Products from birch bark: dishes, souvenirs, gifts

Natural birch bark material is common for making souvenirs, gifts, dishes. They are not only nice to receive as a gift, but interesting to do yourself. This process is not easy: birch bark products can only be created by very patient and accurate masters.

What is this material?

Beresta is the top layer of birch bark, which is easily torn 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 laid in a dry, non-sliced place, so that a natural drying occurs. After 3 weeks, the material is ready for processing. In case of drying and brittleness, the strip should be moistened with water.

How to work with birch bark?

To work with birch bark they 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. Coloring of birch bark can be done both in advance, in a solution of paint and water, and decorate an already finished product. While preserving the natural appearance of the product, the birch bark is more interesting and expensive, the material is covered with a colorless varnish, sometimes painting is done.

Working with birch bark is not easy, for a good result you will need a lot of patience and diligence. It is better to start creating with simple and necessary house things: vases, pots, etc. Quickly creating the first product, you want to start more complex options.

Crafts from birch bark with own hands

The most popular product of birch bark - flower pots for flowers, it fits well into any interior and is an essential item. It's very simple: the pot is wrapped in a layer, the excess parts are cut off, the connection is made with the help of glue. For strong bonding birch bark is tied. Such a plant does not need an additional decor, but if desired, you can paint it or paste butterflies, rhinestones, flowers ...

Thin rings of birch bark can be turned into earrings, and a chain of rings - in a necklace. Such crafts made of birch bark will please mom or girlfriend. Even children can cope with the work.

Pictures of birch bark in the form of appliqués have a special appearance, they can be hung on the wall or presented to relatives. Such creativity requires the whole soul and love to be invested. To create paintings from birch bark, it should be put in boiling water, let dry, exfoliate, dry under the press. Beresta has many shades, so from it without paint you can make a panel of small pieces. For the brightness of the picture you can use a background of other materials, branches, leaves, earrings of birch.

More complex work is possible for older schoolchildren. The birch bark bread bender is made of thin ribbons. Such a lacy capacity will not let the bread dry. To create a breadcrumb or candy bar, you first need to cross and glue two strips, then wrap the rest of the tape around the center.

Souvenir products from birch bark

Professional products from birch bark are widely distributed at fairs of national crafts. They are bought as souvenirs and gifts. Therefore, the production of such products is not only a pleasant process, but also a profitable type of activity.

Caskets made of birch bark of different sizes can be used for storing ornaments, documents, sweets, herbs, etc. Folk painting makes the dressing even more interesting and individual. The material allows you to create a product of any desired shape, a huge variety of souvenirs allows you to choose an option for every taste.

Souvenirs from birch bark are popular not only among the Russian population, but also abroad. They are taken as a gift and for the memory of the country of white birches and brown bears. It is good that memory takes a worthy place in life, and you can learn to create souvenirs and not forget about the very recent past.

Caskets with their own hands

To create a casket of birch bark, it's best to use steamed, still dry tapes. They are easy to work with: flexible and obedient. The work proceeds in the following order:

1) Ribbons are cut into the same size, equal to the perimeter of the box.

2) 4 bands are first intertwined.

3) Then on each side one more tape is added, a large square is obtained from small, 4 × 4 cells. In this way the foundation is padded to the required dimensions.

4) To get the corner of the box, you need a square shoe 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 against the shoe and intertwined along the perimeter in a staggered manner to the required height.

6) To form the upper edge, a wire is needed, from which a hoop is made of any desired shape, the size of the bottom of the box.

7) Ribbons are fastened to the hoop: they round it and go to the side, under the nearest cells. For reliability, the tips can be greased with glue.

8) The lid is made in the same way. To keep it better, you can make it a little bit bigger. Or we can weave and glue the inner edge for the box.

Changing the shape of the pad, you can weave any basket. To work at first, a lot of patience is required, but the process of creation always acts positively both for children and adults.

Painting yourself

To create a picture of birch bark, you must consistently perform the following works:

1) First, a sketch is selected, it can be drawn with your own hand or taken from any source.

2) Then the format of the picture is chosen depending on the artist's possibilities: someone will translate the finished picture, someone will draw himself.

3) Cut out the cardboard base of the desired size.

4) The horizon line is determined - laid out of a thin birch bark. Further after each layer the product is pressed.

5) The sky is laid from small pieces of birch bark in light gray, white hues.

6) The earth is depicted of dried moss or dark pieces of birch bark.

7) Then on the resulting background begin to lay out the plot: first secondary subjects, in the last turn - 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.

Breadbask with own hands

The birch bark bread will keep the bread fresh longer than plastic bread, there is no dampness, unpleasant smell. Also, there are advantages over wood: it does not absorb odors, does not rot, does not mold.

You can weave it yourself, in the same sequence as the casket, but this is a more labor-intensive process. And the loaf needs more tightness for the safety of the product. Therefore, it is better to buy it. You can buy a bread maker without decor and decorate it yourself, you can choose the option with the design you like, there are a lot of them.

Products made of birch bark are appreciated from ancient times. Now they are relevant not only as souvenirs, but also as environmentally friendly kitchen utensils.