What can artificial grass be made from? Making grass for dioramas. Step-by-step instructions for making herbal tea

Educational toys are extremely popular these days. And this phenomenon can be easily explained, because every parent wants their child not only to have fun, but also to learn something new or gain practical skills. A very interesting and, most importantly, completely safe and natural toy - a grasshopper. It’s not at all difficult to make it with your own hands and believe me, it’s much more interesting than buying a factory-made version.

Travyanchik - what kind of animal is this?

A few years ago, eco-men or herbalists appeared in many flower shops and children's departments. When packaged, the souvenir simply resembles an interior toy. This is a small figurine of a man, fairy tale character or animal. Often grasshoppers look like just “weirdos” or can be just bags with eyes glued on. The essence of the game-experience is simple - inside the grass box, in addition to the main filler, there are grass seeds. It must be soaked or sprayed generously with water and placed in a bright place. Very soon you will be able to watch how green “hairs” will begin to grow on your “pet”.

Craft materials

Before discussing how to make a grasshopper with your own hands, let’s see if you have all the materials for this toy? The craft consists of a bag for stuffing, filler, seeds and decorative elements. You can use nylon socks or tights as a basis for the herb. If you want your handmade grass to be bright, try using children's knee socks. There is no need to make any special holes; through the fabric of the tights, the grass sprouts will independently find their way to the light. You can use sawdust, padding polyester or cotton wool as the main filler.

Simple DIY herbs: a master class for the little ones

Invite your child to make such a toy together. This work can be entrusted to three-year-olds. Prepare nylon socks in advance if the craft is being done at all Small child, it is best to choose something soft as a filler: cotton wool or padding polyester. Advice - if you want the grass to grow in a certain place, place the seeds there. However, many people like grass plants whose green sprouts grow in a chaotic manner. In this case, the seeds should be mixed with filler. So, your goal is to fill the sock with padding polyester or cotton wool. Don't forget to add seeds, arranging them according to your idea. Sew the bag, you can form a circle or an oval. In fact, making a herb with your own hands is very simple, you have almost completed this task, all that remains is to design the craft. Glue the eyes onto waterproof glue; you can also draw something on the figure, but only if you are sure that the paint will not run when in contact with water.

How to germinate grass?

The point of the herbalist experience game is to germinate grass seeds. To do this, you need to immerse the finished craft in a container of water and leave for 5-10 minutes. Then take out the toy and place it on a saucer or some other stand. Now all you have to do is wait for a miracle - in 5-7 days the first shoots will appear. Knowing how to make a grasshopper with your own hands, if you wish, you can assemble a whole green zoo or a family of eco-men. Try experimenting with shapes and sizes of figures.

Educational toy, pet and interior decoration

Travyanchik is a long-lasting craft. The child will receive a lot of positive emotions during its production and will be able to show taste and imagination during its design. After finishing the work, a hand-made grass toy will not become another useless souvenir. After soaking, you can observe the appearance of the first shoots. From time to time it is also useful to spray the grass, and you can even gently water it. But the game with the eco-figurine doesn’t end there either. If you decide to make your own grass grass, be sure to try cutting it. This game will bring a lot of positive emotions to any child. What is especially interesting is that the “hairs” will grow back and, if desired, they can be cut again and again.

Making curly herbs

Interesting and unusual craft- grass-hedgehog. You can make it with your own hands according to the same principle as more simple toys this type. The animal can sit upright or stand on four legs. Your craft will look most interesting if grass grows only on its back and head, representing needles. Accordingly, when filling the stocking base, arrange the seeds accordingly. It is most convenient to make the paws separately in the form of small balls. They can also be tied with threads to form fingers. Sew them to the hedgehog's body using threads. A little secret- nylon, heavily stuffed with padding polyester or cotton wool, is a very plastic material. It can be given the most interesting shapes, fixing them with simple stitches of thread and tightening them well. You can work out the features of the animal’s face in detail, give it plump cheeks and a pronounced, sharp nose. How to make a grass-hedgehog with your own hands, what details will help emphasize the image of this animal? In addition to the eyes, sew a nose from a large bead onto the toy. If you have paint that is not afraid of water, you can draw eyebrows, a mouth and blush on the cheeks.

One of the most popular questions among those who make eco-toys for the first time is where to get grass seeds and which ones are suitable? You can use lawn mixture. However, this only makes sense if you are planting such grass in your dacha, since they sell it in large packages. If your own personal plot If you don't have it, buy a small bag of grass seeds for domestic cats at the pet store. Almost any agricultural crop is also suitable: oats, wheat, rye. Interesting idea- seeds can be placed in grass boxes herbs: dill, parsley or basil - in this case you will get not only beautiful toy, but also a constant source of fresh herbs in your own kitchen. It is possible to make a craft using the described technique even more complex. An interesting idea: sew a doll and place grass seeds in only one of its elements. Don’t be afraid to stuff each element of the toy tightly enough, observing this simple rule will help keep the figure in shape. When making a souvenir, remember that it will have to be soaked and sprayed with water. Accordingly, you should not use elements made of cardboard, paper and other materials that are dangerous for decoration. high humidity. Be sure to try making herbal teas with your own hands. The master class given in our article will definitely help you with this and you will succeed!

Using weed from artificial materials limitless. This excellent soil for creative exploits both for those who like to create original crafts and for novice room designers.

Artificial grass in the interior

As a rule, indoors such material is usually used for modern, original approaches to design. Because artificial ornamental grass most often found in projects where styles such as minimalism or Scandinavian modern are chosen.

As for the place where this material is used, it is most often small original sculptures or a replacement for traditional textiles. Just imagine that instead of litter on your balcony you have a soft green lawn. They also decorate children's rooms where a soft covering is needed.

There are more original options using artificial grass for apartment decoration. Don’t limit yourself to anything and replace your usual textiles and plastic with this material. Eg, original pillows made of grass, some even decorate the head of the bed like this. Moreover, pillows can be small on the sofa or huge as a relaxation area. It is important that the artificial grass adhesive you choose is suitable for indoor use. Typically, manufacturers recommend so-called polyurethane types of glue for artificial grass. They securely fix and are not dangerous to human health.

Artificial Grass for Crafts

While large designer interior and decor items can cost an impressive amount, it is quite possible to make decorations for a medium-sized room yourself. For example, tall artificial grass for decoration in interesting flowerpots is in itself an excellent decoration for higher shelves in dark corners. And if you use it to create topiary or just original compositions, it will turn out great.

Artificial decorative grass is perfect for Christmas or Easter compositions with a rabbit, it will become the basis for wall panels, but you can also use it for it. Even an ordinary grass wall will look very original. Artificial grass for decoration will best fit into the rooms where it was used light shades natural colors, white, lots of glass items. The room will be light and spacious, full of air.

The main elements of landscaping in layout are trees of various species, hedges, shrubs, flower beds, etc.
What are these trees, shrubs, and grass on the model made of?

Let's list the main materials.

1. Wire.

It is used in the manufacture of frames for small trees and shrubs. Depending on the scale and the task facing you, wire with a diameter of 0.2 to 1 mm is most often used.

Most often used to make trees stranded wires, because they contain a bundle of several individual wires.

1. Wooden skewers.

The next material used in making trees is wooden skewers. They are suitable for making barrels tall trees. For greater realism, the skewers can be covered with thin paper, such as napkins, and then branches twisted from wire can be screwed on.

1. Flock.

Flock is often used to create grass on the layout. These are finely chopped or chopped textile fibers from raw materials of various origins - wool, cotton, viscose, etc. Flock is used to imitate grass on terrain, flower beds, etc. Sometimes for sprinkling trees.

There is a special flock for layout, which has a large selection of colors and sizes, which allows it to be used when working with different scales. Here are a few of the largest manufacturing companies: Noch, Auhagen, Faller.

1. Sponge.

For prototyping, a medium and finely crushed colored foam sponge is suitable.

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It is used to create trees and shrubs.

There are special sponges for layouts (Noch, Auhagen, Faller).

However, it is not at all difficult to make a sponge at home.

How to make a sponge for creating trees and shrubs yourself?

1. Prepare the adhesive solution. Mix PVA glue with water in a 1:1 ratio;

2. Using a color scheme, we will give the solution the required color. For example, dark green. Green color can be obtained by mixing yellow with blue;

3. Mix the solution thoroughly;

4. Dip a piece of foam rubber into the previously prepared solution and wet it thoroughly;

5. Let the painted foam rubber dry for 24 hours.

6. Now the dried foam rubber needs to be crushed. This can be done using a mixer or coffee grinder. If they are not at hand, then an ordinary iron grater will help out.

Natural materials for creating trees, grass and shrubs on a model.

• Thin branches. Used for making trees and large shrubs.

• Crushed dried leaves. Used as a powder to imitate the foliage of trees, bushes and flower beds.
• Moss. Used to imitate small shrubs.

In our mock-up workshop, all employees undergo training under the guidance of a master.

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Crafts with children. Do-it-yourself herbalist

Do you want to expand your child's horizons? Then make your own grasshopper! Such original craft develops responsibility with children, gives an understanding of the growth of a living organism, and is also ideal as a visual aid for independent study of natural history at home and for a living corner in kindergarten.

Read in this article:

The herbalist, or eco-man, is very popular these days. This is a craft, a toy, and a pet at the same time. This is such fun - three in one! In appearance, the herb is a small fabric bag or vessel on which grows a cute little forelock of grass, a kind of miniature green lawn.

What is the grass made from? From sawdust and grass, of course!

Such crafts fall into the category of “new is well-forgotten old.” Having seen what it is, people of the older generation would say that in botany lessons at school they also made herbal teas. Nowadays, the preparation can be purchased at a flower supply store or ordered through an online store, but it is much more interesting to invite children to prepare everything from start to finish on their own.

To make a grasshopper craft with your own hands, you need to stock up on the following materials: nylon stocking; needle and thread for sewing; sawdust; lawn grass seeds; water; plastic pallet or a plate.

Instead of a stocking, nylon tights, an old sock, a wide bandage or a piece of gauze will do. You can buy sawdust at a pet supply store or ask someone you know who has a guinea pig or hamster (sawdust is usually sprinkled on the “floor” of a pet’s cage). You only need a little sawdust, not a bag! Just a few handfuls.

How to make grass from technical flax

Although, in fact, the amount of sawdust needs to be calculated based on the estimated size of the craft.

If it is difficult to get in your area lawn grass for sowing, then it will be successfully replaced by oats, wheat, rye, barley. It is better to sort the grain first, winnow it from husks, spikelets and straws.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a grasshopper.

1. Cut the stocking with scissors so much that you get a piece of nylon in the form of a “sleeve” 10-15 cm long. You can immediately cut the material across into thin strips - these will be the ties.

2. We tie one end of the stocking, tighten it using a tie or strong thread. Turn it inside out to create a bag with a knot inside.

3. First pour grain inside the bag (it would be good to soak it for 5-6 hours in advance), and then sawdust. We compact it with our hands and form the “body” of the grass so that the grains are on one side of the bag. It is better to moisten the sawdust before doing this. We also tie the top edge of the bag.

4. Now let’s turn on our imagination. Who is your herbalist? Try to spot a hedgehog, a turtle, a frog, a tiger cub, a dog, a bear, a caterpillar - whatever you want! Even a miracle Yudo or an alien. Ideas can be found on the websites children's creativity or invent something of your own.

How to make an animal? To do this, you just need to separate part of the “body” and use ties to form either a muzzle, or ears, or horns, or paws, or a tail. Don't forget to check how stable the grass is.

5. We revive the grasshopper. Glue or sew on the mouth and eyes. You can use buttons, pieces of cardboard drawn and cut out in the shape of an oval, or eyes from an old plush toy. If desired, you can add brightness to the figure by painting the surface acrylic paints. Watercolor and gouache are not suitable, as they stain your hands and will then be washed off when water gets on the grass.

6. We wet the grasshopper. Yes, the finished craft needs to be thoroughly soaked in water, just leave it in a bowl of water for 2-3 hours. It is advisable that the liquid be heated. If you prepare several herbal teas, you can conduct a scientific experiment: “let one craft drink” plain water, and the other with water with the addition of a growth stimulating agent indoor plants. And keep track of which herb sprouts will appear first.

Care, cherish and... Cut!

And now you have made a little herb with your own hands. And here's yours new friend ready! How to properly care for it? Now you need to place the grass on a plate or tray, place it somewhere in a bright place and monitor the damp state of the fabric. Periodically, the fabric should be sprayed with water from a watering can or sprinkler. Children perform this task with great pleasure! And they run every minute to see when the grass starts to grow.

And small green leaves can be seen on the surface of the grass already on the 2nd day. The sprouts will break through the holes in the fabric forward, to freedom, higher and higher!

You can keep an observation diary (draw a sign in a notebook or on a regular A4 piece of paper) and note in the morning, afternoon and evening how many centimeters the stems manage to stretch. Be sure to take a photo and tell your friends what you did.

If the grass stretches out greatly, if the forelock begins to fall apart in different directions, that is, it loses beautiful shape, then arrange a haircut. Don't spare the plants! You don't need a lawnmower here; use scissors or just carefully tear off the sprouts with your fingers, about 2/3 of their length. This will give the grass new strength, and the appearance of the lawn will improve after a while. Of course, your cat can cut your hair for you, because these cunning animals love to gnaw on fresh greens. Be on the lookout so that the grasshopper does not die the “death of the brave” from the cat’s teeth and claws.

Attention! Near the radiator, the grass will dehydrate faster. If you plan to leave home for a couple of days as soon as you make this craft, it is better to wrap the craft in a bag - this will reduce moisture evaporation. But upon arrival, remove the cover and care for the grass as usual.

And there are more than enough benefits from the herbalist! Let's count together. Firstly, this is a beautiful and unconventional flowerpot, it’s nice to keep it at home or give it to someone. Secondly, for children the joy and opportunity to be responsible for an important matter, almost like a military strategic assignment. Thirdly, have a fortified food for your cat, dog or parrot on hand. What else have we missed?

Imagine that now there are snowdrifts outside your window, everything around is white and white, the ground is frozen in a bitter frost. And on your table there is a little herb that you carefully made with your own hands. Little living soul. Emerald island of summer. A cheerful oasis. Just a miracle of nature!

Many of the novice needlewomen and needlewomen, looking at various photographs with the work of masters using the quilling technique, wonder how to make such beautiful craft yourself? It goes without saying that various master classes and programs that teach such art as making flowers and animal figurines, as well as portraits or landscapes, come to the rescue here. Quilling is a paper rolling technique and can be used to create almost anything. However, the most important questions for beginners mainly concern general principles needlework, and not individual, very complex compositions. One of the most frequently asked questions will be what you can make a background for a picture from and how to make a believable imitation of grass on it.

What is needed to create paper grass using the quilling technique?

For the grass you will need quilling strips, preferably in green shades, as well as scissors, PVA glue and a toothpick or quilling tool. You will also need a pencil or a thin brush.

Quilling

You can cut quilling strips yourself from green or plain white paper. Later it will have to be painted. In this case, you will also need a long ruler, a simple pencil, colored pencils and a cutter. Using a sharp cutter, you can independently make grass strips of any width. The narrower they are, the more believable the grass will be.

Choosing paint for paper

Additionally, materials such as paints and markers, or colors of various tones of green may be useful. A sponge and sponge for applying paint will also be useful. These items will most likely be needed by those who decide to create quilling strips on their own. You can paint paper for grass, in fact, in any way - after some experiments and attempts to use different dyes, it will be easier to decide and choose the ones that are best suited for your work. Many craftswomen prefer to paint grass paper with emerald paint on acrylic base, or salad acrylic dye, and also use markers of 2 colors. Others prefer color to everything water based. However, the best results are obtained with the use of color.

Advice

The grass can have any shape, thickness and color - it depends on your personal preferences and flight of fancy.

Manufacturing technique

First, cut a wide strip of paper from a whole sheet. The width is the future height of your paper grass. It is important to leave a small distance at the bottom, otherwise the cut fringe will simply fall apart. Using a simple template in the form of a strip of thick paper or from cardboard you need to cut a long fringe from a paper sheet. Thanks to the template, the height of the grass will be the same everywhere. Plus, this technique will help you avoid accidentally cutting off your quilling strip earlier than necessary. Next, using a toothpick or quilling tool, you need to slightly twist the resulting grass so that it sticks out on different sides. Performed this task be extremely careful so as not to accidentally tear off thin strips or crumple them. Then you should cut it off desired length and glue the blank onto a postcard or panel, simultaneously straightening the individual, uneven blades of grass with your fingers.

Advice

Grass can even be made using the origami technique, that is, without the use of glue and other attributes of creating applications.

Conclusion:

For various applications, as well as for creating volumetric paintings Quite often it is necessary to use grass as a background. It’s not at all difficult to create it from paper. There are various ways to do this, one of which is the quilling technique.

Grass for crafts

Annual grasses are what those inexperienced in modeling disparagingly call “weeds,” but you and I Dear Colleagues, we understand that not a single diorama, even the tiniest one, can do without grass, this integral element overall holistic picture, helping to create the illusion of the authenticity of what is happening.

On any single section of virgin steppe or roadside country road There are hundreds or even thousands of species of herbs growing (Fig. 77. 78), of course we will not copy all of them. Our task will only be to convey the general impression of the forbs - texture, color, volume (Fig. 79. 80). And, I must say, our means of expression here are quite limited. Let's see what we have? First of all, it makes sense to organize an expedition into the forest or the nearest wasteland to collect natural materials. Moreover, this must be done throughout the summer, or rather from early spring to autumn, throughout the entire process of plant formation. Not the entire plant will be used, but only some of its elements. For one it is inflorescences, for the other it is roots. For example, a panicle of a reed inflorescence, disassembled into elements of three leaves, conveys the impression of bushes of some kind of cereals (Fig. 81).

In the forest, your attention will be attracted by the deliciously cute mounds of moss. Here are the seemingly ready-made lawns, take them and place them in a diorama. After a detailed analysis, you come to the conclusion that the moss is too recognizable and cannot be used without its radical transformation. Having wandered around the fields to your heart's content, you understand one thing: little in nature resembles anything on the scale we need.

Dry plants are very fragile and crumble to dust when touched. Therefore, the collected and dried natural material must be properly processed and soaked for a day in an aqueous 15-20% glycerin solution. You can add aniline dye of the desired shade to the water (Aniline dyes, chemically prepared dyes, dissolve in water without sediment. Designed for dyeing fabrics, in stores household chemicals sold packaged in sachets in powder or tablet form. They paint not due to hiding power, but by penetration into the structure of the material. They don't have a partner, they get divorced hot water and in glass containers and can be stored indefinitely). At the same time, the color of fresh, juicy greenery is best restored on a plant that has completely turned yellow (or has been prepared as such) during the drying process, while what was green yesterday, dried and soaked in a bright green solution, becomes dirty brown.

Collected natural materials Let's add some helpers. For example, sawdust sifted through a fine sieve and painted with aniline dark green color, they will depict low-growing grass spreading along the ground - knotweed.

We cut a rope from a natural long-fiber material - sisal - into small pieces and dye it with aniline in the colors of withered dried grass, young juicy greens and dark grass. Dry and finely cut with scissors (1-1.5 mm). We will mix the resulting “palette” in different proportions, obtaining areas with dried grass and more juicy ones (Fig. 82).

It would seem that stems could also be made from sisal tall grass, cutting the pieces longer, but the fibers are relatively thick and the ends cut at right angles on a 35 scale will be noticeable. Therefore, I advise you to use pig bristles here, for example from a paint brush (Fig. 83). Its advantage is that each bristle becomes thinner towards the end, moreover, it bifurcates and spreads out, which makes it even more similar to a grass stem. The bristles can also be given various vegetable flavors using anilink (without glycerin). We remind you once again that it is used only top part stubble.

Let’s start “planting” by applying drops of glue onto the textured soil with a brush (do not use “Moment”, it darkens over time). Apply drops haphazardly in single “patches”, groups merging into the lawn and sprinkle with finely trimmed sisal or sawdust. Sweep away those that do not stick and use them again (Fig. 84-86).

Now let’s create, as it were, a second tier of taller vegetation. We cut off the ends of tufts of bristles 5-10 mm long, dip the root end in glue, glue it, and fluff the top in different directions (Fig. 87, 88). Such bushes can be green and “yellowed”, or if you get really sophisticated, they can be green at the roots and yellow at the top. In the same tier you can place the bushes, roots, and twigs you have collected.

Plants of the same species are often not located at the same intervals across the lawn, but their closest relatives are grouped in a unique area in one area. There are botanical explanations for this, this must be taken into account, and this, in turn, corresponds to human ideas about aesthetics.

Now there is a layer of tall growing grass. Long bristles can be glued individually, orienting their bend in one direction and thereby creating the illusion of a breeze. Species diversity The plants can be slightly expanded by smearing some of the bristles with glue and sprinkling with sawdust to imitate inflorescences.

Plants with lamellar leaves: burdock, bear's ear, rosebud, etc. are made in the same way as described in the chapter on deciduous trees.

And the final authentic look of your herbs will be given by several individually made plants with a “portrait” resemblance. For example, among the general golden-green background of the mass of grasses, the red-brown panicles of horse sorrel stand out with contrasting strokes. Let's try to make a mini-portrait of him. Dip the ends of the bristles into glue and sprinkle with fine sawdust of the appropriate color. Cut it off and glue it onto the “stem” with a whisk. We supplement it with several narrow oblong leaves (Fig. 89).

Deciduous trees

Each type of tree has its own external distinctive features, silhouette. Before starting work, decide what kind of tree you will choose, so that it is not some abstract tree in general, but something specific: poplar, maple, chestnut, etc. Having chosen, take a close look at the original, sketch, photograph. In this case, we will describe the method using the example of making a “model” of oak.

Based on your sketches, select a suitable branch for the trunk. It is desirable that it somehow resembles your prototype, but does not necessarily have a developed system of branches; we will glue the missing ones and form a crown of the main skeletal branches (Fig. 90, a).

Place the trunk on the table, try on how the branch will be positioned in space, adjust it in place, cut the tip at an angle, dip it in PVA glue and put it in place, fix the branch in space by placing a support. After the glue has dried, pour PVA onto the gluing area a couple of times. This process is not labor-intensive, but time-consuming. Attach the next branch after the previous one has completely dried.

No matter how much your branch resembles a real trunk, we clear it of bark, which on an adult tree should be covered with a network of cracks. We will imitate this by using the smallest number of the gravel (a cutter for graving on linoleum) or make such a tool specially. We cut the grooves, guided by a photograph or sketches (Fig. 90. b).

The cracks should not be located geometrically correctly, like a mesh pattern on women's stockings; allow for some artistic cement without order, randomness (Fig. 90. c).

Growths and sagging of bark can be imitated using putty (Fig. 90. d). The places where the main large branches extend from the trunk can also be puttied and then ring-shaped grooves can be applied.

We paint the trunk and main large branches before gluing small branches and foliage. Carefully paint the grooves with dark brown, almost black paint, which can be made from mascara. Once dry, use tempera of a dark gray color, lighter than the previous one, to paint the “scales” of the food with a semi-dry brush, being careful not to get into the cracks (Fig. 90, f, 97).

We glue smaller ones to the main skeletal branches, which will give the silhouette of the tree an openwork pattern (Fig. 90. f). For them you can use the stems of annual herbaceous plants, selecting suitable similar ones, i.e. having many branches. These may be differences in inflorescence, so harvest them better in spring When the plants are formed, dry and preserve them by immersing them in an aqueous 5-10% glycerin solution for about a day. They should be glued as described above. If they differ in color, then the finished crown can be blown out with tempera using an azrograph.

Until now, the leaves were considered the most difficult stage. It was proposed to dress trees, instead of foliage, in foam rubber crumbs or paper cut with scissors. But the diorama is designed to be viewed at close range, and any falsehood or obvious props immediately catches the eye. Meanwhile, everything ingenious is simple and the solution to the problem hung over our heads all the way - the leaves are already there and always have been. You just need to reduce them to the right size. This does not require any complex devices and all the necessary equipment can be made in 10-15 minutes.

For the purity of the experiment, let’s take the most complex oak leaf of all in configuration. Select a thin-walled brass tube with a diameter slightly larger than the linear dimensions of the sheet (the circumference of the tube should correspond to the perimeter of the sheet, taking into account all its bends). We sharpen the edge and bend it with a wave inward and outward; like a bottle cap (Fig. 91). Make sure that the cutting is symmetrical about the axis and slightly elongated.

We check whether we have damaged the cutting edge, correct it if necessary - the tool is ready! Have you timed it? And it’s not worth talking about such “trifles” as birch, poplar, and linden leaves. I selected the tube according to its diameter, sharpened it, squeezed it with a “boat” or a “heart” - ready! And trees, and shrubs, and herbaceous annual plants burdocks, budyaks, bear's ear and coltsfoot from now on, nothing will restrain the flight of your imagination (Fig. 92).

We harvest foliage in bulk. Naturally, we take “fresh” thin, not pubescent leaves, preferably from trees (for example, cherry trees). We must place a piece of rubber on the floor of the sheet (a mat, a tire or a special mat for cutting), and cut it out with our tool. To make work easier and to avoid the danger of injuring your hands, you can put a cap from shampoo or cosmetics on the non-working end of the tube. If you were cutting leaves out of paper, you would have to hit the tube with a hammer and cutting edge I was constantly dull, but here the efforts made are insignificant, a light pressure of the hand is enough.

Position the tool along the veins of the leaf so that it runs exactly along the axial line (Fig. 93). Thus, we kill another hare and gain unexpected benefits, because... Our leaves are all similar to natural ones - they have a vein running along the axis of symmetry, turning into a stalk, and all this in one operation!

You can cut out 10-15 pieces in a row, and then push them out of the tube with a rod from the opposite side. Dry the prepared leaves overnight. We have received a semi-finished product for now; they cannot be used in this form. They are fragile, deformed and lost color. You can restore their freshness and elasticity by placing them in an aqueous solution of glycerin (5-10%) for a day. In this case, it is advisable to immediately tint the water with green aniline paint to match the color of the foliage. The water that was previously in the leaves is replaced by glycerin, they will straighten, the paint will give them a fresh, natural look. After soaking, strain through cheesecloth and, without squeezing, place on several layers. toilet paper for drying.

Aniline dye is used that is intended for home dyeing of cotton or woolen fabrics (the type of fabric, in this case, does not matter).

If you need to make autumn leaves, then look for yellow ones, because... You cannot repaint green ones with anilink. Autumn leaves You also need to tint it with paint when wet.

It is better if the leaves are not all the same size, but at least two - “main” and “slightly smaller”.

You can glue leaves to a tree like this: grease each branch with diluted PVA glue and sprinkle with leaves. Or you can do this: dip the stalk of each leaf in glue and glue it to a branch, arranging them naturally the way they grow in nature, which is probably preferable (Fig. 94). Still, you have already done a colossal job, it’s a pity to spoil it with leaves glued somehow, at random, at random, but it is wiser to combine both methods and glue it inside the crown “sprinkling”, and along the perimeter and, especially in the foreground, “leafwise” "(Fig. 95. 96). In addition, some small branches, for ease of work, can be equipped with leaves before gluing them to the tree.

As you know, the oak tree is the last to shed its leaves and turns yellow in the fall not because chlorophyll breaks down, but because it dries out on the tree. Moreover, early autumn the leaves initially seem to brown at the top of the crown (Fig. 98. 99). It is this period of autumn that I try to convey by blowing out the top of the tree tangentially with golden tempera from an airbrush. Keep in mind that after drying the leaves will decrease slightly in size.

The ground under the tree should be strewn with “fallen” leaves (Fig. 100).

Coniferous trees

This is perhaps the only case of using moss in modeling, but in this case it fits perfectly both “anatomically” with the structure of the “legs” and the texture is very reminiscent of pine needles.

So, again there is a reason to go to the forest. Harvest fluffy moss with long, “spreading” stems. Dry it thoroughly, and contrary to the recommendations of pharmacists for preparation medicinal plants, fry in the sun, spread out on the windowsill, until the moss turns yellow, the better it will then restore its natural color when soaked in an aqueous solution of glycerin and aniline.

We disassemble the “cap” into separate branches (Fig. 101) and place them in the solution. Since moss absorbs moisture very well, 5-6 hours will be enough.

Lay the material on several layers of toilet paper and let it dry for at least a day.

We used the old "grandfather's" method of making artificial Christmas trees, when tiers of branches and cylinders of segments of trunks are strung alternately on a steel knitting needle.

Let's sort the "legs" by size, the 5-6 longest are the bottom tier, the same number are shorter, etc., according to the number of tiers on the future tree. We glue branches of the same size together in the form of a “star”. To do this, dip each tip into Moment glue and, after drying it a little, connect it (Fig. 102). In order for the “tiers” to acquire an orientation primarily in horizontal plane, they can be placed under a small press for a day (put 1-2 magazines on top).

Let's make a barrel. For a piece of thin copper wire wind several turns of thin paper, fixing the last turn with glue. Moreover, the thinner the paper, the easier it is to wind it tightly, the less noticeable the joint will be and the thinner the trunk can be made at the top (Fig. 103). Such tubes must be made in three different diameters: the minimally thin apical part, the thicker middle part of the trunk, and the even thicker root part.

Paint the tubes a grayish-brown color and sprinkle a little fine powder over the wet paint sawdust to create a “spiky” texture. Now you can start assembling the tree. We will cut the trunk blanks into cylinders 5-6 mm long (Fig. 104) and alternately string pieces of the trunk onto a piece of wire, starting with the thick one, and tiers of branches (Fig. 105). Before stringing, the branches at the gluing point must be pricked with an awl (Fig. 106). We string the last upper cylinder slightly longer than the remaining tip of the wire, and glue a short branch-top into the resulting hole.

Of course, this is true only in the general case, but in reality such regular pyramidal Christmas trees grow only near the city administration building (Fig. 107). In the forest there are all sorts of them, both young and old, and some of their branches have no needles, especially the lower ones. Intertwined, they create a kind of openwork, which can be imitated by dill leaves dried between the pages of a book (Fig. 108).