Creating garden figures for someone is a source of income, and for someone - a way of self-expression and a source of positive emotions. They can be made of concrete, wood, artificial stone, gypsum… There is a company that makes molds for garden figures in almost every city today.
However, the pride of an increasing number of summer residents are figures made by their own hands.
Where can I get molds for garden figures? Nature will prompt
If a summer resident is set on a creative wave, he is able to see a model of a future backyard sculpture right in the garden.
For example, a large leaf of burdock or rhubarb can serve as a mold for making a garden figure. A "leaf" cast from cement can be used as a feeder for summer cottages or a container for planting ornamental plants.
DIY relief sculpture
The leaf sculpture maker will need a concrete mortar. For its preparation, country craftsmen recommend using a mixture of Portland cement (a type of cement obtained by grinding and then mixing limestone with gypsum), sifted sand and water.
Three parts of sand are taken for one part of Portland cement. Water is added until the solution becomes like a soft, but not liquid curd mass.
As a prototype, choose the largest leaf of burdock or other plant with large leaves. The sheet is laid on a pre-prepared sand embankment and poured with concrete.
When the solution dries, the sheet is removed, and its exact copy is painted with "autumn" or "summer" colors.
Giant Protector
The "head" of the epic giant, who protects the earth from the encroachments of envious people, seems to be becoming a summer trend. One of the reasons for the popularity of this decoration method is its cheapness. The shape for the "head" will be a wire mesh wound on an ordinary bucket.
To make a "protector" you will also need a container for plants (it should fit completely in a bucket), a piece of foam, the remains of mounting foam and a cement mixture.
Production order
Having wrapped the bucket with wire, they begin to make the main "facial features" of the country protector. They are cut out of foam and attached to the workpiece withwire.
The next step in creating a form for garden figures of this type is to fill the cells of the wire mesh with mounting foam. After the foam has completely solidified (this process will take at least 24 hours), the workpiece is wrapped twice more with an iron mesh, after which they begin to apply the cement mortar.
Cement mortar is made like this:
one part cement mixed with three parts sand;
add half a liter of water;
stir the solution until water stops appearing on its surface, and the resulting mass stops breaking
When applying cement to a wire base, it is necessary to ensure that sections of the wire do not protrude from under the cement layer. If the desired effect is not achieved the first time, the cement layer is allowed to dry (it will take at least two days), and then the mold is covered with a new layer of cement, having previously made a fresh batch.
The shelf life of a freshly prepared cement mixture is 3 hours.
The next stage of work consists of painting. The figure is painted several times, and each new layer of paint is applied after the previous one has completely dried.
The final stage of creating the "defender" of the cottage consists of three parts:
the sculpture is freed from auxiliary elements (in this case from a bucket);
a container for plants filled with earth is placed inside the hollow form;
a tall plant is planted in this peculiar flower pot
Unexpected mold for casting garden figures
Forms forhomestead figures, as it turned out, ordinary rubber gloves can serve. They are filled with cement mortar and, having given the "hands" the desired angle, they are left to dry. As dryers, some craftsmen use flower pots or basins (gloves filled with cement are placed inside the container, folded into a “boat” or “ladle”).
Homegrown craftsmen recommend not to stop at making one such mold for garden figures and purchase several pairs of gloves of different sizes at once. Subsequently, they can be used as forms for small flower beds, as well as bird feeders and drinkers.
Gypsum or silicone?
Craftsmen, for whom the creation of country sculpture is both a hobby and a source of income, are advised to prefer gypsum silicone molds for garden figures.
The owners of suburban areas, tempted by the cheapness of silicone, note that the molds made from this material are short-lived and unsuitable for reusable use. In addition, silicone is suitable for making the smallest figurines.
Craftsmen who are seriously passionate about creating backyard sculptures, it is better to stop at more durable materials that are not affected by temperature extremes and natural phenomena.
