1. Frame base (Aluminum wire 3 mm and 1.5 mm).
  2. Putty epoxy 2-component or cold welding. In auto stores you can find "POXIPOL" or "ABRD STEEL" for example.
  3. Wire cutters.
  4. Pliers or needle nose pliers, whichever you prefer.
  5. Nuts and bolts of any size, but they should be selected along with drills. The easiest way is to use a self-tapping screw and a nut if you are not going to remove the figure from the platform later.
  6. Washers.
  7. Screwdriver.
  8. Roulette.
  9. Drills one is not less than the diameter of the nut, the other is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt (not the cap).
  10. Aluminum foil from any household. shop.
  11. Wooden base (15×15×1 cm).
  12. Paper A3 format (29.7 × 42 cm).

Sketch. Draw an example of a figure. Step 1





Draw for yourself a good example of a person on paper 16" or 40.5 cm high. But this part is optional, and you can print a drawing of a person from the Internet.

YOU CAN USE THE DRAWING OF A HUMAN BY DOWNLOADING IT FROM THE LINKS: FIGURE-1 and FIGURE-2.

You need to have basic knowledge or find reference literature that will help you correctly check the proportions at all stages of creating a frame.

Construction of the legs of the future figure. Step 2



It is necessary to measure a piece of wire 48 "or 1.2 meters long. Make one more piece. They are needed to create the legs of the figure.

Twisting leg reinforcement. Step 3




Fold a piece of wire in half and make a loop. The loop must be large enough for the bolt to pass through to the head. You should have a round loop. Clamp it with pliers, but not too tight (the wire will shrink and loosen). Twist the 10" or 25.5 cm wire evenly. Repeat on the second piece of wire.

Creation of the foot and thigh. Step 4





Using pliers, bend the loop 90 degrees. This will be the foot, which we will fasten to the plane. Repeat on the other piece of wire. Once you can make the stops, you need to measure approximately 1" or 2.5 cm from the wrapped end and bend this part to the side. One piece to the left and the other to the right, so you get the hips of the frame. Align the ends of the untwisted reinforcement on both pieces.

THE STAGE OF CONNECTING TWO LEGS PARTS. STEP 5






This step may seem more difficult, but if you do everything right, you will get a strong connection of parts and do not even need putty to secure. Connect both parts together, bend additional pieces of wire, on the opposite side over the bar of the adjacent part and under the thigh, to create a loop. Twist the top 2 ends together. This will be the spine of our figure.

Don't be discouraged if you don't get a strong connection. Unroll the wire and try again

STRENGTHENING THE SPINE OF THE FRAME. STEP 6





The spine must be tight. Now you can strengthen it with the remaining pieces by winding them along the spine, but not completely. With these pieces we will fix the shoulders with arms and neck.

CREATION OF THE SHOULDER AND NECK LINK. STEP 7









It's time to check the proportions of your drawing and edit the wireframe. Cut a new piece of wire about 20" or 50 cm long. This piece we will use to create the shoulders, which will be connected to the additional wire from the legs.

Make a loop in the center of the cut piece. Pass one of the back wires through the loop. Twist the spine wire to form the neck. This will tie your shoulders well.

Creation of the shoulders and arms of the frame of the sculpture. Step 8





Screw the remaining rods from the spine to shoulder level. Wrap the bar around the shoulder of the left and right hands with tight coils. Cut off the remaining ends. Place the frame on the drawing along the center line and bend the shoulders.

Creating the head of the figure. Arm length. Step 9







First twist to the end the part that forms the neck. Twist this part and form a circle that will be the head (Pic 3). Check the length of the arms from the sketch and cut the wire at the fingertips. DO NOT CUT ON THE WRIST! Later, twist the wire and form a palm.

Formation of the palm. Step 10



Create loops on both sides at the ends of the arms to form the palm. Use pliers, but don't make the loops too big. When you start sculpting and adding material, such as clay, the palms will turn out to be of normal size. Be sure to check the frame with the picture.

Let's create the fingers. Step 11



Now we can take a thinner wire. Cut a long piece 3" or 7.5 cm and fold in half. Repeat one more time. You will get two wires folded in half. Put them on the palm loops (Pic 3). Squeeze the loop with pliers. We will fix these places later with putty.

Create a thumb. Step 12




Cut another piece of thin wire about 2" or 5 cm. Fasten the piece at one end in front of your palm around the thick wire. Now you can repeat the steps to form the second palm.

Use of 2-component putty. Step 13



Open the putty and take a small amount. Typically, these putties consist of two components that must be mixed, as prescribed in the instructions. Press the prepared putty into the loop where the fingers and palm meet. The composition will become stone when hardened. Do not use a large amount of putty, as in the future it will prevent the brush from dazzling.

Fixing all joints of the skeleton of the sculpture. Step 14



Use the rest of the putty, and putty all the wobbly joints of the frame. In the area of ​​the hip joint, a small amount can be used if it is not connected so tightly. Do not use a large amount of putty, as it is difficult to get rid of it later. After all the nodes are smeared, let the composition dry. Drying time is individual and indicated on the package.

Turtles and gnomes, mushrooms, flowers and leaves - all these cute garden sculptures can perfectly decorate and enliven a summer cottage or an area near a country cottage. They can be made from various materials, including cut from eg. Or squeeze out of .

But it is much easier to cast garden decorations from common materials: and. By the way, this can be done with your own hands,.

Features and varieties

Since the figures decorating the site, as well as, will have to constantly be in the open air, they must be made of durable and frost-resistant material (cement, for example, is used only above, and moisture-resistant ingredients are recommended to be added to gypsum). Top products are covered protective compounds which will protect the surface from moisture and destruction.

Let's not forget that large heavy figures may need a foundation (so that they do not sink into the ground). Often there is a frame (made of wire, rebar, or other materials) inside the garden decor.

  • As a basis for sculptures, cement can be used, which is convenient and easy to work with, and it is also used for. Concrete products are durable, long service life, easy to manufacture. They are capable all year round stand on the street - you only need to periodically update the surface of the decorative coating (tint or restore the varnish layer, for example).
  • Gypsum is a cheap and affordable material. This is his big plus. There is also a minus - the sculptures are quite fragile, requiring careful care. To increase plasticity and strength, PVA glue is added to the gypsum-based mixture. And there is also the option of making gypsum cement mortar. More on this later.

Read on to learn how to make a mortar for country garden sculptures from cement, concrete or gypsum.

Composition and structure

In order for our figurines to turn out not only beautiful, but also not to fall apart in a short time, you need to use high-quality components. Fresh (loose, not caked) cement, river washed, sifted and dried, clean (not from a puddle and not sea) water. Gypsum must also be of high quality: white color, dry, crumbly.

Here are some recipes for solutions:

  1. For one part of cement powder take from two to three parts of sand. Water is added to the dry mixture, bringing it to the desired consistency (usually the density of sour cream, sometimes a little denser).
  2. A gypsum mortar is made by mixing gypsum powder with water to a semi-liquid state (basically, like a concrete mixture, to a creamy density).
  3. Gypsum-cement mortar consists of five parts of cement and one part of gypsum, slowly diluted with water until a dense (but fluid) mixture is obtained. PVA glue is added to the composition in the amount of one tablespoon.

As already mentioned, it is also recommended to add PVA glue in small quantities to a purely cement or gypsum mortar. How to make decorative sculptures from gypsum, cement, concrete for the garden and garden with your own hands, read on.

This video will tell you how to paint a garden gnome you made or any other sculpture:

Do it yourself

How to prepare a mixture

To make a concrete mix, you need to take dry cement with sand, mix them, and then slowly add water. You can make the solution in a basin or bowl right size, mix - with a wooden spatula or spatula. Don't forget to protect your hands with gloves. do it in a similar way.

Gypsum powder, on the contrary, is poured into water (so that lumps do not form). You can use a special sculptural gypsum, as well as construction (sold in hardware stores). Suitable and, based on gypsum. The solution is used immediately.

In the manufacture of gypsum cement mixture(remember - it should be dense for easy application to the frame). In dry mixed components, water should be poured in very small portions. PVA glue in all three cases is added at the end.

How to make molds for garden sculptures, read below.

How to prepare a mold for products

Clay or plasticine

For garden decor, there are ready-made forms(sold in stores). Self-manufacturing stencil assumes the presence of a sample figure. You will also need clay, which can be easily collected in a quarry.

Having slightly diluted the clay to a plastic state, it is necessary to immerse a sample figure in it. First, we press its front half to obtain an impression, then the back half. Now the clay mold needs to be dried - in the air or in the oven. Two parts are cast, which are then glued together.

Before pouring gypsum or cement-sand mass, lubrication is necessary inner surface forms. Vegetable oil, vaseline, paraffin. You can also make a composition of two parts grated soap, seven parts water and one part vegetable oil.

For lighter gypsum, plasticine can be used instead of clay, which is easier to mold. We sculpt a figure from it, not forgetting to draw a separation line. Then we apply lubricant - a solution of soap and vegetable oil is suitable. Then apply with a spatula or brush gypsum mixture, while the layer should not be more than two millimeters.

If necessary, after drying, you can apply another layer. Or several. We work on a flat plane (slightly larger in size than the future sculpture).

This video will show you how to make a mushroom sculpture for your garden:

Made of metal and wire

For animals, birds, men do metal carcass to be wrapped in places of thickening metal mesh with small cells or wire.

To save cement, you can put rags or old crumpled newspapers inside the structure. A fairly thick sand-cement (or gypsum-cement) mixture is applied to the frame.

From improvised materials


From natural materials

A textured sheet (for example, burdock) printed on cement can become a beautiful drinker for birds. To make such a decorative product, it is necessary to pour a hill of wet sand on a flat plane, cover it with polyethylene and put the selected sheet with textured veins up.

Then a layer of cement mixture is smeared no thicker than two centimeters (we slightly reduce the thickness towards the edges). Let's prepare the base - a piece of plastic pipe filled with concrete. We put it in the center. After two days, the leaf is ready. We paint it.

You can also make the so-called "living" sculptures, inside which will be placed lawn grass. Or other plants.

To do this, you need to prepare a metal frame of the desired configuration, covered with wire. It is tightened with a metal or polypropylene mesh, then soil is poured (where live plants will be planted), after laying a layer of straw.

If you still have not decided what kind of garden sculpture you want, then the following video will help you with this:

Sketch your future sculpture. Always draw a sketch of the sculpture you are about to make. This drawing isn't meant to be a fine art masterpiece, but it will no doubt help you visualize exactly what goes where and how the shapes and volumes of your pieces fit together. It is best to draw your future sculpture from several angles. For those areas where many small elements are expected, it is worth drawing a separate, detailed sketch.

Create a foundation. If your sculpture has a base, it is better to start the whole creative process from it, and then create the sculpture itself already on it. If you are going to add a base to an already finished sculpture, then your creation will be less durable. The base can be made from wood, metal, clay, stone or any other material of your choice.

Make a frame. Sculptors call a framework a supporting structure. This is something like the skeleton of your sculpture. The frame will keep pieces of your sculpture from falling off, although not all pieces of sculpture will need a frame. It is necessary for parts such as arms or legs that are at a distance from the body and can easily break off.

  • The frame can be made from thick or thin wire, water pipes, PVC pipes, wood, sticks, pins, or any other material that seems suitable to you.
  • The creation of the frame usually starts with the "ridge" and then makes branches for the "limbs". Use a sketch of your sculpture to create the framework, especially if the sketch is a life-size representation of your sculpture.
  • Secure your frame to or into the base before proceeding.
  • Fill your frame with material. Depending on what material you are using to create your sculpture, you may want to make the core of the sculpture out of a different material. So, they usually do when creating sculptures from polymer clay. Such a core will help reduce the cost of materials and the final weight of the sculpture, so be sure to consider this option.

    • To fill the frame, materials such as newspapers, aluminum foil, plain or masking tape and cardboard are usually used.
    • Secure with adhesive tape without attracting this material inside your frame, creating with it only the general outlines of your future sculpture. But don't get carried away, you want to leave room for the main material of your sculpture.
  • Go from creating large parts sculptures to smaller ones. Start adding the main material. Start by creating the largest parts (so-called "big muscle groups") and gradually move on to small ones (so-called "small muscle groups"). Move from creating large parts to smaller ones. Add or subtract material as needed, but try not to remove too much as you may have difficulty adding it later.

    Add small details. Once you have finished creating the basic shape of your sculpture, move on to work such as smoothing, cutting through, and generally creating small parts. This includes parts of your sculpture such as hair, eyes, outlines and curves of muscles, toes and hands, and so on. Work on the details of your sculpture until it seems fairly complete.

  • Add textures. The last step in sculpting is adding different textures, if that's what you want. This is important for creating a more realistic image, but, in principle, not necessary if you are going to work in a different style. You can use special tools to create texture, or you can use simple household items for this.

    • With real sculptor's tools general rule something like this: the thinner the tip of the tool, the smaller the detail they need to do. Rounded tools are usually used to scrape off excess clay, and all sorts of cutting tools are used to remove material and cuts.
    • You can build your own tools from scrap materials. Use for this everything that comes to hand: foil balls, black peppercorns, toothbrushes, toothpicks, chains, bearings, combs, knives, sewing and embroidery needles, etc.
  • Decoration of garden, backyard, suburban area is an endless process. All the time something is changing, removed, added. One way to decorate is to make garden figures. If you correctly place them, they transform the appearance of the site.

    Cement figurines: what are good and how to do

    You can make garden figures from cement - this is one of the most used and available materials. It is inexpensive, allows you to create a variety of figures - from simple and small, to full-length sculptures. There are several ways to make garden figures from cement mortar: with a frame, without it, from a semi-dry mortar. More about everything further.

    Very often, mushrooms are made of concrete, but they are not always the same ...

    What to add to the solution

    There are many additives in cement that improve/change its properties. There are a lot of them, but they are sold in fairly solid volumes, which may be needed only for the manufacture of garden sculptures on an industrial scale. But there are ordinary substances that also change the properties of the concrete solution.

    These are the main additives that are needed in the manufacture of garden figurines from concrete. They are easier to work with. But don't add too much. Maximum - one teaspoon per bucket, otherwise you will only make it worse.

    How to paint and some technological nuances

    After the concrete figure has dried, it must be sanded to smoothness, dust removed and can be painted. In order for the paint to lay down more evenly and be spent less, you first need to cover the product with a primer layer. The primer is selected depending on the type of paint. The painting process itself is no different - usually you need brushes different sizes. But it is worth knowing some features.

    There are still a lot of different technological nuances, but these are the main ones. The rest you will master or invent in the process of work.

    How to make garden figures: cutting from a semi-dry mortar

    It will not work to make garden figures from a fresh cement-sand mortar - it is too liquid. Even if you mix it with a minimum of water, you won’t be able to blind anything intelligible. But you can wait until the solution begins to harden, but remains still quite soft - it will crumble under pressure. In this state, it is possible to make grooves in it with a metal object, cut off the excess.

    From a thick mixture, you can form an approximate shape of the intended character - put it in a piece of film, tie it, give it the desired shape. If there is a liquid solution, find a more or less suitable container or use the same film. The solution in the form is left for 8-12 hours. The time depends on how liquid the cement was initially and the temperature at which you withstand the product. The optimum temperature is around +20°C, at a lower setting time increases, and at a higher one, there is a possibility that the cement will dry and not "set".

    Periodically check the condition of the workpiece: there should be a solid mass under the fingers, and when you apply more force, the cement is slightly pressed through. In this state, you can already begin to form a sculpture. You have 7-8 hours to work. For small figurines this is more than enough, but for large figurines, you will have to hurry. To delay the drying of parts that are not yet processed, they can be wrapped with a wet rag.

    It is not necessary to paint ... Can be covered with colored fragments of glass or dishes

    Take a knife, wire, spatulas, start to cut off the excess little by little. You don’t need to be afraid, if you remove something superfluous, you can add a little solution later, correct it when it dries. In general, the technology is not too complicated, but if there are no artistic abilities, it is difficult to come up with something intelligible on your own. For such cases, there is one trick: find a figurine small size from any material, looking at it, you sculpt your own.

    Making figurines from cement with a base or frame

    Manufacturing technology garden figures ok from concrete on the base, consists in layer-by-layer application of the mortar on the frame. But this technique is required when making large figures - about 150 cm and more. Then bearing capacity the concrete itself may not be enough. In this case, a solid foundation is needed. In other cases, the frame or base is needed only to minimize the consumption of concrete and reduce the total weight of the product.

    The frame for complex products is made (weaved or boiled) from wire, for simpler ones, improvised materials are used. A layer of mortar (thick) 1-2 cm is applied to the finished frame, it is laid with a fiberglass mesh-serpyanka, the solution is applied again, again the mesh. The process alternates until your product acquires the desired shape.

    Where and how to find the foundation

    The main task is to find a dish, a bottle, a box that is suitable in shape for the intended product. If the shape is complex, it can be grown or completely created from pieces of foam. It is light and cuts well. But such figures - with a foam base - do not withstand the load. If you assume that someone can sit on your products or otherwise mechanically act on them, instead of foam, it is better to use wooden bars or foam concrete blocks. Foam concrete is perfectly cut with a saw on wood, it can be planed with a planer, a large knife, and grooves can be made with a sharp object. Everyone knows the principles of working with wood.

    The found form is covered with a solution, wrapped with rags, tow, ropes, and then also coated with cement. If the solution layer is more than 2 cm, it is reinforced with a fiberglass mesh (a sickle mesh is used for plastering walls). If plastic is used as a base, it is very difficult to apply a solution to it - it flows down. Such products are wrapped with rags soaked in a solution. After drying, the next layer is applied very well on them.

    In the dried solution, grooves are made, which indicate feathers, wool. In general, there are many tricks. Let's give a few examples to make it clearer how to make garden figures out of concrete. Another option is to coat it with a solution into which pebbles are pressed. It creates uneven terrain.

    Swans

    For example, we want to make figures of swans. The basis for the body is a small rounded basin. The neck is a wire curved in the shape of the letter S. We attach the “neck” to the body in any way possible.

    We put a thick solution on the basin, forming the desired bend, add polystyrene foam, pieces of rags, etc. We leave to dry. On the wire (it is better to find a thicker one, you can rebar) we wind rags soaked in the solution. We fix and leave everything for a day. During this time, the concrete will set, and on the “body” you can form wings, make grooves, draw feathers, etc. with the help of scraping.

    Closely engaged in the neck and head. We put a solution on the resulting base with our hands (do not forget to wear rubber gloves), forming a neck of the desired shape and thickness. You won’t be able to “build up” a lot at once - only in thin layers. When the neck becomes more like a real one, you can begin to form feathers, outline the beak, eyes, etc. Leave the finished birds to dry for a week or more. Next - sanding, priming painting.

    frog princess

    In this example, we will demonstrate how garden figurines can be made from cement mortar and stones. A foam block was taken as the basis, trimmed and hewn where necessary. Top coated with a thick solution in several layers.

    In the upper, still soft layer, pebbles are reinforced - small flat pebbles, glass fragments are used on the crown. After drying, the figurine is painted with acrylics and varnished twice.

    Frameless technology: concrete drinking bowl

    If the product is small or thin, a large load is not planned for it, you can make it without a frame. So do all sorts of bowls, plates, small sculptures. For example, a drinker for birds in the form of a leaf. It can also be a stand for flowerpots and flower pots, other figures that do not want to come into contact with the ground.

    We find a large leaf - burdock, rhubarb, etc. We put the sheet in the water, from the sand on a flat surface (table) we form a gentle hill, cover it with a film.

    We lay out the sheet on a hill, pressing it into the sand. We knead a thick solution - it should not drain. The composition of the solution for sculptures is 1 part cement, 3 parts fine sand, you can add a plasticizer. We spread the solution on top of the sheet, pressing it tightly. In the middle, the thickness of the layer is about 2 cm, towards the edges it becomes thinner - up to 1 cm. Shape the edges carefully. They can be trimmed, but this is not so easy to do.

    In the middle we insert a segment of a plastic pipe with a diameter of about 10 cm and a length of 10-15 cm. Coat the joint with a solution, fill the pipe. Cover with plastic wrap. It protects from overheating, rain, dirt. We press the edges with stones or something heavy, but it is not necessary to achieve tightness - excess moisture should evaporate.

    Keep the garden sculpture without turning over for at least 2 days. Then remove the outer film, carefully turn over, remove the sheet. If it does not go away, moisten and wait a couple of minutes. Remove debris with a brush. Wait a few more days before painting - preferably two weeks.

    That's what happened ... the original bird drinker

    Before painting, sand with sandpaper, remove dust. If desired, you can cover with a primer. Its type is selected according to the type of paint. The primer is needed so that the paint lays down more evenly and so that it is less spent. When the paint dries, the product is covered with two layers of varnish. Choose a varnish for outdoor work. Better - matte or semi-matte.

    Decorative figurines from polyurethane foam

    Very quickly and easily you can make garden figurines from polyurethane foam. Just keep in mind, they are very light, so you need some kind of weighting agents. Suitable as a basis plastic bottles, metal containers, cardboard boxes, etc. For thin details - arms, legs, necks - any materials of the desired shape and size are suitable: branches, wire, wire frame, plastic pipes, metal corner, etc. and so on.

    This is an Alpine goby made of polyurethane foam. There is no need to specially make wool here either: the foam itself forms the desired relief

    The basis for thin or strongly protruding details of the figures, can be stuck in later - after the "body" is ready. A wire, a corner, a stick, you can simply stick it into the dried foam. If soft materials are used, they can be nailed or screwed with self-tapping screws, grabbed with staples from a stapler, glued. In general, use whatever method is available.

    It is better not to save on the quality of foam - choose an expensive one. It does not flow like rising yeast dough, but increases in size, retaining the shape specified during application. But even with expensive polyurethane foam, you should not rush. The main secret is this: apply a thin layer at a time. Then wait until it stops increasing in volume, hardens (25-40 minutes) and apply the next thin layer. Such a consistent increase in volumes is the key to success.

    If in steps, then you need to make garden figures from foam like this:


    In general, the technology is simple and now you know how to make garden figures from polyurethane foam. But there are nuances. First. If cheap foam was bought and it began to spread, you must wait until it begins to harden, moisten your hands with water and form what you need from it. It is important to catch the moment when the foam is no longer very sticky, but has not yet completely frozen.

    Second. If a part of the figure fell off in the process, it can be fixed by dropping foam on the joint, sticking a piece of wire - for greater strength - to connect the parts. Cover the seam with mastic, putty.

    Third. When the putty dries, cracks form on the surface of the figurine. Covering them with putty again brings almost no result. The cracks reappear. To avoid them, we take a bandage, wrap the figurine smeared with putty, apply another layer on top, level it.

    Fourth. If using a spatula it was not possible to obtain a perfectly flat surface, but you need it, then when the putty dries, you can smooth it with your hands. Moisten hands with water if necessary.

    Photo of homemade garden figures and sculptures

    The most interesting thing about these concrete garden figurines is that the clothes are real, just soaked concrete mortar and painted after drying

    Garden figurines made of wood are not necessarily carvings. There may be such - from logs. Wonderful horse!

    The cat is tall - more than 160 cm at the base of the pin. The head was made separately, then connected to the "body"

    Turtles and mushrooms made of concrete - they are most often made by novice sculptors

    Sculptures like this need a form...

    From the remains of concrete ...

    Wooden sculpture for garden and personal plot- talent...

    Mushrooms made of concrete - a plastic glass for the legs and a bowl for the hat. In the future hat, until the solution has hardened, dig a cylindrical hole so that the leg enters there. So the fungus will be very similar to the real one.


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