A beautiful well-kept garden is always pleasing to the eye. Garden sculptures that you can make yourself, for example or, will help make it more comfortable. One of the most popular is the stork. In this article we will look at what a stork can be made from.
How to make a stork with your own hands from plastic bottles?
To work, you need to cut a template from a sheet of plywood. This is the body of a bird and wings on the sides. Also prepare opaque plastic bottles in white and black, screws and red electrical tape.
- We fasten the templates together using self-tapping screws.
- For feathers we use plastic milk bottles. We cut them into strips of the same width and make a fringe along the edges.
- Next, use a glue gun to attach the feathers to the bird’s body.
- For the tail and lower body we use black shampoo bottles.
- We wrap the beak with red electrical tape.
- Legs can be made from wire. And buy toy eyes at a craft store.
- A do-it-yourself stork for the garden is ready!
We make a stork from polyurethane foam with our own hands
Now let's look at another option, how you can make a stork with your own hands. In this case, we use a five-liter container, foam tape and polyurethane foam.
- Using tape, we attach the body parts to a plastic container. The neck consists of wire covered with foam pieces.
- For the hips we also use pieces of foam.
- To make the beak, a large nail will do.
- This is what the workpiece looks like at this stage.
- The author of the lesson suggests making the legs from used electrodes. You can choose similar materials: it can be metal rods or thick wire with several turns.
- Before moving on to the next manufacturing step, check the reliability of the support.
- Next, we simply apply mounting foam on top of the layout.
- Trim off the excess.
- We paint the finished sculpture with acrylic paints.
- We modify the nose from a piece of wood and attach it to a nail.
- To make the stork look like a real one, we insert real feathers into the tail and wings.
- This is such a wonderful stork.
Making a stork with your own hands from a canister
For work you will need the following materials:
- five-liter canister;
- durable thick wire and plastic tubes;
- net;
- Styrofoam;
- white and dark plastic bottles;
- corrugation.
Now let's look at all the manufacturing stages step by step.
- We cut out blanks from sheet foam.
- Next, use a knife to give them the outline of the head.
- We give the beak a flatter shape and cut out the eye sockets.
- Using sanding paper we make the surface smooth. We insert toy eyes into the eye sockets.
- We cut out a beak from a plastic bottle and attach it to Titan glue.
- We make the body for the stork with our own hands from a plastic canister.
- We cut off the handle.
- We cut a piece out of the mesh so that we can wrap it around the canister.
- We round the mesh a little so that it looks more like wings.
- We bend a thick rod and make legs.
- We cut feathers from white bottles.
- Now you can start assembling all the components together.
- We start work from the tail.
- To make a neck, we put a corrugated hose from a vacuum cleaner or a similar part onto the wire.
- We attach all the feathers with self-tapping screws.
- Since the stork has folded wings, it is enough to attach the feathers to the belly and a little on the sides.
- We cut the white bottles in half and make cuts in the form of a fringe. We attach them to the neck with tape.
- We start making the wings from the edge of the mesh.
- Cover the next row by one third.
- Starting from the third row, we use white plastic.
- To make the paws, we cut out blanks from half-liter bottles.
- Finally, paint the bird’s beak and legs red.
- A do-it-yourself stork for the garden is ready.
A well-groomed and attractive garden will always please the eye. To make your garden more cozy, you can decorate it with various hand-made ones. Today we will talk about how to make a stork for the garden
and what materials can be used for this.
Let's start with the simplest thing - PET bottles.
Sculpture made from plastic bottles and plywood
To work you will need several plastic bottles in black and white. The basis of the structure will be a sheet of waterproof plywood.
To work you will need the following tools and devices:
- jigsaw;
- scissors;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- pliers;
- hammer;
- steel staples;
- self-tapping screws;
- glue gun;
- red nail polish;
- thick wire.
The stork can be made from plywood and white plastic milk bottles, which are cut into fringes for plumage.
Once the tools and materials are prepared, work can begin.
It is carried out in the following sequence:
- A paper template of the bird's body and wings is made. The size of the sculpture is chosen based on the size of the plot and the tastes of its owners.
- Markings are applied to the plywood. The workpieces are being cut out.
- The edges of the workpieces are polished. The plywood is being primed.
- The wings are attached to the stork's body using self-tapping screws. As a rule, the wings are made in a folded position.
- The legs are being made. A steel rod with a diameter of 6-10 mm is suitable for this. Using staples, the steel parts are nailed to the plywood. The lower edge of the rod can be sharpened for ease of fastening the product in the ground or nest.
- White milk bottles have their bottoms cut off. What remains is cut into 2 parts vertically. The strips are cut with scissors. They will imitate feathers.
- Plastic fringe is prepared in a similar way from black bottles.
- The cut pieces are attached to a plywood base. This is done from the tail. The black stripes are attached first. They are used to trim the lower body, tail and wings.
- The rest of the bird is trimmed with white plastic strips.
- The beak is covered with red nail polish.
- The eyes are painted with black paint. You can use large buttons or eyes from one of your old toys.
The stork figure is ready. It can be easily attached to any surface. With the onset of inclement weather, it is better to remove the product and store it in a warm room until spring.
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Conclusion
- The most labor-intensive work on a garden stork is creating its plumage - each feather must be worked on by hand, giving the edges a jagged or fringed shape so that they look like natural bird feathers.
- Feathers from transparent bottles should be painted white and black so that they imitate the natural plumage of a stork.
- Before painting the feathers, they need to be wiped off from dust and rubbed with an alcohol solution so that the paint goes on evenly.
- The easiest way to make a stork is to make it entirely out of foam and sharpen it with a knife and rasp to the desired shape; the simplest wing without a frame is made from a piece of plywood, which is screwed to the homemade body with self-tapping screws.
- The body with a neck can be made from a plastic 5-liter canister with a cut off handle and neck, into which a corrugated tube is then inserted.
- You can make a garden sculpture from the remnants of building materials lying around after renovation, and it will cost almost nothing. Additionally, you will only need to buy acrylic paints in order to draw the eyes and color the feathers.
Making a stork from foam plastic
As a rule, after external insulation of walls, quite a lot of foam scraps remain. They do not have to be disposed of. You can make many interesting and beautiful crafts from this material. Polystyrene foam is lightweight and easy to process. You can make a stork from foam plastic quickly, without using complex tools.
For work you will need the following materials and tools:
- glue;
- sharp knife;
- steel rod;
- wood saw;
- pliers;
- sandpaper;
- black paint;
- paint brush.
Making a stork sculpture for the garden is carried out in the following sequence:
- Blanks are made from wire that will imitate the legs of a bird. Their lower ends are sharpened. The upper ends of the rod are bent at right angles for fastening in foam.
- The contours of the bird's body parts are applied to the foam. The largest piece should be the central part of the torso. The remaining fragments will be needed to give the figure volume, create wings, neck and head.
- The blanks are cut out. This is best done with a saw.
- Steel rods are attached to the central part of the body. In order for subsequent fragments to fit tightly onto the base, grooves are made in it for the rod. To avoid lateral vibrations, the rod is fixed to the base with additional brackets.
- Styrofoam strips are glued to the central part of the body, adding volume. Wings are glued on top of them.
- The neck and head of the sculpture are placed on the pin.
- Using a knife and sandpaper, the stork figure is given its final shape. Additional finishing is not needed, since a relief imitation of feathers can be created on the foam.
- The tail and wings of the bird are painted with black paint. The beak can be wrapped with red electrical tape or painted.
The final stage of needlework is the eyes. They are made from steel bearings or glass balls.
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Unusual option
The master class on making a stork, which is based on a large plastic bottle with a volume of 6 liters, is worthy of attention. To make the head, you need to use foam, which will need to be carefully cut out. Don't forget about the shape of the beak and eyes. Black pebbles can act as eyes and are fixed with glue.
The beak can be made from an ordinary plastic bottle. It also sticks to the head. A large plastic bottle will act as the body. You need to cut off the neck of it. Special metal mesh - wings. If the bird's wings are bent, it is necessary to make appropriate bends on the mesh.
The legs are made of wire, which is folded in several layers. The feathers will be from light-colored plastic bottles. They are cut so that individual feathers look realistic. Fixation is done using wire to the wings themselves.
To make the neck look voluminous, the bottles need to be finely chopped to create a fringe. They are arranged in rows. Small bottles are placed on the paws, which are also cut at the base. If the fixation of parts seems weak, then the fastening process can be carried out using self-tapping screws.
Making a stork is not a very long or difficult undertaking. To bring your idea to life, you can use the recommendations provided. However, you can make certain adjustments to the idea that will allow you to create a unique and original product.
And your bird can become the founder of a whole bird family in the country. For example, a stork can open a bird gallery, but a homemade flamingo, peacock, heron will continue it... Fantasy is limitless! Some craftsmen simply paint the plywood blank and cover it with varnish. The result is a unique painting on wood, where fantasy images are combined with your own creative abilities.
Your garden will truly become a place of miracles.
Using polyurethane foam
An unused foam balloon can be successfully used to make a three-dimensional figure of a stork. Using foam, you can quickly make a three-dimensional blank from which to cut out the desired shape.
To work you will need:
- plastic bottle with a capacity of 5 l;
- scotch;
- Styrofoam;
- steel rod;
- primer;
- paint brush;
- acrylic paints;
- sharp knife;
- rasp.
There is a similar set in the pantry of every home. There are no additional costs required.
A garden decoration in the form of a stork sculpture is made in the following sequence:
- The steel frame is assembled. For strength, it can be fixed by welding.
- A plastic bottle is placed on the frame.
- Styrofoam strips are taped to the neck wire. You can grind them to shape in advance and glue them together.
- The pins intended for the legs are fitted with thigh parts machined from foam plastic.
- The finished frame is moistened with water. Foam is being applied. It covers the entire surface of the workpiece, except for the wire simulating legs.
- After the foam hardens, all excess is cut off. Relief is created using a knife and rasp. After finishing, the sculpture is cleaned of sawdust and dust.
- The dried product is coated with a primer. Next, the bird needs to be painted with acrylic paints. Varnish is applied over the paint.
To make the sculpture more realistic, you can use natural black and white feathers, which are inserted into the tips of the wings and tail.
For reliability, they need to be placed on polyurethane glue.
The finished figure can be installed in the garden for a long time. A stork decorated with acrylic paints withstands ultraviolet radiation, cold and moisture.
First, decide where you will place the stork figure, because this determines what kind of base the craft will have. Traditionally, such figures are attached to trees, constructing a nest of branches under them. But you can place the stork on the roof of a house or in a flower bed on the ground.
We decided to make a whole composition, which will include not one, but two figures of a stork; if you repeat everything exactly after us, you will get the same thing.
Where to start making decor
It has been proven and tested in practice that all ingenious inventions are simple and accessible to everyone. This simple composition is acceptable in terms of material costs and complexity for people seeking to embellish and ennoble not only their territory, but also the surrounding space.
You will have to work with plywood. Quite suitable material for those who are trying to master carpentry lessons. The material is easy to cut, although quite strong and dense. It can be processed without a grinding machine, using sandpaper. After covering with several layers of drying oil or varnish, it is not at all susceptible to swelling, delamination, or cracking due to external influences of precipitation and temperature changes.
Plywood storks for the garden are made from medium grades and thicknesses of wood board. It is impossible to exclude the influence of environmental factors, but looking for the most expensive and high-quality plywood for outdoor exposure is an unwise decision. Therefore, it is pointless to describe the characteristics of the material in detail. Whatever they get, a superb creature from the feathered family will be molded from there.
You need to start by roughly imagining the actual size of the bird in order to know the specific parameters of the consumables. Plywood sheets come in different sizes, but there is no need to cut a two-meter bird. If a stork settles in the front garden, then a small bird will fit into this space, perhaps more than one. And if you attach it to the pediment of the house, a clear example in the photo, then it is advisable to make a larger-scale decor so that it is visible from afar and does not get lost.
How can such beauty be lost, even if the color scheme is simple and at the same time bright? Looking ahead a little, we will have to stipulate that the color of the finished stork, cut and assembled with your own hands, includes only three colors: gray, red, black.
Based on the description of the stork for the dacha or garden, you can already make an estimate of materials for its production:
- plywood sheet;
- paper or finished sketch;
- pencil, scissors;
- jigsaw;
- paint with brush;
- ship varnish.
Work sequence
You can cut a stork from plywood in a matter of hours. Sleight of hand and imagination will speed up the process without hindrance. The first step is to draw it. Everyone imagines what a stork looks like, but not everyone will be able to portray it.
The plywood stork drawings in the photo make the first step easier. All that remains is to project them onto a large paper format. As can be seen in the proposed sketch, a pattern, compass and other technical tools are not useful. Anyone can draw two ovals and connect them with smooth lines. Try to depict a bird with a long neck, beak and wings in such a way that the silhouette resembles a representative of the stork order. The better the proportions are maintained relative to the template, the greater the chances of getting something similar to the source.
Next, the drawn silhouette must be cut out. The plywood stork stencil is ready. Even a schoolchild can do all the stages of creating a symbol of devotion and good luck, so the participation of children will not hurt. The paper stork must be placed on a plywood sheet and lightly attached with buttons, a stapler, or tape, whatever comes handy. Trace the outlines with a pencil. The lines must be clear so that when cutting, all the smooth curves of the body and the sharp angles of the beak, tail and wings are preserved. Now you can start cutting. At this stage, there is no need to rush and put strong pressure on the jigsaw. You need to work slowly.
The plywood stork template will be completely ready after careful sanding on all sides. The first sanding is done with coarse sandpaper, after which it is necessary to go through fine-grained sandpaper a couple of times, including cuts. When the surface becomes smooth, without burrs, the most beautiful stage of creating a creation with your own hands begins: assembling all the parts into a single product.
Screwing the legs and gluing the wings is quick and easy. If the stork takes up residence in the garden, it must be placed on a base. Take a small block of wood, drill holes in it, generously coat them with wood glue and insert the legs. It will take a little time for the wings and support to dry. It is advisable to press it with a clamp and fix the wings with the body.
After which it’s time to paint the bird. The most popular and suitable paint is acrylic. The color pattern is shown in the photo: the beak and legs are red (can be dark orange), the body is light gray, the plumage of the tips of the wings and tail is black, the eyes are marked with small black circles. Apply varnish when the paint is dry.
That's the whole procedure! A video with a lesson on how to make a magic bird is attached.
Arrangement of crafts
It’s not enough to make a stork out of plywood. Regardless of the location of the plywood stork, you still need to make a nest for it. It will even resemble the real thing, because it will have to be built from thin branches. On a horizontal surface, the nest should become like a stork's. Just as wide and deep. On the roof gable, the nest can also be imitated. Make it voluminous so that the composition looks complete.
If desired, the stork is given a pair. Then he is not alone. “Producing” miracle birds is inexpensive, so after several training sculptures, you can take on more complex and labor-intensive designs.
How to make a stork figure
Despite the fact that the figure turns out to be spectacular, it will only take a few hours to create it.
First, use a sharp knife to cut out the bird's head with a base for the beak from foam plastic. Make eyes right away; you can draw them, or glue black beads instead.
Cut out a beak from a bottle of a suitable color. Ours consists of two parts. Do everything exactly as in the photo. The finished beak is glued to the head.
Now let's create the body of the bird. For this purpose, we prepared a canister, the handle of which we immediately cut off so that the shape was close to the real body of the stork. We attach a mesh to the body, bent to the shape of a canister. We immediately cut off the excess parts.
We make the legs from a rod, and prepared the board as the base of the figure. Attach the rod to the board as shown in the photo.
Now let's move on to the most interesting part: we will decorate the figure with plastic spoons. Start working from the tail, gradually moving further along the body.
The head and body are connected with wire, and to make the neck look natural, we attach a corrugated hose to the wire. We make linings from plastic bottles so that they look like feathers.
Also, the cut out elements of the bottles go to the feathers of the wings. Lay so that each next row partially overlaps the previous one. You can fasten the plastic together with a stapler.
At the last stage we connect all the parts together. The result is a figure of a bird, but to make it more realistic, it should be painted correctly. Pay attention to which parts of the figure are painted.
Having the skill of making a stork figure, you can make other bird figures: plastic bottles and spoons make an excellent imitation of plumage.
Almost every person has heard that storks bring children. Yes, that's not true. But only if we consider it in the literal meaning of this sign. But legends are not born just like that, without some kind of justification, right? And it’s not just that you can often find children near maternity hospitals, on the territory of children’s institutions and on active play areas.
And is this only where the mysterious power of the beautiful bird lies? What else can a figurine of a stork bring to the owner’s home and why is it believed that a sculpture of a stork is an excellent gift for everyone to whom the giver wishes goodness and prosperity?
Master class on making happiness
In order for almost real storks to appear on the paths of your garden, you will only need a few hours of passionate DIY work.
- Cut out a head with a beak from a piece of foam plastic, draw eyes or glue in black beads with your own hands.
- Cut a beak in two parts from a dark bottle and glue it in place.
- We begin the master class on making a body by cutting off the handle in the canister. Then you need to bend the mesh with your own hands to the shape of the canister and trim off the excess.
- To make the legs, bend the rod and secure its ends to the board.
- We are conducting a master class on making plastic feathers.
- Attach the feathers to the canister, starting from the tail.
- The master class on attaching a neck begins with attaching the reinforcement wire. Then a hose is put on it.
- Attach small “feathers” to the neck with tape.
- Secure the feathers to the mesh.
- The stork for our garden will stand with its wings folded, so we simply attach all the feathers with a stapler with our own hands, overlapping each previous row by a third.
- We finish the master class by connecting all the details and decorative tinting of the eyes, beak and legs. You can install this bird with your own hands in the depths of the garden for the whole summer. It will not be damaged by rain and will not fly away.
Fashionable toys today, hand-sewn from ordinary fabric using simple patterns. We will not fully describe the master class on their manufacture.
- Cut out the details of the craft from fabric, sew and stuff with any filling.
- Separately, you need to make a beak (can be made of cardboard) and attach it to the head. All that remains is to make the clothes, glue the eyes, wrap the baby and hand it to the stork.
Of course, such a wet bird cannot be placed on the branches of the garden, but it can decorate a flower pot on the windowsill.
Another way to make your home rich and happy is to make a stork on the nest. You can use tilde bird patterns as a basis. Cut feathers from white plastic milk bottles, staple them together and make wings, decorating the ends with real feathers. Place a few white feathers on the top of your head. Form a tail out of real feathers, sew or glue on eyes and a tie, and place the bird in the nest.
It can be made from ordinary rods, fastened with wire. To make a stork with a baby, put any doll in its wings. The master class on making a lucky amulet is over.
These two rag birds cannot be left on the garden paths, and a master class on making the first stork requires a lot of time and materials. Don’t be upset and just build a nest and cut out a flat bird from PCB or plywood. Color it, put a string bag with a baby in its beak and that’s it, the stork and the baby have already settled on your roof.
It is very easy to make a stork from plastic bottles with your own hands; the master class will allow you to complete this product in a short time. In this case, it is necessary to strictly follow all the instructions in order to get a really good result. The product can be placed on a personal plot, which will make it possible to decorate the area.
A master class allows you to make a stork yourself, for which you need to use plastic bottles and other available materials. To make the craft look most realistic, you need to make blanks from plywood. Wings and a body are drawn on them. The prepared templates must be carefully cut out.
For work you will need the following materials:
- plastic bottles;
- insulating tape;
- self-tapping screws
It is better to take opaque (white) and dark bottles, and then arrange them, and only red electrical tape will do.
The previously prepared templates need to be combined. For this you will need self-tapping screws. To make feathers, they use white bottles, in which dairy products are usually sold. They need to be cut so that you get strips of the same width. You need to make a lot of shallow cuts along the edges to get the fringe.
The resulting wings are fixed on the body of the bird. To make the fastening as strong as possible, use a glue gun. It must be applied carefully, without leaving traces of glue on the body. To make the tail and the rest of the body, which will be located below, you need to use dark-colored plastic bottles. For example, beer is sold in such containers.
The beak can be obtained from a plastic bottle blank, since the stork has a red beak, the base is wrapped with red electrical tape. The stork also needs legs. To make them, you can use thick wire. For the eyes, take large beads, which are attached to the head with glue. This completes the DIY stork for the garden. It can be placed near a flower bed or on some kind of stand.
Symbolism of a bird and a stork figurine
Storks are indeed associated with a huge number of beliefs and legends that have come to us since ancient times. In ancient times, people believed in this majestic bird, considered it sacred and endowed it with enormous magical powers. Even then, during the times of hunting for food, killing a stork or causing any harm was considered a very bad omen, because such an attitude towards the “deity” entailed misfortunes and even death of the culprit or members of his family, and in relation to the rest of the people it led to crop problems associated with hurricanes, floods, drought. That is why, from time immemorial, residents of many countries protected storks, rescued them, helped build nests and waited for their return every spring.
By the way, the stork was not immediately called a stork, and there is no authentic version of how exactly and why the bird got its name. In the Old Russian, Slavic, Sanskrit, and German languages there are indeed consonant words, but that is why it is so difficult to establish the truth. Today, the most plausible version is that the name “stork” comes from the German magpie “Heister”, and the word first sounded like “geister” and much later became what we hear now. And, again, in different regions of the post-Soviet countries you can hear other names for the same bird: busel, blackgut, leleka, busko, bociun, toad-eater, etc.
Pagan beliefs show that people in ancient times firmly believed that the white stork carried the souls of people who later “turned” into newborns. This is probably where the proverb came from that storks bring babies, but not in a literal sense, but only play the role of an intermediary between God and people, helping souls come to earth.
They say that the first stork figurines were created in order to protect from evil spirits and evil spirits, from bad weather and lightning striking the house. In addition, in different countries they were considered assistants of the gods: in Rome - Juno (motherhood), in Greece - Hera (nurse), in Germany - Holda (awakening of nature), in the Baltics - Potrimpos (spring), etc.
And, of course, the stork sculpture symbolizes the love of children for their parents. In ancient times, the Romans and Greeks were confident that grown-up stork babies took care of their elderly parents and provided them with food. Then even the “Stork Law” appeared, which prescribed care for parents until the end of their days.
These birds are the key to family happiness, because they always break into pairs, take turns hatching eggs and taking care of the babies together, and after a forced flight for the winter, they return to their nests. To this day, storks are the only birds that never leave their family, because even after the chicks become adults, they try to stay somewhere nearby.
Why are garden figures of storks so popular in Ukraine?
If we turn again to the legends, we can recall the legend that tells how storks brought bunches of grapes to the Cossacks in the Tatar prison so that they would not die of hunger. And yes, this is what saved the Ukrainians, who were subsequently freed from captivity. Legends from Moldova, where the stork became a symbol of viticulture, speak of a similar case in the distant past.
It is difficult to say whether this is actually true or fiction. But it is a fact that they enjoy great love not only in Ukraine, but also in neighboring countries. Such garden decor can increasingly be seen not only near some institutions, but also in the courtyards of one’s own home, in dachas, in cities and remote villages. A well-groomed and interestingly designed area always helps to create a cozy, comfortable and peaceful environment, and if it is also a bird that brings happiness and joy to the owner, if it is beautiful and gives the area a special chic and individuality...
At the same time, unlike most garden figures made of polymer, each future owner decides for himself how best to install the statue: on the ground or on the roof of a house, buy storks in a nest for the garden or make it with your own hands, choose a single bird, a couple, family of storks or prefer a traditional stork with a baby. Here, as they say, to each his own, and you can give free rein to your imagination, solving not only the aesthetic problems of the house’s exterior, but also, perhaps, realizing your personal dreams and desires in reality.
Compositions with a stork
Of course, a garden stork can be a completely self-sufficient sculpture. But you can make everything more interesting by arranging a whole composition.
For example, you can build a stork’s nest with your own hands. Place dry branches on a bicycle wheel or an old cart. If necessary, secure them with threads together. Often branches are also painted with spray paint for structural strength.
Full article https://dachadecor.ru/sadovaya-skulptura/aist-dlya...m=email&utm_campaign=daily
Where can I install the stork figure?
Can be installed anywhere and will look great everywhere. The ideal option is lawns and flower beds, especially if you have a stork with a child. A figurine of a stork with a baby can also be installed in a nest on the roof of a house or a tree, if it holds a bundle in its beak and stands on straight legs, because in a sitting position the bird simply will not be visible.
Paired garden storks can also be either in a nest on a hill or on the ground. But where there are several of them, for example, a whole family of parents and children, you can only place them on the ground, since the roof of a house “strewn” with a large number of large birds will look a little ridiculous.
Now a few words about how you can install a decorative stork and where it is better to place the nest if it is to be used. In nature, storks can build their nests not only at high elevations, but also on stumps, even in thickets on the ground. Therefore, if you decide, for example, to cut down an old tree, then you can leave a stump slightly taller than the average height of a person and install it there. This material is light enough to be installed “in all winds” with reliable fastening and at the same time not subject to the influence of negative natural factors such as snow, rain or changes in air temperature.
If you don’t want to raise it somewhere at all, then you can choose a place for it on the surface of the earth, but in order to give it some naturalness, it is advisable to choose slightly shaded places and place it next to bushes or lush green vegetation.
And, of course, they can also be used for home decoration if they are installed on the roof or a nearby pole. They always look amazing, and from afar it will seem like they are actually alive.
Manufacturing stages
Now let's get down to step-by-step instructions.
- The plastic container is the body. We will attach the remaining parts to it. The neck is a wire, which is lined with pieces of foam plastic and secured with tape. We will attach the neck to the body with tape, that is, to the bottom of the plastic bottle.
- We place a piece of foam plastic on the neck - this is the head. We try to round it.
- We also make the thighs from foam plastic by inserting equal pieces on both sides of the neck of the bottle. We fix everything with tape.
- The legs will be made from used electrodes. But metal rods of equal length, or just neatly folded wire several times, will also work.
- There will be a long nail as a beak. You can put a piece of wood on it.
- Before applying polyurethane foam, we check the reliability of the support.
- We apply polyurethane foam on top of the resulting layout with our own hands.
- We polish. All excess must be carefully trimmed.
How to make a decorative nest for a stork
This interesting and very simple piece of garden decor is quite simple to make and does not require any special skills. Yes, if you want to make something truly beautiful and reliable, you will have to spend a little time, especially if you want to give it the most natural look possible. But it's worth it. And, of course, it will look much more interesting than a ready-made composition of a stork in a nest, bought in a store, because “live” branches will be used here, and a few drops of light gray paint on the nest itself will help to add even more naturalness. The work involves collecting, cutting and laying out the branches, but once the process begins, such a pastime will give a lot of pleasure and allow creativity to emerge.
For the base, you can take any light trough, basin or other container, which will later be decorated with twigs. It is advisable not to take old tree branches, because during the installation process they will break or will have to be screwed in with self-tapping screws. If you take something younger and more flexible, it will be much easier to work, and such branches can simply be tied together, sometimes making attachments to the base.
In addition, you can buy a ready-made one and wind the vine onto it, adding completeness and naturalness. What is convenient about this option? The fact that this base initially contains rings into which the standing legs are attached. This is an ideal option for placing a stork’s nest on a roof or other elevation, because it is reliable and ergonomic, and you can also strengthen the fastening if you not only insert the metal leg into the ring, but also weld it.
Now let’s talk about where you can place a decorative nest for a stork and how to fasten it so that the structure is preserved for a long time.
- Roofs. Almost any gable roofs of houses, garages, extensions, gazebos are suitable, on which a durable platform is installed (X-shaped overlays connected by a board). The structure can be secured to the rafters using self-tapping screws or nails. A flat roof should not even be considered, because the nest will not be visible, but if the goal is exclusively a stork figurine, then you can try.
- Tall stumps, trees. This is exactly the case when you don’t have to completely cut down an old tree, but use it as a stunning decoration for the garden, making it the main focus of the entire design of the site. Here, a garden figure of a stork in a nest will look simply magnificent and will be the best decoration. Also, you can place a standing garden figurine here if you attach the stork’s metal leg to the tree with staples or any other way.
- Pipe, chimney. Decorative storks will look great above the chimney, but you should remember that if it is working, then the smoke should come out unhindered. This means you need to either raise it above the chimney by at least a meter using metal rods, or place it nearby. In any of these cases, when the chimney is running, protection from sparks will be required, so it is advisable to fence off
Have you ever imagined, dear readers, that it could be used as...a material for making art objects. Although it may not be art as such, in its literal sense, it is quite possible to make a decoration for the garden - a small sculpture. In fact, polyurethane foam is unusually plastic, hardens quickly and is easy to process - why not a material for creativity?
Today I will tell you how to make a stork sculpture from polyurethane foam to decorate your garden or summer cottage. You need very few materials, and they are very cheap. If you pay attention to how much garden sculptures cost in hardware stores, you will realize that the price of a couple of foam cans is not commensurate with their cost. Besides, our stork will turn out much better. So let's get started.
Stork frame
To begin with, we will select a suitable body for the stork - a frame on which the foam will be sprayed. A plastic water canister with a capacity of 5 liters will do just fine. We make the stork’s neck from wire, and to add volume, you can attach strips of foam plastic to the wire. The stork's legs can also be made from wire, and the nose and head can be cut out either from foam plastic or wood - whichever is more convenient and preferable.
Reviews and comments
Oksana Vladimirovna 12/20/2015
Interesting idea. But is there enough talent? And I’m also worried that the structure won’t be stable. If you make a body from a plastic bottle, then you will probably need to weigh it down with something. So that the wind doesn't blow it away.
Artem 03.03.2016
I made a pig using a 5-liter plastic bottle, although they are mostly just made from bottles, cutting out the necessary shape, but I still had polyurethane foam and covered the bottle with it. The pig came out fat and looked natural. Only to smooth out the foam in the form of leather, I used gloves and lubricated it with oil, so the foam practically did not stick. Painted the top and it was done.
Sergey 06/14/2016
I also make garden sculptures using plastic bottles, but I prefer to cover them with plaster and give them any desired shape. Quite easy and the costs are minimal. Then I simply paint it with any paint and the figure is ready.
Igor 02/01/2017
I also want to make a couple of storks :) (I have two adults, but the price is exorbitant) There are pieces of hard foam, but it’s scary to cut - I’m not an artist - I’m an electrician :)