Natural birch bark material is common for the manufacture of souvenirs, gifts, dishes. They are not only pleasant to receive as a gift, but also interesting to do by ourselves. This process is not easy: only very patient and accurate craftsmen can create birch bark products.
What is this material?
Birch bark is the top layer of birch bark, which is easily peeled off with a sharp knife. The most flexible and convenient for work is birch bark, taken from a tree with a diameter of 30 cm in the first month of summer. Strips of various shapes and lengths are placed in a dry, non-sunny place so that natural drying occurs. After 3 weeks, the material is ready for processing. In case of drying out and fragility of the strip, moisten it with water.
How to work with birch bark?
To work with birch bark you will need: a sharp knife, scissors, a needle with a thread, an awl, a wire. The material can be painted in various colors, this is true for souvenirs and children's crafts. Birch bark coloring can be done both previously, in a solution of paint and water, and decorating an already finished product. While maintaining the natural look, birch bark products look more interesting and more expensive, the material is coated with colorless varnish, and sometimes painted.
Working with birch bark is not easy, for a good result you will need a lot of patience and effort. It’s better to start creating with simple and necessary things at home: vases, flowerpots, etc. Quickly creating the first product, you will want to proceed with more complex options.
DIY birch bark crafts
The most popular product from birch bark is a flower pot, it fits well into any interior and is a necessary item. It is assembled very simply: the pot is wrapped with a layer, the excess parts are cut off, the connection occurs with glue. For strong bonding, bark must be tied. This planter does not need additional decor, but if you wish, you can paint it or glue butterflies, rhinestones, flowers ...
Thin rings from birch bark can be turned into earrings, and a chain of rings into a necklace. Such crafts from birch bark will please mom or girlfriend. Even children are able to cope with work.
Paintings made of birch bark in the form of an applique have a special look; they can be hung on the wall or presented to loved ones. Such creativity requires investing the whole soul and love. To create a picture of birch bark, it must be put in boiling water, allowed to dry, exfoliate, and dry under pressure. Birch bark has many shades, so without paint it can be made into panels of small pieces. For the brightness of the picture, you can use a background of other materials, branches, leaves, birch catkins.
More complex work is within the power of older students. A bread box made of birch bark is woven from thin ribbons. Such a lace capacity will allow the bread not to heat. To create a bread box or candy box, you first need to cross and glue two strips, then weave the remaining ribbons around the center.
Souvenirs from birch bark
Professional birch bark products are widely distributed at folk fairs. They are bought as souvenirs and gifts. Therefore, the manufacture of such products is not only a pleasant process, but also a profitable activity.
Boxes of birch bark of various sizes can be used to store jewelry, documents, sweets, herbs, etc. Folk painting makes dressing even more interesting and individual. The material allows you to create a product of any desired shape, a huge variety of souvenir products allows you to choose the option for every taste.
Souvenirs from birch bark are popular not only among the Russian population, but also abroad. They are brought as a gift and in memory of the country of white birches and brown bears. It is good that memory occupies a worthy place in life, and you can learn how to create souvenirs and not forget about the very recent past.
DIY caskets
To create a casket of birch bark, steamed, not yet dried ribbons are best suited. They are easy to operate: flexible and obedient. The work goes in the following order:
1) Ribbons are cut of the same size equal to the perimeter of the box.
2) First, 4 tapes are intertwined.
3) Then on each side another 1 tape is added, a large square of small, 4 × 4 cells is obtained. Thus, the base is woven to the required size.
4) To get the corner of the box, you need a square block the size of the base. It is placed at an angle of 45 ° to all sides, like a rhombus.
5) Then the ribbons are pressed to the block and intertwined around the perimeter in a checkerboard pattern to the required height.
6) To form the upper edge, a wire is needed from which a hoop of any desired shape is made, the size of the bottom of the box.
7) Ribbons are attached to the hoop: they go around it and go to the side, under the nearest cells. For reliability, the tips can be greased with glue.
8) The cover is made in the same way. To keep it better, you can make it a little larger. Or weave and glue the inner edge for the box.
Changing the shape of the pads, you can weave any basket. To work at first you will need a lot of patience, but the process of creation always has a positive effect on both children and adults.
DIY painting
To create a picture of birch bark, you must sequentially perform the following work:
1) First, a sketch is selected, it can be drawn by hand or taken from any source.
2) Then, the format of the picture is selected depending on the capabilities of the artist: someone will translate the finished picture, someone will draw it himself.
3) Cut out the cardboard base of the desired size.
4) The horizon line is determined - laid out from a thin birch bark. Further, after each layer, the product is pressed.
5) The sky is laid out from small pieces of birch bark of light gray, white shades.
6) The earth is depicted from dried moss or dark pieces of birch bark.
7) Then, on the resulting background, they begin to lay out the plot: first, secondary objects, and lastly, the main ones.
8) After a 20-minute press, the picture is inserted into the frame with glass, in this form it will retain its worthy appearance for a long time.
DIY bread box
A bread box made of birch bark will keep the bread fresh longer than plastic, they do not have dampness, an unpleasant smell. There are also advantages over wooden ones: it does not absorb odors, does not rot, does not mold.
You can weave it with your own hands, in the same sequence as the box, but this is a more time-consuming process. And the bread box requires greater tightness for the safety of the product. Therefore, it is better to purchase it. You can buy a bread box without decor and decorate it yourself, you can choose the option with your favorite design, there are a great many of them.
Birch bark products have been valued since ancient times. Now they are relevant not only as souvenirs, but also as environmentally friendly kitchen utensils.