We decorate the cottage with our own hands

Improvement of the suburban area implies not only a competent layout and cleanliness, but also a certain decor. Most often for this use a variety of paths, borders, original flower beds and garden sculptures. To avoid unnecessary costs, we decorate the dacha with our own hands, using only improvised materials.

Make a garden paths

For the manufacture of garden paths used a variety of materials: brick, stone, gravel, round cut a tree, paving tiles, and others. To make the site look harmonious, all tracks must be of the same material and, preferably, of the same width. The most important thing is that the surface does not slip and does not collapse under the influence of moisture.

Brick tracks

For work you will need:

• whole or broken brick;
• river sand;
• cement slurry;
• shovel;
• trowel;
• rubber hammer;
• level and tape measure.
  

  Brick tracks

It is more convenient to lay out a whole brick from a brick, but from a broken one you get a more beautiful surface. So, first mark the boundaries, and then remove the layer of turf 15-20 cm thick. The bottom of the trench is properly rammed, covered with a layer of coarse-grained sand. Sand is poured with water for more compacting and starts laying bricks. Very often, the brick is spread without cement mortar, covering all the gaps with sand, but applying the mortar will make the masonry much more reliable and durable.

You can put the brick by any means: in parallel rows along the length or width of the path, in staggered order, chaotically, interleave the whole brick with the broken, form the geometric figures. Each element must be tightly packed next to the other and pounded with a rubber hammer so that it does not protrude above the surface. The more dense the laying, the more reliable it is. Similarly, tracks made of stone or gravel are made.

Wooden tracks

If there are a lot of old unnecessary trees in the cottage, you can create very beautiful garden paths from the chutes and spits of the trunks. Spilled should be the same thickness, not less than 15 cm;The diameter of the workpiece is not necessary. Do not use too cracked or rotten pieces of wood - they will not last even season.

For work you will need:

• spits of thick branches and trunk;
• bitumen mastic or waste oil;
• geotextile;
• coarse-grained sand;
• hammer;
• shovel;
• building level.

All cuts need to be cleaned of the bark and impregnated with castings or hot varnish from all sides. If bituminous mastic is used, the blanks are densely smeared on the side that will be in the ground. While the wood dries, you can make a marking on the ground and remove the top layer of the earth.

The depth of the trench should be such that the spills after installation on the sand cushion were flush with the surface or slightly raised above the ground.

The bottom must be well tamped and covered with geotextile, releasing the edges of the material upward on both sides of the trench. Pour a layer of sand, level, tightly set the spills and fill the gaps formed between them with the same sand or screening. Using the level control the position of the spits horizontally, so that the track has an even surface.

We make decorative borders

Beautiful homemade curbs can be located along paths, around flower beds, at the gate or delineate the area into zones. For the manufacture of curbs, wooden chocks, rods, vines, bricks and stones, glass bottles, cinder block, concrete are used. As an ornament for concrete products, broken glass, colored stones and ceramic chips are used.

Curbs made of brick, stone and cinder block

To lay out a brick border, you will need:

• brick;
• cement slurry;
• rubble;
• shovel;
• trowel.
  

  Layout

Select a layer of earth to a depth of 15 cm and a width of 20 cm using the marking. The bottom is compacted and covered with rubble to half the depth of the groove, and the top is poured with mortar. When the solution well seizes, lay the brick in rows in staggered order. The border can be solid or have gaps - it depends on the amount of source material and the imagination of the master. Similarly, spread a border of stone or cinder block.

To make the cinder block more decorative, it is possible to use plaster for exterior works and dye. After laying the cinder block and drying the solution, a plaster mix is ​​prepared: dry plaster is diluted with water and color pigment is added. Now the surface of the curb is covered with a decorative mixture and using a spatula create patterns. This edging looks very attractive both along the paths and around the flower beds.

Wooden curbs

For wooden curbs, small-diameter spits, chunks made from twigs, sturdy bars and antiseptically impregnated hardwood beams are suitable. Billets must necessarily be the same size and without bark, otherwise the border will look very sloppy. First, all the wooden elements must be soaked with used oil, linseed oil or antiseptic compound and dry well in the air.

While the workpieces are drying, you can make a marking and select the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm. The bottom and walls of the groove should be covered with geotextile, and then pour a layer of sand onto the bottom. The dried chunks are alternately inserted into the groove, pummeling the kyanki and checking the level of their height. Gaps fill with sand or screening, on the sides pour and compact the soil.

Concrete borders

You can make neat and attractive curbs of concrete. For this you will need:

• boards 30x150 mm;
• self-tapping screws;
• polyethylene;
• concrete mortar;
• level.
  

  Formwork

Mark borders of a border and take out a layer of a ground in the thickness of 15 see On both sides of a flute establish a timbering from boards and fix its crosspieces. The inner side of the formwork is covered with polyethylene, so that the surface of the curb is smooth. For the same reason, the boards should be as flat as possible. As a reinforcing frame, you can lay 2-3 steel bars with a cross section of 10 mm, connected by a wire at a short distance.

The formwork is poured into the formwork, the trowel is leveled. After 2-3 hours in the damp concrete, colored fragments of ceramics, stones, glass are pushed in - everything that fantasy tells. A day later the formwork is removed, rubbed irregularities and left to dry completely. If desired, ready-made borders can be painted.

MASTERIM garden sculptures

Homemade garden sculptures can not only decorate the cottage, but also give it a special atmosphere and uniqueness. For the manufacture of sculptures, you can use plywood, stumps, clay, gypsum or cement mortar, old car tires, scrap metal, plastic bottles and even mounting foam! The most important thing is that all the figures are combined with each other and in harmony with the surrounding landscape, otherwise the villa site will be similar to a warehouse.

Figures from plywood

From plywood it is easy to make any decorative figure. In the process of work you will need:

• template;
• jigsaw;
• waterproof plywood;
• primer;
• self-tapping screws;
• screwdriver;
• multicolored paint.

The figure can be either volumetric or flat, depending on the template chosen. Flat produce is easier, and the process itself takes less time. To do this, apply a template to the sheet of plywood, stroke it with a pencil and cut off any excess with an electric jigsaw. Then the sections are ground and the workpiece is treated with a protective primer. When the plywood dries, it remains only to paint the figure and set it in the garden.

3D shapes look original and can perform additional functions, such as this ladybug.

To produce it you will need 4 identical sheets of plywood and several small fragments, from which the head of the animal will be made. In addition, a metal or wooden frame and a container for plants are required. Plywood sheets are cut from the template and sealed in the form of a box. From the scraps collect the head of a cow, attach ears to it and all together screw to the base. Then you need to paint the structure correctly, dry it, and then install and fix it on the frame. Inside put a container, fill it with earth and plant ornamental plants.

Sculptures from the plaster

Gypsum or cement mortar makes it possible to pour a sculpture of any shape and size. For small figures, the shape is made from plastic containers, and to create a large sculpture it will be necessary to assemble a strong metal frame. In the absence of experience, it is recommended to start with small items of simple shape;very nice look compositions from real flowers surrounded by plaster mushrooms with bright hats, figures of gnomes or, for example, a turtle near a makeshift pond.

Basis for

details When mixing the gypsum should be added to a solution of PVA glue - 1% of the total weight of the product. To create large-sized figures, the plaster mixture is applied in layers;each layer must be completely dry before applying the next one. Finished sculptures are usually painted in various colors, then they look bright and festive.

Decorate giving help and flower gardens, especially in the unusual design, a variety of arches, shaped benches. From the simplest of materials available, if desired, you can create amazing beauty of things, just by connecting the imagination.

Video - decorate the cottage with his hands

Gallery interesting holiday decorations