns are placed on the territory. It is difficult to create such products with your own hands, but it is possible - even a wine bottle can be turned into an amphora.

In English design, garden figurines are practically not used. Lovers of everything British can decorate a flowerbed or lawn with their favorite characters from English fairy tales such as “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” “Harry Potter,” “Winnie the Pooh and All-All-All.”

ECO style does not accept rubber or plastic. Wooden, metal or stone products would be appropriate here. Figurines and garden items with a rustic theme will fit perfectly into the eco-landscape.

Flowerbed made of stone

Its secret is in a harmonious composition and the ability to occupy a currently empty plot of garden territory. Take a 2x2 meter square of land and draw several circles in it, spaced apart from each other. Fill each cone, no more than 20 cm high, with clay and crushed stone, and fill it with thick cement. Before it sets, line the cone with stones.

If there is a lake or sea nearby, it is better to use rounded pebbles. Plant so-called border flowers between the cones so that they do not cover the stones.

Which topic should I choose?

But with the theme there is a huge scope for flights of fancy. The most popular topic is fairy-tale heroes . Russian folk tales, foreign or your own - you choose.

We recommend watching a master class that shows how to make 4 types of cartoon garden figurines:

An easy-to-execute option is a magic forest . “Living” stumps, water stumps or goblin stumps - all this can be made literally from old snags.

Another option for making figurines in the “living forest” style is painting stones. Large smooth boulders easily turn into Cheshire cats, turtles, and gnomes. Pebbles also make very beautiful houses.

Do you dream of organizing a garden in a marine style , but the climate does not allow you to grow palm trees? You can simply place marine attributes around the site: barrels and chests, a steering wheel and an anchor, a lighthouse and a mooring rope, seagulls and albatrosses, corals and other details of the seabed.

And lighthouses are built from old flower pots. If you put a lantern on top, it will also be a functional design. How to make a garden beacon with your own hands is shown in the master class below:

Build the “Secret” from the book “Scarlet Sails” by Alexander Greene or the pirate schooner “Black Pearl”, like Jack Sparrow.

There are other improvised options using improvised means.

Furniture made from saw cuts

Using wood slices, you can make original and functional furniture for your garden.

It's easy to make a beautiful table.

• To make a table, you need to knock together the supporting part.
• Additional sides are made on top.
• The sections are properly processed, polished, and placed in a frame.
• The cavities between the tabletop parts are filled with epoxy resin.
• After drying, the product is carefully polished.

In a similar way, you can decorate a stool, a small bench, or decorate a gazebo.

The use of wooden saw cuts in the manufacture and decoration of home and garden interiors is gaining popularity. The material is safe for health. The products are characterized by low cost. And they perfectly complement the interior.

Do-it-yourself gardening sculptures (ideas in pictures)

It’s a simple matter to buy any sculpture or figure you like; another thing is to build it yourself. Your own implementation of ideas is a great reason for pride. And the admiring glances of the guests are worth it! So to the question: “Is it worth making garden decor yourself?”, the answer is clear: it’s worth it. The main thing is to decide on the materials, choose a design and theme, and strictly (or not so strictly) follow the instructions.

What materials are best to use?

If earlier designers understood the word “sculpture” strictly as a person or animal in a certain pose, today the vision of this term has no boundaries. In European parks, sculptures are made from any materials, so we will put the maximum of available information and ideas into this broad concept. Let's look at the most popular materials for making garden installations.

Plastic and rubber . If there is no recycling center nearby, you should not throw away, much less burn, obsolete items. Turn them into interesting products. Rubber tires, old flower pots, dishes, plastic bottles and eggplants are popular options. Pros - easy to process, low cost, resistance to sun and precipitation.

Garden figurines made from plastic bottles and flower pots

Plastic bottles can be cut into pieces to create plastic birds and animals for garden decoration. Here are examples of the wonderful works of Oksana Abramova (row of pictures above) and Alena Zinovieva (row of pictures below) from the Country of Masters:

As for rubber garden figurines, they are mainly made from old tires.

How to make a goldfish from tires is shown in the master class below:

Gypsum . Products made from sculptural, building plaster or alabaster look very artistic. But there are disadvantages - plaster is difficult to work with, and finished figures are short-lived. But small products are easily obtained using molds. You can even take silicone baking molds to make small flowers or other elements.

How you can make plaster flowers using silicone molds is shown in the video below:

Once dry, paint the flowers at your discretion with any available exterior paint.

Concrete/cement . Quite strong things come out of a concrete base. Working with concrete is even more difficult than working with gypsum - it is heterogeneous and takes a long time to dry. But concrete is not afraid of frost and precipitation. It is easy to paint, and even without painting, concrete sculptures look stylish.

You can make these cute gnomes from cement, sand and water:

Polyurethane foam . A new movement among craftsmen is foam products. The composition can be applied to a finished base, or you can imagine yourself as a sculptor and cut out a figure from a ready-made solid piece of hardened foam.

The downside is the fragility of the foam - it dries out and deteriorates under the sun, so it is recommended to reinforce it with a plaster bandage and cover it with construction paint.

The craftsman shows how to make a sheep from polyurethane foam in the video below:

Tree . The most noble material. Cutting down old trees or trees that have fallen after a strong wind is a constant concern for the owner of a personal plot. Firewood is not the only product into which stumps and snags are turned. Even the most seemingly unsuitable sticks for decoration sometimes turn into a masterpiece.

Almost untreated logs come to life. And from small logs and boards a fairy-tale hut on chicken legs grows. And if there are slats or small boards left after construction, harness the donkey or horse to a homemade cart.

How to make a small windmill yourself to decorate your garden is shown in the master class below:

Vine. Not only baskets are woven from vines, but also garden and park sculptures. They look especially relevant in country (rustic) style.

An easy way to have your own mythical animal for fans of the movie “How to Train Your Dragon” is to order a sculpture made of wicker at the Crafts Fair or a similar site for hand-made craftsmen. And a wicker ball on a smoothly cut lawn will look just perfect. And even in winter, figures made of wicker look fascinating.

Straw. Short-lived, but so cute, straw dolls are a quick and easy option that can be made with children. A straw goby from a fairy tale will become an interesting garden decoration. Well, you can’t do without seals, which are made from everything, and even from straw, giving it the desired shape and wrapping it with thread. And the men in the family will appreciate the idea of ​​​​creating a motorcycle from straw in just a couple of hours.

How to make a teddy bear from dry grass is shown in the following video:

Papier mache . Not the most popular, outdated, but still used option. Pros: availability of materials, variability (you can make anything you want). Disadvantages - does not tolerate frost and moisture, large products require time to manufacture. Externally, the finished painted figurines are practically no different from the plaster or concrete versions.

Street bas-reliefs made of paper will decorate a hunting estate or forest house. But fashionable ducks made from newspapers, which according to the designer’s idea were not even completely painted, but simply varnished, can be placed at the entrance from the garden to the house.

Laying hens, which are made on the basis of an inflatable ball and paper, are no worse. Paint the chickens, place them in the nests and the impromptu chicken coop is ready!

Install paper products in gazebos and protected areas so they will last longer.

Craftswoman Svetlana will show you how to make a matryoshka doll from papier-mâché:

The matryoshka doll can be made to any size. It all depends on your abilities and patience. Cover the finished product with varnish, and you can display the figurine in the garden.

Metal. If you have metal working skills, get out your tools, welding machine and create real works of art. In this matter, it is important to find an interesting idea and build something really worthwhile, and not funny and gloomy, because rusty iron skeletons that look like people and animals are just a “masterpiece.”

In some cases, even rust looks perfect, especially in combination with stone. And a kangaroo in steampunk style looks truly stylish, modern, technologically advanced and does not “smell” of bad taste at all, as is often the case. Also, with the proper experience, you can create something elegant and unique from wire, the main thing is to fill the void.

Those who master artistic forging have more opportunities - then the metal can take almost any shape.

Various rubbish . As a separate material, we will consider all sorts of rubbish - unnecessary things. There is definitely room for your imagination to run wild here!

An old bicycle turns into a garden figure with a flowerpot. A leaky pan and an old kettle are used for the same purposes. Worn out clothes will get a second life as cute stuffed animals. Shoes that have been trampled and lost their appearance become extraordinary flowerpot figurines. Old chairs and unnecessary washbasins are an interesting element of decor and a non-standard flower bed.

Old suitcases can also be used. Don’t throw your plumbing fixtures into a landfill – they can be used in original ways for decoration. A leather sofa also has no place in a landfill - make it the hero of your landscape design. A mini-garden in an old basin or boiler looks interesting, unusual and stylish. In general, you can put together your grandmother’s entire attic into an interesting composition: a vintage typewriter, cans, kitchen utensils and much more. Your imagination plus a little free time, and you can turn anything into a garden sculpture.

Preparing tools

The set of tools depends on what you will be making the figurine from. This is an approximate list of tools, because ultimately the type of product plays a role:

• Rubber - chalk, sharp knife (stationery), jigsaw, drill, bolts and nuts, screws, wire, brushes and paints for external work.
• Plastic - sharp scissors, fasteners (bolts, stapler with staples, glue gun, electrical tape), tubes and wires for the frame, paints for external work.
• Gypsum and concrete - gloves, pomudina and spatula for thinning the mass, various molds and auxiliary items for creating certain shapes for the figure, hand sanding or for grouting the product, brush and paint.
• Wood - jigsaw, hammer and nails, screwdriver and screws, paintwork.
• Vine and straw - secateurs/scissors, rope or twine.
• Papier-mâché - old newspapers, toilet paper/egg tray cardboard (for making paper pulp), PVA glue, paints or varnish, etc.
• Metal - welding inverter and electrodes, hammer, pliers, metal scissors, etc.

Decide in advance what you will need to make the figure and stock up on all the necessary tools so that you don’t have to run to the store at the most crucial moment.

Figures made of concrete and plaster

From the most popular materials you can create a huge number of diverse, interesting and stylish figures that will become a wonderful decoration for your garden plot. Detailed step-by-step instructions for making several figures will also come in handy.

Concrete leaves

The easiest option for creating a figurine for the garden is concrete leaves, which even an inexperienced craftsman can make from cement mortar and burdock leaves.

From such leaves, in turn, you can build anything, even a waterfall. A garden path made of leaves looks no less impressive. Concrete leaves make a great base for water from a downspout. The original “stone flower” and at the same time a birdbath are made from the same leaves. Cute giant “leaf mushrooms” are another fun idea.

Everything you need for work:

• large burdock leaves;
• Portland cement;
• sand;
• water.

Proceed like this:

1. Pick the most beautiful large leaves without cracks or damage, wash them from dirt, and dry them.
2. Mix cement and sand in a ratio of 1/3, adding water. The consistency of the curd mass should be obtained.
3. To create a depression in the finished sculpture, place the sheet on a bag of sand.
4. Fill the top of the sheet with cement.
5. Wait for the solution to dry completely. Then peel off the sheet.
6. Transform finished leaves into tall or short sculptures, birdbaths, planters, and more.

How to make a large sheet of cement is shown in the video below:

Garden mushrooms made of gypsum

You will need for work:

• gypsum (can be diluted with PVA glue);
• cap container;
• a log (or a “pipe” from a plastic bottle) as a leg.

Manufacturing instructions:

1. Coat the log with plaster and send it to dry.
2. Take a deep plate of suitable size and cover it with polyethylene. If there is no suitable container, you can make a depression in the sand and cover it with burdock.
3. Fill the container with plaster.
4. When the product is dry, sand it with sandpaper.
5. Paint and glue the two parts of the figurine, and “plant” it in the flowerbed.

How to make a mushroom from plaster is shown in the following master class:

Garden interior items made from saw cuts

Cuts from durable trees look impressive when making objects and elements of garden design.

Bird feeders

A bird feeder is one of the most traditional wooden crafts.

Birch wood is well suited for work. You can make an original bird feeder from round sections of wood, supplementing them with sticks and knots. The craft can be made from plywood and slats, and wood slices and bark can be used for decoration. It is important that the design is safe for birds.

Garden paths

Paths and paths on the site, lined with saw cuts from hardwood, will not only make the landscape unique, but will also last quite a long time if the work is done correctly.

An important step is the preparation of the material. It is necessary to obtain sections of equal thickness from the log. The recommended size is about 15 cm. They must be treated with an antiseptic.

At the site of the future path, a trench of small depth is dug, a layer of film is laid on the bottom, and crushed stone is poured. The material is carefully leveled and compacted.

A layer of sand should be poured on top of the crushed stone. To shrink the materials, the trench is spilled with water. Wooden blanks are laid in random order. The voids between them are filled with sand.

It is important to place the wooden parts as close to each other as possible.

Decorative flowerpots

Such original products serve as an excellent addition to the garden plot.

They can be made from a wide cut of wood. It is important to use healthy wood. Oak cut is not suitable for work due to its high strength. It is better to use birch or beech.

You can make a flowerpot as follows.

• Step back at least 5 cm from the edge of the workpiece and mark the outline.
• Drill several holes with a drill and pour saltpeter into them. You can cut down unnecessary wood using a chainsaw.

The size and shape of the products depends on the source material. Such elements of garden design do not require additional decoration.

Wooden figures

The most natural and organic material for garden figurines is wood. Before you start work, collect tools, materials and think through the future product in detail.

Tools

To work with wood, you will need the simplest tools that any homeowner or summer resident usually has in their arsenal - an ax, saw or jigsaw, sandpaper, nails and a hammer or a screwdriver with self-tapping screws. For some products you need to stock up on varnish or paints.

"Deer": step-by-step instructions

We offer several simple master classes on making wooden decor.

The advantage of the log deer is that it is relevant in both summer and winter. In summer - a forest dweller, in winter - a New Year's character.

You will need for work:

• several chocks;
• saw;
• plane;
• a pair of branching branches.

Instructions:

1. We make the body from the largest log - saw off the log to the required length and make even cuts on both sides.
2. From a smaller and shorter log we make a blank for the head. Using a plane (or knife) we cut off the bark where the muzzle will be.
3. Another thin area is the neck.
4. Then we make 4 identical legs from even straight branches.
5. We make a tail and ears from thin sticks - it is important to cut off the excess on one side straight and on the other at an angle.
6. It is advisable to sand all cuts. If there are knots on the branches, cut them down and process them too.
7. We prepare the horns - from beautiful branches. The main thing is to choose suitable branches that look like deer antlers.
8. We assemble the structure. There are several options for fastening - knocking down with nails, using glue and furniture dowels.

For the second option, you need dowels and wood glue, as well as a drill to drill holes in the workpieces.

All that remains is to make the eyes and nose - from a piece of rubber, plastic, or simply draw. The deer is ready! In the spring, make a wreath for the deer, in the summer, weave a beautiful wreath around the neck, in the fall, put mushrooms on the horns or hang an apple, and in the winter, hang a bell or Christmas tree decorations. This “pet” will delight you all year long.

If you make removable antlers, then on New Year’s Eve replace them with spruce branches, it will be very festive.

Types of decorative figurines

There is a certain type of products intended for flowers - these are decorative vases and flowerpots, stands, baskets, flowerpots. In order to illuminate a certain area in an original way, for example, a gazebo or a swimming pool, you can purchase figurines equipped with solar-powered lanterns.

The same products can be used to decorate garden paths, benches or flower beds. If there is an artificial pond on the site, then you can find figurines for a specific purpose for it.

Bright fairy-tale or cartoon characters-figurines for the garden, placed in groups throughout the site, can always cheer up not only children, but also adults.

We recommend reading:

• 
  Do-it-yourself furniture from pallets - detailed instructions, as well as an overview of the best ideas for creating unusual and original furniture for the garden (120 photos)

• Garden gnomes: TOP-150 photos of exclusive options for a summer cottage. Instructions on how to select and place decorative gnomes on your site

• A hedge on a property: TOP-best ideas on what to use to make a beautiful hedge on a plot. Photo, diagram, instructions, tips from the gardener

Decorating the garden with tires

Do you think that decorating a garden with car tires is bad manners? But no! Take a look at these works of art and you will change your mind. True, not everyone can do this, but creative people are capable of this, if only they had patience and inspiration.

We will teach you how to make simpler figures, but anyone can make such products.

What will you need?

First of all, you will need to take car tires (tires) that have already served their purpose. Winter, summer, studded, universal tires, from a car or truck - it doesn’t matter.

You can even make a swimming pool out of a large tractor wheel. And small but very interesting designs are made from old bicycle tires. Tires from wheels from a car or a children's bicycle will also find their use.

You can cut tires with a grinder (the thickest ones), with a sharp knife, but best of all, with a jigsaw. Fasten with self-tapping screws, bolts, staples - it all depends on your tools, experience and the type of figure chosen.

"Swan": step-by-step instructions

A tire swan is one of the easiest figures to make yourself.

You will need for work:

• tire (one tire per swan);
• electric jigsaw or other sawing tool;
• wire for frame;
• chalk;
• colors - red for the beak and black/white for the eyes and plumage.

Manufacturing scheme:

Procedure:

1. Using chalk or a white rubber marker, draw a sketch on the tire. You can work even without a stencil - apply the pattern directly to the tire.
2. Cut along the contour with a jigsaw to get the outline of the swan's body in a spread, as shown in the picture above.
3. Turn the tenderloin wings side up.
4. Insert a wire frame into the body to help the swan hold its shape.
5. The swan's beak should be red. If desired, paint the body white. Choose paint for exterior use. Dry the product.
6. You can also use a tire as a stand.

The process of creating a swan from a tire with your own hands is shown in the video below:

Required materials and tools

To carry out any plumbing work, the master needs a comfortable workplace, where there will be a workbench, clamps or a vice for fixing parts, high-quality ventilation and lighting. For independent work you will also need the following set:

• Plane.
• Electric jigsaw.
• Marker for marking boundaries and attachment points.
• Pins, screws or glue are used as fasteners.
• Be sure to prepare compositions for impregnating surfaces.
• Sandpaper will allow for better sanding of the finished product.
• To obtain a niche, you need to prepare a hammer and chisel.

Some craftsmen use various techniques for decorating wooden crafts, for example, pouring with epoxy resin, opening with stain and acrylic varnish, burning and wood carving. Each technology has its own specific set of tools.

Decorative figures made of polyurethane foam

Construction foam does not make the most presentable work, but you can still please children with figures, especially if after construction there are several foam cylinders left and there is nowhere to use them.

Inventory

You will need foam, a knife (preferably a stationery knife) and paint. Everything else depends on your imagination. Maybe it will be a figure that needs to be dressed or decorated with something extra.

“Snail”: step-by-step instructions

We offer a master class on making a large snail from foam. Prepare a can of foam, a liter plastic bottle, a utility knife, a plastic bucket and paints for external work. Cover the work surface with oilcloth. Next, proceed according to the scheme:

1. Make the base of the snail into an oval shape with foam. After 10 minutes, apply a second coat. Insert an empty vial or bottle as a neck.
2. Cover the “neck” with foam and create the outline of the head. Wait for it to dry.
3. Use a utility knife to give the base of the snail a smooth outline. Decorate the horns and muzzle.
4. Now let's move on to creating our snail's house. Place the foam in a mound and place a bucket in it, which is also covered with foam around the edges. Wait for it to dry.
5. Use a utility knife to form shell curls.
6. The foam sculpture is almost ready!

After drying, cover the figure with paint and furniture varnish. Fill the bucket with substrate and plant flowers.

Frame of branches

The smaller the workpiece, the easier it is to make. On the other hand, the level of difficulty is influenced by originality. The frame of branches is proof of this. Its creation occurs in stages:

• First, four branches with a diameter of about 10 mm are cut or sawn;
• Next, the branches are adjusted to the dimensions of the future frame;
• The next step is to attach the sticks to each other so that their edges protrude outward (felt rope is used to wrap the sticks crosswise);
• Next, a paper, fabric or leather base with an image is attached to the frame.

The plot is secured using glue or staples. The frame remains to be supplemented with a rope for hanging.

Master class on creating decor from plastic bottles

It's hard to make something beautiful out of bottles. Therefore, if you have a good-quality house and a thoughtful landscape design, you should not spoil it with such raw materials. But for a small dacha, such creativity is suitable, especially if you are relaxing there with children.

Tools and materials

To work with plastic, you need scissors and a utility knife. You can fasten the parts with a glue gun or superglue; it is best to paint the product with glass paint or at least nail polish.

"Butterflies": step-by-step instructions

We suggest making an interesting craft that is usually used to decorate a room, but for some reason is reluctant to use in the garden - butterflies. They will decorate any flower bed, fence, trees, country house, sculpture made of other materials, etc.

You will need:

• any plastic bottles;
• scissors;
• permanent marker;
• nail polishes, acrylic paints or other paint coatings that can withstand any weather;
• dry glitter, beads, rhinestones and other similar materials for decoration;
• wire for attaching or creating the body and antennae of the butterfly;
• butterfly stencil.

If you want to make translucent butterfly wings, then use acrylic paints for stained glass. And to create relief and clear outlines of lines, it is better to use a contour on the glass.

Butterfly stencils (without antennae) of different shapes and types:

Instructions for creating butterflies from plastic bottles:

1. Cut off the bottom and neck of the bottle, and cut the remaining roll - you get a solid twisted sheet of plastic.
2. Place the stencil on the back side and attach it to the plastic with binders or paper clips.
3. Trace the stencil with a marker.
4. Remove the stencil and cut out the blank.
5. Bend the wings along the body of the future insect.
6. Set the outlines with a black marker. Paint the empty areas between the outline from the inside out with varnish in several layers, allowing each layer to dry thoroughly.
7. Draw lines on the front side along the glass. Let dry completely.
8. Apply clear polish and sprinkle with dry glitter. You can glue beads or rhinestones.
9. Secure the butterfly to a wire and stick it into the flowerbed.

Log structures

The logs are very strong and massive. They are useful for assembling cars, motorcycles with sidecars, benches and other structures on which you can sit in the yard or garden.

Logs are often sawn into many round pieces to decorate walls and create decorative pendants. The latter become beautiful thanks to:

• Painting;
• Burning;
• Gluing rhinestones.

By stacking round timber with each other, you can get a romantic heart or a huge star. This decor is appropriate for walls.

Note!

• Crafts for February 23: master class on creating interesting DIY crafts for Defender of the Fatherland Day

• DIY crafts for February 14th step by step: a master class for beginners, with a description of how to make a craft for St. Valentine's Day. Valentina (140 photos)

• Crafts made from jute: 100 photos of beautiful options. Easy instructions with photos and descriptions on how to make a craft with your own hands

Other interesting ideas from scrap materials

Let's look at a few more ideas for making figurines for garden decoration from simple scrap materials.

Pebble figurines

All you need is pebbles and paints. Select stones of different sizes, degrease them and coat them with paint, following the color scheme of the ladybug - in a black and red palette. The designs can be anything from cats to entire paintings: such stones always look stylish and appropriate.

Vegetable sculptures for Halloween

The most short-lived, but such a bright and seasonal option for decorating your own garden.

It’s a good idea to spend part of the pumpkin harvest preparing for Halloween and carving fancy creatures out of them. The most popular figure is the Jack-O-Lantern. What you need: pumpkin, knife, candle.

Instructions:

1. Wash the pumpkin thoroughly and rub with a soft cloth until shiny.
2. Cut off the top and remove the seeds with pulp. Don't throw away the hat with the ponytail - it will come in handy.
3. Using a marker, draw holes - mouth, nose, eyes.
4. Use a knife to cut holes along the outline.
5. Place the candle inside the pumpkin, set it on fire and cover the melon with a “lid”. Jack Lantern is ready!

You can create absolutely any face from a pumpkin.

Ice sculptures

During the cold season, it’s easy to decorate your yard with more than just a snowman! Make spectacular ice balls.

You need balloons, empty bottles, water, a funnel, food coloring (experienced craftsmen suggest gouache) ... well, you need frost. If you have a freezer, freeze in it, and when there are severe frosts outside the window, about -20, feel free to use natural temperatures.

It is better to make balls with a diameter of 10-15 cm per 1.5 liters, because large 3-liter balls may not withstand frost and burst (although then you will get hemispheres, which are also useful).

Manufacturing process:

• Dissolve a standard jar of gouache from a regular children's paint set in 0.5 liters of water. This way you will get a bright concentrate.
• Pour the solution through the funnel into the ball “to the brim.”
• Place the ball on the water tap and get the required amount of water if there is not enough water.
• Tie the ball and freeze it. If there are a lot of balls, it is better to freeze them in their natural environment - by spreading the balls in the snow.
• Leave it overnight. In the morning, remove the “wrapper” and decorate the area with balloons!

If there are no paints, then inside the balls you can put glitter, New Year's tinsel, dried flower petals, berries and fruit slices, spruce branches and small cones, and grain. Fill the balloons with water and freeze. You can also use medical gloves, silicone muffin tins, plastic cups, etc. instead of balls.

Concrete figures

Concrete figurine is much stronger, but more difficult to make. If the consistency is incorrect, this material spreads and dries poorly.

But the advantages of concrete products are their durability, resistance to moisture and frost, and ease of painting. Even unpainted gray concrete figures look very stylish and original.