Birch bark is the upper elastic layer of birch bark. When wet, it is easy to work with.
It is one of the easiest and most affordable natural materials to work with.
Features of the
- The layered structure of birch bark helps it retain heat;
- The material is breathable;
- Birch bark is an excellent antiseptic, and also contains phytoncides that prevent the spread of bacteria and microbes.
Time
The quality and appearance of the product directly depends on the properly prepared material.
The optimal time for harvesting working material is the last month of spring and the first month of summer; in some places, the first decade of July is also suitable for collection.
Start
The whole procedure begins with the selection of a suitable tree. Someone prefers to use freshly sawn or felled trees, others choose only living, growing ones.
But there is one common point - a tree with the least amount of black spots on the bark, the so-called fragrances, is chosen.
They try to take the material from the southern side, where the bark is the most layered and easier to remove.
Material procurement process
And so the tree is selected, at the next stage it is necessary to correctly collect the material and deliver it to the place of work with it.
- Shallow cuts are made on the selected tree with a knife.
- The detached part is gently pry off with any suitable tool, most often a spatula is used for this purpose.
- Do not expose a large area of bark on one tree, this can lead to its illness or death.
- The resulting birch bark material is stacked with the right side to the front, and the wrong side to the wrong side.
- Tied up and delivered to the place of further use.
- While the birch bark is pliable and not dry, it is split into ribbons or layers.
The blank can be done in several ways:
- Ribbons
- Layers
- Cylinders.
The easiest material to work with is ribbon, the ribbons are intertwined in a specific sequence and create the desired product. It is to him that a novice master should turn.
There are two types of ribbon weaving:
- Straight
- Oblique.
Preparation of material for work
The removed pieces of birch bark must not be put into action immediately. It must be subjected to special treatment. Correct processing of birch bark for crafts consists of the following steps:
- The first stage is the cleaning of birch bark from dust, plant debris, dirt, as well as various irregularities, cleaning is carried out with fine-grained sandpaper.
- Moisten the seamy side using a sponge or soft cloth. It is important to carry out the procedure very carefully so as not to damage the material.
- Soaking birch bark in salt water for 2 - 4 days, the exact period depends on the age of the tree and the thickness of the material, the older the tree, the thicker the workpiece, the longer the soaking process takes.
- The soaked material undergoes delamination, it is disassembled layer by layer into thinner workpieces.
- The last stage is drying, straightening (an iron is used for this purpose) and sorting by shape and appearance.
Now, knowing how to properly prepare birch bark, you can proceed to making crafts from it.
Instruments
There are no special tools for working with birch bark material. Each master experiments and selects on his own what will be more convenient for him to work and sculpt masterpieces.
However, there are a number of tools that almost everyone uses.
- Knife or utility knife
- Scissors
- Clips or clothespins
- Ruler or corner
- Pencil
- Awl
- Hole puncher
- Staples
- Chisel
- Glue
- Dry, clean, soft cloths
Crafts from birch bark
In the old days, birch bark was used to make original footwear - bast shoes, kitchen utensils, and small ornaments.
Nowadays, its application has expanded a lot.
- Kitchenware
- Bijouterie
- Caskets
- Souvenirs
- Book covers and bookmarks
- Flowers
- Toys and much more.
Now you can find many instructions for crafts from birch bark of any complexity, both for experienced craftsmen and for beginners or children.
Just remember, the white side of the workpiece always remains inside the product, it must be hidden from the eyes, because over time, it loses its appearance, becomes dirty and unattractive.
Little basket
How to make such a craft from birch bark with your own hands? The basket is one of the simplest crafts, it does not require special skills or special tools in its manufacture, the main thing is to carry out all actions very carefully and without haste.
- It all starts with the preparation of the workplace, material and necessary tools.
- A square is cut out of a birch bark blank, the size is chosen at will, but at the initial stage, 15 - 16 cm will be enough.
- Next, two diagonal lines are drawn on the prepared square.
- At the next stage, identical cuts are made on the workpiece from the side of the corners along the drawn lines, the depth of the cuts should be at least 3 cm, it is worth remembering that the larger the cuts, the deeper the finished product will become.
- The sides of the workpiece are smoothly bent towards the middle.
- Next, a hole punch enters the work, with its help holes are made around the perimeter of the basket walls and at the bottom at the base of its future handle.
- The handle of the craft is cut out in an arbitrary desired shape, for this another piece of birch bark is taken.
- With the help of PVA glue (or any other), it is glued to the side walls, for a stronger fixation of the junction, it can be fastened with special clamps or clothespins.
- Thin strips are cut from birch bark strips so that they enter the holes left by the hole punch.
- The entire product is braided around the perimeter with such thin strips.
- The made product is postponed for several hours until the glue is completely dry.
- If desired, the finished basket can be wiped with oil and wait until it is absorbed, this procedure will add extra shine and a sunny shade to the birch bark.
- Everything! The product is ready to use.
Hand-made birch bark crafts have a special warmth and attractiveness and leave almost no one indifferent.
Photos of birch bark crafts
