If you go back for a moment during the Soviet Union, then there were no garden figures, and the decoration on the site was one - a garden scarecrow. At that time there was not even such a thing - landscape design. Now, in ornate plots, ornate flower beds often appear, where tropical plants grow, bright green lawns, rose gardens, garden fountains, alpine slides, wells with decorative log cabins and so on. Different statues occupy a special place, especially if garden figures are made with their own hands. This only adds charm to your site.
Features of garden figures
Now a new trend has appeared in the world - the installation of garden figures with your own hands. It is in demand in landscape design, the statues give attractiveness to the infield. You can exhibit garden gnomes, figures of fairy-tale heroes who will guard your peace. You can put a couple of mythical characters in the form of birds, caterpillars, frogs and other interesting animals on the site. If you have the desire and time, then you can create an interesting fairy tale story that will become a real highlight of the garden. Experiment, create garden figures with your own hands, decorate the estate.
More about the use of garden figures
The easiest way to decorate the site is to buy ready-made figures from a half-stone or gypsum. Polystone is an artificial stone created on the basis of acrylic resin. However, it is very interesting to create garden figures with your own hands. Then you will understand that no one will have such products at all.
Before decorating the garden with figures, you should immediately consider what impression they will create. Will it be the central composition or an unexpected surprise that you can stumble upon by chance? Will the figure be fun, calm or relaxing? It is up to you to choose!
You can also make garden figures for your own home, if you wish. After you decide which sculpture you will install, it is recommended to pay special attention to the compatibility of figures, garden and home. For a formal garden, it is worth picking up classical sculptures from mythology, fairy tales and legends. The romantic atmosphere is created by beautiful figures, for example, Cupid and Psyche.
If your garden is informal, then it is worth choosing a slightly different way of decorating the estate and the plot. Do not put statues of Venus or a bust of Macedon, because they will be completely superfluous. You can choose figurines in oriental style or just make garden figurines with your own hands from improvised means.
If you choose garden sculptures, then you should immediately focus on the size of the territory and the possibilities of your wallet. For a small kindergarten, do not choose the huge size of the sculpture, because they will clutter up the free space. However, small decorations can be lost in the garden.
What is worth remembering before choosing?
Gnomes can be used for decoration in a rustic style, different animals with birds, fairy-tale characters will still be appropriate. However, do not forget that everywhere a measure is required, do not overdo it. Children's playgrounds can be decorated with heroes from fairy tales, DIY plaster garden figures can be an excellent decoration for stumps, snags, ponds, flower beds and so on.
What materials to use?
If you want to create something yourself, then you need to stock up on different materials in advance, depending on what you enjoy working with. You can create garden figures with your own hands from plaster, plastic, ceramics, wood, stone, plastic and other raw materials. Everything that you find at hand will work, even mounting foam or old car tires.
Wood
Wood is a natural and environmentally friendly material that attracts with its warmth. You can make a garden figure out of it with your own hands, it will breathe life into your garden, and it will sparkle with new colors. Even if you make evil forest spirits and place them in the darkest, most remote areas, they will not seem scary. To create an interesting composition, it is best to take an unprocessed tree: ordinary branches, driftwood, logs and so on.
You can create not only interesting spirits, but also, for example, an old forest man, a pianist and much more. Show your imagination. A beautiful owl can turn out of wood, do not give up, if something does not work out - an unusual figure will become the highlight of your site.
A rock
Do-it-yourself garden figurines (the process is described step-by-step further) are also made of stone, however, you will need to immediately determine the material of the desired shape and size by eye, therefore it will be necessary to consider the future creation in an ordinary boulder. You can find a stone resembling a sleeping cat or a dog, funny turtles or other animals. If the image appeared brightly in your head, then you can simply paint the stone in your own way, put it in the garden and you will get an interesting decorative element.
You can still decorate the garden with stones that you brought from the seaside resort. They are beautiful and without treatment, valued for their pristine unusual condition. If you wish, you can still add a little varnish, colors to “revive” such a peculiar figure.
Polystone
This is quite a new and optimal option for creating garden crafts. This is an artificial product consisting of aluminum hydroxide, acrylic resin and various pigments. The product is durable, it is not afraid of temperature fluctuations, it does not deform, and the material is not so expensive.
Gypsum
The material is in great demand, because you can make gypsum garden figures with your own hands, and they will look just amazing. The product is popular due to the fact that you can create any shape from it, but do not forget that the gypsum figurine is very fragile, so try not to damage it. When creating special figures, special forms can be used, although it is possible to mold a figurine without them.
Interesting fact: the caterpillar is considered the simplest figure. To make it blind, just create a dozen flattened circles (preferably of different sizes) and tie them together. Make your head round. On top, you can put a couple more balls (small) to make eyes.
Cement
To create an interesting figure, you can use a solution of cement. It can be poured into a finished form, which is designed for a garden figure, or you can use improvised tools for this. For example, if you want to create a kolobok, then an old rubber ball is suitable for the mold, which you can cut and pour the finished solution inside. You can still make a special frame in advance, and then cover it with a ready-made solution.
Hay and straw
Look at the photos of garden figures that you can make of straw and hay with your own hands, make sure that they look very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, and most importantly - original. You can make a hedgehog from dry grass, you only need to twist the material into a dense oval, which will become the body for the animal. After form the muzzle, fix the needles on the body, and after attach the nose, eyes.
Unusual materials at hand
You can create garden figurines with your own hands from gypsum step by step with the help of video tutorials (one of them is presented below), or you can just use improvised tools that are idle at home (barrels, pots, bottles, basins, tires and so on). From all this you can make an interesting palm tree, cactus, Christmas tree and other interesting things.
From the tires you can create a bear or (cutting) a snake. Application you can find any thing, the main thing is to connect imagination.
Polyurethane foam
This is an unusual material that can also be used to create garden figures. Such sculptures will be durable, durable and resistant to water, and these qualities are indispensable for garden decor. From the mounting foam it will be possible to create a snail, a bird, a dolphin, a donkey, a gnome and other characters.
The whole process begins with the need to form the skeleton of a hero. To do this, you can use different bottles, wire, buckets and other components. Foam is required to be applied in stages; make sure that each layer dries. Excess can be removed with a clerical knife. The sculpture can be painted and varnished.
What is the most popular material?
Most often they create beautiful figures from plaster. This material is easy to use, even a layman can work with it, it is plastic and it is easy to sculpt different forms from it. In addition, gypsum is easy to paint, it is resistant to weather changes. However, do not forget that the material is still quite fragile and should not be dropped from a height, otherwise it will break.
How to make a figure from plaster?
Now we will deal with this issue:
- First, you need to purchase material in any hardware store. Do not throw away the instructions, because you need it to create the right solution.
- Prepare a container for mixing, it is better to take a container of rubber or plastic.
- Add PVA glue to the mixture.
- Cast the figure, but do not make the base. Silicone molds are the most comfortable. They are easy to buy or even make yourself.
- If you need a large sculpture with legs, arms and a tail, then it is better to make a reinforced frame. Cut the fittings and connect so that it repeats the skeleton of the future product. At the foot, make protruding elements for fixing the product.
- Now you can fill the solution to half the form. After shaking her, knock on the walls. All air should go outside. If it remains, then the bubbles will become holes, and this will ruin the shape of the figure, lower its strength characteristics.
- Once all of the above is done, add the remaining gypsum, repeat the manipulations with shaking.
- Align the mass with a spatula and let the figure dry. It will take at least a day to dry completely.
- Is the material frozen? Take out the figurine.
- Now you can start painting, prepare acrylic paint (it will work best). Gouache also lays well, but it is afraid of moisture.
- Before painting the product, cover it with soil. It can also be replaced with PVA glue.
- To decorate the crafts, you can use colored mosaics, which are pre-made from colored glass and ceramics. Decorate the figure in your own way, then it will become indispensable for you, it will radiate heat and light.
So easily and simply you can create a garden figurine. Use the garden decor, which is made with your own hands, and the figures will become the main decoration of the site, the garden. Do not worry, you can create a sculpture with your own hands for everyone, you just need to allocate time for this and try to show creativity and imagination. Choose the model you like, be smart so that you have not a copy on the site, but an original product that no one else has. It is possible that the lesson will captivate you and become an interesting hobby.
Buy or do?
If, after reading, you are not carried away by the idea of creating your garden figurines, then you can buy ready-made ones. There are many shops with garden decorations, so choosing something interesting will not be so difficult. If you want to prove yourself, your imagination, then boldly create. The figure may not work out the first time, but the main thing is attempts.