We refine the old one. We disguise the disadvantages of the garden exterior: the basics of improving the suburban area. Mobile solutions - for decoration

And so, we have an old no beech shabby by time and fate, but still clinging to life.
And we also have a desire to make him a little more beautiful and our stay with him a little more fun.

22 photos.

To begin with, it is necessary, if possible, to paste over with masking tape those places that will be close to the work area, since there is no desire to disassemble his desire, and there is nothing to do with it, we will do everything neatly

After the first layer of soil, we get something like this.
For work we use acrylic paint because - firstly it does not stink, secondly it dries quickly, thirdly .... well, in general, it still has many advantages.

Then we apply two or three more layers of soil, naturally waiting until the previous layer dries to touch.
As a result, we get a uniform white color over the entire surface.

To speed up the drying process, you can use a sock dryer :)

After the primer has dried, apply the main color.
For the main color, we take all the same acrylic paint and paint it in the color we need.
We decided to make this color.

Evenly on all surfaces, trying to ensure that there are no gaps anywhere - although in fact, if the gaps are not large, then nothing terrible will happen.

By tradition, state control comes

Next we take the rice map. But we will not look for rice on it. :)
For the decoupage technique, all sorts of drawings are used, which are mainly applied either on napkins or on rice paper.
In the case of drawings on rice paper, they are called a rice map.
We will use this map.

From this map, we need to select those drawings that we liked and tear them out of there.
those. we will use our hands instead of scissors.

Next, we try on how our drawings will look on the object. those. we just lay them out and see how they will lie, which picture is better to place, etc.
and start gluing our drawings

We glue our rice paper not as we usually used to, by smearing it from below and attaching it, but vice versa.
We apply the drawing as we like and begin to paint over it from the TOP with glue. those. we need the whole drawing to be soaked through with glue and stuck.

All this miracle is glued to ordinary PVA glue.
The picture is beginning to emerge, but the final is still far away.

Well, all the pictures that we outlined for ourselves at the beginning are glued.
It turns out something like this, but it's not over yet.

We take gold paint and we begin to shade our drawings by tamping the space between them.
To make gold paint, we take acrylic varnish and add copper powder to it.
You can, of course, go and buy in an art store, but it will cost there like a wing from a Boeing :)

Gradually cover the entire space between the drawings with gold
Gold should not be painted, but tamped, that is, with gentle light movements, slightly trampled with a sponge.

Well, here we have almost ready product... There are a couple of touches left.

To protect all our beauty, which we have fallen here, it is necessary to cover all this with varnish in several layers.
Then you can relax and leave everything to dry completely.
Varnish, as already mentioned above, we also use acrylic not tinted.

This is how the cover of our no beech looks like, after varnishing.

After drying, open it, peel off the scotch tape, slightly clean the places where paint or varnish has gotten all the same, and finally turn it on.
Urrah !! Works!!!

Well, by tradition ...
I photographed everything with a brush, so you understand the quality.
I am everything !!
Thank you for the attention!!

How to update old interior doors, everyone chooses the option himself. I will just talk about some of the methods and decors that can be used in practice.

First, remove the door from its hinges and get to work.

Tip: If the door does not give in and does not want to come out of the hinges, then you need to put a lining on the floor, (so as not to spoil and not push the floor) under the bottom of the door we start an ax, a pry bar or wooden block and applying a little effort, we raise it to the top, the door comes out freely from the hinges.

If the door is covered with paint, then the paint must be removed (see How to remove old paint from the doors and cover with new material). It can be done grinder by wearing a large emery nozzle or a grinder wearing a soft nozzle of a metal brush. It is better to perform work on the street or on a balcony (loggia).

Attention: when working with a grinder and a brush, use a respirator, goggles, pants and long-sleeved clothing.

When working, metal hairs sometimes fly off from the brush. After cleaning the paint, the door must be cleaned of dust. Areas where it is not cleaned should be cleaned by hand. We take wood putty and putty dents and chips.

The drawing can be created using a stencil and also using masking tape.

Tip: It is better to remove the tape immediately after applying paint, because after drying, the tape can ruin the drawing when removed, chipping off pieces of paint.

This pattern can be found on various posters and calendars. Only glue on the door, we try to remove air bubbles, this can be done with a rubber spatula or roller.

The principle is the same as when wallpapering:

We take putty on wood and rubber spatula smooth the edges so that the drawing would seem to be one with the interior door.

If there are dents, chips on the door, we additionally clean them and process them with a primer for wood.

You can burn the wood slightly blowtorch or gas burner along the edges and in the middle of the door or along the contours, but do not hold back the fire, but only hold it slightly so that the wood darkens a little. Then wipe the firing sites with a damp cloth, removing carbon deposits.

There is another way to repair holes and dents:

We take small, preferably like flour, sawdust (they can be collected after working on wood with a grinding machine, with a fine emery nozzle) and mix with PVA glue and seal up cracks and dents.
Mix by adding more sawdust.
After drying, we go through the places with sandpaper. This is a very good way after sanding with almost imperceptible differences.
If we want to preserve the texture of the wood, then go through the door with a light stain.
Lubricate the hinges and put the door in place.

After reading this article, you will no longer think about how to update an old interior door.

If the interior doors are old and the hinges (see Hinges for interior doors: types and methods of installation) are smeared with paint or rust, this can be easily fixed.

We remove the hinges, insert them into a vice, take a grinder with the same attachment with a brush iron and process it, squeeze the vice, turn the loop over and process the other side, they will shine like new.
Lubricate them completely with grease, oil and put them in place.

Advice. If the old screw sockets are broken and the screws fly in when attaching the hinges, then we take a piece of wood chips out approximately along the diameter of the socket and drive in the end until it stops.

The photo shows how to update the interior door, using simple and available materials(see the decor of interior doors).

Decor with fabric and wallpaper:

We take not thick cardboard as a basis, cut out a 20 × 20 square and make a window in the middle.
Choosing wallpaper and glueing it on a square
We cut off both the middle and from the edges, only so that the edges can be hidden by gluing on the back.
We select pieces of any fabric in this window and glue it into the resulting frame, you can use a thin mirror.
We put the finished structure on liquid nails to the door using an ordinary level.

Please note: You can rotate the square 45 degrees and glue with a diamond, you can use any shapes.

Some points that we consider:

If these are the doors to the bedroom, then you can do as in the picture or add elements of light eroticism and your family will always know what you are doing there :-).
If the doors are varnished (covered laminated coating(see Laminate doors and selection rules)), but they are worn out and you are thinking of changing it, not knowing how to update the old interior doors, then do it simply - the places of chips and scratches can be easily hidden with a wax pencil, which are sold in stores (pick a color and shade). The instruction is included with a pencil.

Here is a way to improve old interior doors with glass. Conventionally, as if to divide it into parts with wooden or plastic strips, sticking them against each other on both sides of the glass with a sealant or PVA, you can use liquid nails.

You will get several artificial windows in place of one glass. And the interior old doors acquire the new kind, changing the picture familiar to the eye.

Glass paints are:

acrylic paint on glass.
acrylic polyurethane-painting of glass and ceramics.
polyurethane water enamels - on glass and drawing on mirrors.
industrial enamels - on glass with forced drying at a temperature of 150 gr. WITH.

There are good options for how to update old interior doors so that it would be cheap and look like a million dollars):

Before work, degrease the glass with an ammonia-based product and rinse warm water, it is better to use a microfiber cloth for wiping.
We prepare the paint, select the shades by coloring, the base polyurethane enamel is stable and can be stored for several months.
Before application, we introduce a hardener and a promoter into the coloration solution.
hardener - 10% per 100 gr. Colored solution. Mix everything intensively. at 1000-1500 rpm
promoter - 3% per 100 gr. Colored solution, during work the enamel should be filtered, it is best to use a filter of 50-150 microns.

The thickening time of the finished mixture is 2-3 hours at 20-28 degrees with increasing temperature, the mixture hardens faster. When thickening, the mass can be diluted 3–8% by adding pure water.

The next step is stenciling the old interior doors:

We take a sheet of paper (you can roll) the remaining wallpaper and glue two-sided adhesive tape
Draw the outlines of the stencil
Cut out
We remove the protective film and glue it on the door.

We try to glue it so that there are no folds and the stencil fits snugly to the surface. We use a sponge as a brush, if there is a manual spray, then even better. You can choose the background yourself and update the interior doors.

Here we give up the place white will explain.

When adding color, white paint can be turned into any color and shade, no need to buy paint separately different colors, especially White paint will always come in handy in the house later (see Painting interior doors).

Dry residual weight - 30-38% by weight.
Density of paint from the manufacturer in a container (specific weight) -1.14-1.18 kg / liter.
Material consumption -80-100 ml / m². depending on the thickness of the applied layer varies
Diluted with water.
Hazard class - No.

Attention! You always need to buy paint, with a stock and one batch, if it was not enough, look at the article on the bank and buy the same one (batches may be different and the paint may differ in tone).

I told you how to update the interior doors, but in the same way you can update and entrance doors but that's a different topic. There are many other ways to upgrade your interior door.

Even simpler ones:

paste over it with wallpaper, or self-adhesive tape with drawings.
The fabric is also glued to the door.
You can also use photo wallpapers, 3D drawings or posters.

There are many ways and many possibilities for the flight of imagination, now everything is in your hands, go for it!

Vegetable planting areas are becoming smaller and smaller. More and more owners are beginning to pay attention to the beauty of appearance and a comfortable stay on fresh air... How to equip country cottage area with your own hands?

Classic options

Flower decoration - a classic of the genre

Flower decoration - not invented by us

Beautification of a summer cottage with your own hands is easiest to start with flowers. It is important when creating flower beds to pay attention to the used color range... Flowers can be planted both in the form of flower beds and in the form of a flower bed. At the discretion of the owner, perennial or annual plants as well as decorative herbaceous plants and flowers varying in height. What kind of flower beds are and how to properly equip them, we talked about in separate thematic articles. Today our conversation is about ideas for styling a garden.

Plants and flowers planted along the lawn and representing a flowering border will look appropriate. The center of a lush, bright lawn can be decorated with a flower bed with colorful plants different heights... There are a lot of options for decorating flower beds! You can frame them with a wooden fence or picturesque stones, make a fence from plastic bottles, sow the edges with ornamental plants or arrange wood cuts... To decorate the site with your own hands, even unnecessary household items and a wide variety of improvised devices are suitable.

Alpine slide: no snow, but flowers

Alpine slide always attracts attention

Landscaping of the summer cottage is possible using the installation alpine slide do it yourself. Alpine slides are now very relevant even among novice gardening designers. It is important to remember that their creation will require a change in the relief of the earth, as well as the selection of the necessary stones. Folding the alpine slide on flat surface and decorating it with cobblestones and flowers, you are unlikely to see your dream in the end. Such a slide will not add any aesthetics, but, on the contrary, will add alienness to it.

When the entire plot is already occupied, and it is difficult to find a free corner on it, pay attention to the space next to the house. This place will be great option to create a blooming front garden.

Mobile solutions - for decoration

When there is no time and opportunity for a full-fledged landscaping of the garden, you can use pots, flowerpots or flowerpots. Having planted unpretentious plant species in them, you can easily distribute all the beauty throughout the territory, and if necessary, you will rearrange, thanks to the mobility of such a solution.

Flowerpots made from painted buckets are a great option

Having shown imagination, you can ennoble even the usual wooden box... By painting it in an unusual manner or hanging it by ropes played like hands, you will bring a share of humor and fun to the design.

Flower pots are great for creating sculptures. Having picked up pots of different sizes, they are fastened with wire, refreshed with paints, flowers are added and woo-a-la - there are very cute and unique figures in front of you!

Ponds are visible from afar

What else do they like to decorate summer cottages, besides flowers? Of course, bodies of water. Ponds and ponds in combination with green plants will become a piece of paradise for your garden. In hot summer days it will be a pleasure to sit here. Ponds can be decorated in different ways, here an immense horizon of possibilities opens up for your imagination. Along the bank of the pond, you can build a flooring of wooden boards, which, in order not to suffer with their impregnation and painting, can be replaced with composite ones. The advantage of this material is that it does not rot, does not change color and is very reminiscent of wood. Correct name this cover has a decking. It is also perfect for building a veranda or terrace, or for the side sections of the pool.

Even a small pond will add charm to the water

Stone slabs will also do a great job with the role of the banks. The time spent will be justified, because the result is a stunning and reliable reservoir. To better fix the stones, prepare the soil. Part of the soil is removed, crushed stone is poured, carefully compacted and covered with a layer of sand on top. On top of the sand layer are already laid out stone slabs... For greater reliability, sand and cement should be poured into the gaps between the slabs in the form of a mixture. The excess must be removed and wait for the rain, which, having moistened the blind area, will allow the cement to hold the plates together.

The owners, whose house is not far from a quiet river, can collect suitable boulders on the shore and decorate the pond with them. However, it is quite possible to buy such stones in the garden center.

Garden paths made of paving stones would be appropriate to transfer to the shore of the pond. Then all the decoration of the garden will be decorated in the same style. The technique is similar to the one we already mentioned above.

The lawn is a beautiful Mouzon

The arrangement of the suburban area with your own hands will be half finished if you create a well-groomed lawn on its small territory. Maintaining green beauty is not easy. Consider the following tips for lawn care:

seeds for planting must be of high quality and appropriate to the local climate;
the edges of the lawn must be neat (you can use curb tape);
regular mowing of the grown grass is necessary;
do not forget about weeding, watering, feeding and repairing the defects of the lawn.

How to make a plot unique and unrepeatable with the help of a lawn? Drop him off in sight unusual shape... This landscaping technique will add zest to your garden.

The lawn as the foundation of the wealth of green spaces

Arches and pergolas so that the flowers are not naked

Thinking about how to ennoble a summer cottage, one cannot but recall pergolas, arches, trellises. You can decorate the path to the house by installing a pergola or decorative arch. A robust yet graceful design, entwined with a variety of bindweed, will be the ideal guide to the recreation area. Having installed the arches at a short distance from each other, you, in the end, after a while, will get a shady corner where it will be so pleasant to sit and read on hot summer days.

The arch at the entrance cheers up

Choosing plants for landscaping decorative arches very wide: it can be ivy, and grapes, and honeysuckle, and climbing rose, which have very beautiful buds when blooming. Choosing a girlish grape as a plant, you will not go wrong either. The color of the leaves will change from time to time: in early spring You will be delighted with pale green fresh leaves, in summer the foliage will acquire a rich green color, and in autumn you will enjoy the sight of bright red leaves.

We decorate the toilet as if it weren't there

The first building in the country is usually not even a change house, but a toilet. A necessary thing, I must say. How can a toilet become a decoration, you ask, because our conversation today is about transforming a site? We will tell you how to turn a very prosaic thing into an object of pride for the owner.

Of course, putting the toilet in a prominent place is not the best best idea, but it can be beautifully decorated. For example, make it out of logs in the form of a birdhouse. Such a cute hut in itself evokes sympathy, and if you do landscaping and plant flowers or low bushes around, and even arrange a stone path, then the building will play in a new way. See the photo below for an example.

A regal toilet for a regal owner

When we set up a site, it is important to pay attention to style, where the priority is appearance at home. That is, when choosing a toilet design, it must be coordinated with existing buildings.

If you want to make a toilet out of stone, show your imagination and depict it in the form of a knight's castle. My house is my fortress, but do not overdo it, otherwise neighbors and passers-by will consider it a rarity and want to visit.

Original options

Dacha is a small country for creativity and limitless design. To ennoble his own plot, the owner can use the most different means and materials. We will tell you how to transform and improve a boring garden courtyard and help it become cute, cozy and unforgettable. Sometimes you don't even need to buy anything, just look around and you will find a lot of useful, but already, alas, unnecessary things. We offer ideas for the design of a summer cottage, a garden and a vegetable garden, which are easy to implement with your own hands.

Flower bed, but you can't sleep

An old unnecessary bed will be an excellent base for a flower bed. Fill the base with soil and sow perennials. Such design solution will certainly fit perfectly into the garden landscape. In the photo below one of interesting options.

I wish all dreams were like this

Fabulous straw goby-third

Her house is so reminiscent of her native village, where my grandmother kept a cow, pigs and other animals. How to bring back nostalgia to the modern landscape design? A hay goby will be very appropriate, and most importantly, not much work will be required. The frame is tied from the wire, and the top is covered with hay. Curious how great it turns out.

The touching charm of DIY

The stump feeder is not a rattle at all

It is not necessary to uproot the old tree stump that remains on the site. Make a bird feeder out of it. In cold weather, your yard will become a haven for titmouses, sparrows and other birds that want to eat. Everyone, both children and adults, will enjoy watching the bird meal. The inside of the stump should be hollowed out, leaving intact lateral surfaces... Put some grains inside and your trough is ready to welcome the first guests. Having made it from a stump of a tree, you can hang the product on a branch near the house.

Birds on a homemade feeder always sing beautifully

Grass figures are right in their own way

Something similar happens if the figure is trimmed on top with a canvas of artificial grass. The coating is reliable, weather-resistant and does not need watering. The frame can be made, practically, of any material, of course, taking into account the effects of moisture and the sun. A wonderful example of garden sculpture is the rhino in the photo below.

Grass donkey drags a lot of beauty

Mesh shapes are just candy

Mesh garden figures are becoming more and more popular. It can be a jug, a bird and a donkey, etc. Of course, you need to tinker a little to wire a beautiful figure from a green PVC-coated mesh. Such products are complemented by weaving and climbing plants. Internal cavities can be covered with shallow plastic mesh also green, and then filled with soil. Then you can plant any plants that are not demanding on moisture.

The burden of responsibility from flowers will not allow the peacock to fly away

Decorative well - landscape wonderworker

Wells-flower beds look beautiful, from which a variety of flowers seem to splash out. The presence in the country of a well or a well from concrete rings, will allow you to create decor on an existing base. Choose brick or stone to line the walls. Such materials are most suitable, because they tolerate dampness well, which means they will be a reliable "shelter" from rain, sun and frost. When you need to mask frameless installations, choose any material for decoration - lining or boards, siding, plastic panels or tiles. The photo shows one of the options.

Decorative well perfectly in harmony with the decoration of the house

Decor cart - support for vision

Such an unusual design solution closes two tasks at once: it serves as a flower garden on which you can place the volumes of two flower beds at once, and it will also be very original item decor. Today you can choose the most different variants carts. Both sizes and styles will vary. Classic version- cart in rustic style, but some prefer to choose a cart in the style of the wild west or from the streets of Provence for their garden. Carts can be made of wood or metal, or have combined parts.

The old cart scatters the beauty

Small perplexities and ways to solve them

Let's take a look at the most common problems of land plots that are of the greatest concern to owners. We refine uncomfortable and uncomfortable areas:

Lack of space for flower bed. An excellent solution there will be a selection of beautiful stylized pots, pots and flowerpots in which you can plant any plants. Such point decorations are very mobile and easily move from one point of the garden to another.
A simple fence made of a chain-link mesh does not have decorative features and does not protect from prying eyes. The problem of planting climbing plants next to the fence is solved, which, twisting around the net, will not only create protection from prying eyes, but also give aesthetic pleasure. For plants, choose climbing rose, maiden grapes, or ivy.
Lack of space for arches and pergolas. Alternatively, choose any vertical object in the garden: old tree, fence, walls of houses. Thus, you will get a blooming garden with climbing plants and decorate unsightly objects.
Unsightly pillar on the frontal place, spoiling the view. Decorate it with flowers that can be planted in cans... You can also plant a bindweed at the bottom of the post and let it decorate an ugly object.

If you tickle the heels, it will laugh

You can beat a boring garden with shrubs and plants that can be sheared, for example, boxwood. Thanks to such a find, you will decorate your garden plot with original figurines from greenery.
Places requiring masking, for example, a crack in the foundation, can be decorated with cushion plants with a pleasant shade and volumetric shape. These plants are usually shade-tolerant and can be planted in both shade and sun.
The compost heap has unpleasant smell and does not add aesthetics to the landscape. By creating a green barrier around the perimeter of berry or ornamental, but fragrant shrubs, you can solve both of these problems at once.
The untidy look of the site is created by fallen autumn leaves... You do not have time to remove them from the abundance of work, and they spoil the whole view. Plant ground cover plants in your garden that will perfectly decorate fallen leaves.
Available track from concrete slabs can also be beaten. It is worth taking out the plates in a checkerboard pattern and planting low ones in their place. ornamental plants... This will make the track look more attractive.
Children run a short way on the lawn, and new paths appear that do not look very aesthetically pleasing. Cover them with gravel and it will look like it was intended.
You can freshen up the faded and dull colors of buildings and fences by painting. Wall painting will give the garden a bright, unusual and attractive look.

The improvement of the suburban area implies not only a competent layout and cleanliness, but also a certain decor. Most often, various curbs are used for this, original flower beds and garden sculptures... To avoid extra costs, we decorate the dacha with our own hands, using only available materials.

For the manufacture of garden paths, the most various materials: brick, stone, gravel, round cuts wood, and others. In order for the site to look harmonious, all tracks should 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.

Paving slab prices

Paving slabs

For work you will need:

It is more convenient to lay out a path from a whole brick, but a more beautiful surface is obtained from a broken one. So, first mark the boundaries, and then remove a layer of turf 15-20 cm thick. The bottom of the trench is well tamped, covered with a layer of coarse sand. The sand is spilled with water for greater compaction and the brick is laid. Very often, the brick is laid out without cement mortar, filling all the gaps with sand, but the use of the mortar will make the masonry much more reliable and durable.

The brick can be laid in any way: in parallel rows along the length or width of the path, in a checkerboard pattern, chaotically, intersperse a whole brick with a broken one, shape geometric figures... Each element must be tightly laid next to the others and knocked out with a rubber hammer so that it does not protrude above the surface. The denser the styling, the more reliable it is. Similarly, paths are made of stone or gravel.

Find out step-by-step instructions on how in our new article.

Wooden walkways

If there are a lot of old unnecessary trees in the country, you can create very beautiful garden paths from chocks and cuts of trunks. The cuts must be of the same thickness, not less than 15 cm; it is not necessary to select according to the diameter of the workpiece. You cannot use too cracked or rotten parts of the tree - they will not even last a season.

For work you will need:

cuts of thick branches and trunk;
bituminous mastic or waste oil;
geotextile;
coarse sand;
hammer;
shovel;
building level.

All cuts must be cleaned of bark and soaked with working off or hot drying oil from all sides. If bituminous mastic is used, the blanks are thickly coated on the side that will be in the ground. While the wood is drying, you can make markings on the ground and remove upper layer land.

Stacking cuts

The depth of the trench should be such that the cuts, after being installed on a sand cushion, are flush with the surface or slightly raised above the ground.

The bottom must be tamped well and covered with geotextiles, releasing the edges of the material upward on both sides of the trench. A layer of sand is poured, leveled, the cuts are tightly installed and the gaps formed between them are filled with the same sand or screenings. Use to control the location of the cuts horizontally so that the track has a flat surface.

Beautiful homemade curbs can be located along paths, around flower beds, at the gate, or delimit the site into zones. For the manufacture of borders, wooden chocks, rods, vines, brick and stone are used, glass bottles, cinder block, concrete. Broken glass, colored stones and ceramic chips are used as decoration for concrete products.

Brick, stone and cinder block curbs

To lay out a brick border, you will need:

According to the markings, a layer of earth is selected to a depth of 15 cm and a width of 20 cm. The bottom is compacted and covered with crushed stone to half the depth of the groove, and poured with mortar on top. When the mortar sets well, lay out the brick in rows in a checkerboard pattern. The border can be solid or have gaps - it depends on the amount of source material and the imagination of the master. In the same way, they lay out a border of stone or cinder block.

To make the cinder block more decorative, you can use outdoor plaster and paint. After laying the cinder block and drying the solution, prepare plaster mix: Dilute dry plaster with water and add a coloring pigment. Now the surface of the curb is covered with a decorative mixture and patterns are created using a spatula. This edging looks very attractive both along the paths and around the flower beds.

For wooden curbs, small-diameter cuts, chunks of branches, strong rods and an antiseptic impregnated hardwood bar are suitable. The workpieces must be of the same size and without bark, otherwise the border will look very sloppy. First everything wooden elements it is necessary to soak with used oil, drying oil or and dry well in the air.

While the blanks are drying, you can make markings and select the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm. The bottom and walls of the groove should be covered with geotextiles, and then a layer of sand should be poured onto the bottom. The dried blocks are alternately inserted into the groove, knocking out with a mallet and checking their height by level. The gaps are filled with sand or screenings, soil is poured and tamped on the sides.

Neat and attractive concrete curbs can be made. For this you will need:

Mark the borders of the curb and take out a layer of soil 15 cm thick. On both sides of the groove, formwork from the boards is installed and fixed with jumpers. The inner side of the formwork is upholstered with polyethylene to make the curb surface smooth. For the same reason, the boards should be as flat as possible. As a reinforcing frame, you can lay 2-3 steel rods with a cross section of 10 mm, connected with a wire at a short distance.

A solution is poured into the formwork, the surface is leveled with a trowel. After 2-3 hours, colored fragments of ceramics, pebbles, glass are pressed into the raw concrete - whatever the fantasy suggests. After a day, rub the irregularities and leave to dry completely. Ready-made curbs can be painted if desired.

The border is decorated with pebbles and lids

We make garden sculptures

Homemade garden sculptures can not only decorate the dacha, but also give it a special atmosphere and originality. To make sculptures, you can use plywood, stumps, clay, plaster or cement mortar, old car tires, scrap metal, plastic bottles and even polyurethane foam! The most important thing is that all the figures are combined with each other and in harmony with the surrounding landscape, otherwise the summer cottage will look like a warehouse.

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

sample;
jigsaw;
waterproof plywood;
primer;
self-tapping screws;
screwdriver;
multi-colored paint.

The figurine can be three-dimensional or flat, depending on the chosen template. Flat is easier to make, and the process itself takes less time. To do this, apply a template to a sheet of plywood, circle it with a pencil and cut off all excess with a jigsaw. Then the sections are ground and the workpiece is treated with a protective primer. When the plywood is dry, all that remains is to paint the figurine and place it in the garden.

Volumetric figures look more original and can perform additional functions like this ladybug.

To make it, you will need 4 identical sheets of plywood and several small fragments from which the head of the animal will be made. Additionally, you will need a metal or wooden frame and a container for plants. Plywood sheets cut according to the template and fastened in the form of a box. From the scraps, they collect the head of a cow, attach the ears to it and screw everything together to the base. Then you need to paint the structure correctly, dry it, and then install and fix it on the frame. A container is placed inside, filled with earth and ornamental plants are planted.

Find out how to do with step by step instructions, from our new article.

Plaster sculptures

Plaster 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 for creating a sculpture large sizes you will need to assemble a durable metal carcass... In the absence of experience, it is recommended to start with small products of a simple shape; Compositions of fresh flowers surrounded by plaster mushrooms with bright hats, figures of gnomes or, for example, a turtle by a homemade pond, look very cute.

Decorating and decorating your country allotment is always nice. This activity is creative and fun. Many owners of summer cottages and private houses often think about how to improve the site, but do not take any action, thinking that this is a very expensive pleasure.

It turns out that if you wish, you can do all the work yourself with minimal cost... It is enough to determine for yourself the main direction of activities, prescribe a sequence of actions and make a list of materials. Maybe some of the necessary items are in stock, and some decorative items can not be bought, but made from old, unnecessary things, shoes and household items.

Several important tips how to refine a summer cottage:

If you plan to use for decorating the territory various plants, then they need to be harmoniously combined with the original landscape, organically completing the transition from specimens with small foliage to larger and brighter crops.

Decor elements made from the same materials and old things should be located on the site in one place, generalizing the color scheme and combining the sizes of all objects.
Even cut down trees can be beautifully beaten by turning a stump into an elegant chair or a small architectural form. Wood cuts can be used to lay paths or set up a recreation area.

The most spectacular and affordable combination of landscape elements is stone and plants, which can be combined in different places on the site or lay out a separate area with them in the form of an alpine slide or rockery.

Preparatory stage

Having made a general idea for yourself, it is necessary to draw a plan of the site, on which to outline the future location decorative elements and functional structures: small architectural forms, reservoirs, flower beds and other types of landscape design. This is done in order to avoid excesses, piling up objects, garden furniture or plants. Realizing the conceived picture of the future garden, you should not deviate from it a single step. Even one extra flower bed, placed in the wrong place, can disrupt harmonious composition garden.

On preparatory stage get rid of everything unnecessary that spoils the look of the garden and does not carry a functional load in it. They form the basis of future elements: an alpine slide, a rock garden, waterfalls and other landscape details. In advance, it is necessary to provide for the organization of the slope, the supply of water for irrigation, its removal and the general drainage system on the site. Schematically outline the location of paths, the contours of a stream or reservoir. Next, they begin work on the improvement of the garden area.

Constructive arrangement

When landscaping garden plot you should think about fencing the territory in a timely manner. The fence can be made in the form of a permanent structure made of brick, concrete or metal structures. Modern tendencies landscape design give preference to fences made of living plants, evergreen bushes and trees. Such plants perfectly perform enclosing and protective functions, forming with growth and proper care a dense wall of branches and leaves.

Fences made of wood always look stylish and original, for the construction of which you can use a picket fence or a solid board. The most modern building envelope made of wooden board- this is vertical mount with an overlap. The main thing is to prepare in advance a reliable basis for fixing the boards and, after their installation, to carry out high-quality wood processing to protect against climatic phenomena, bugs and mold.

The "living arch" made of special plants looks very impressive on the territory. In order for such a design to please its owners for a long time, a reliable frame of a pre-selected shape from metal rods should be built in advance. Planted climbing plants in the process of growth along the frame of the arch, it will be necessary to cut it in a timely manner to create a beautiful, smooth shape.

We decorate the garden area

To create original and unusual decorative elements for the garden, you can successfully use a broken or old furniture... With an inexpensive facade paint objects can be repainted in bright, rich colors that will look stylish against the backdrop of greenery and flowers. Any furniture is suitable for such a decor: chairs, chests of drawers, cabinets, armchairs and other elements. V drawers you can plant annual plants or lawn grass, and hang pots on chairs or whatnots.

Traditionally, used tires are used to decorate the garden. passenger cars... Various structural elements can be cut out in them, rubbers can be repainted in any color. Look outside the box and look exclusive vertical structures from wheels that can be used for plants and decorating a playground.