Winter beauty
Making a kokoshnik for the Snow Maiden with your own hands will not be difficult if you consistently follow all the steps:
- Determine the size and shape of what it should be - like a dome, flower petals, the outline of a snowflake.
- For symmetry, the paper is folded in half and then the base is cut out. The core is made with an indentation of two centimeters;
- Cardboard blanks are cut out using the resulting templates.
- If the cardboard is not colored, then it is covered with fabric on both sides, allowed to dry, then folded and glued the edges;
- The best way to decorate a dress for Santa Claus's granddaughter is with snowflakes, arranging them with rhinestones. It is good to emphasize the contours with fringe or tinsel;
- A beautiful ribbon is sewn to support the headdress on the child's head. Additionally, you can use invisible ones.
Comb part and ribbons
Now it’s time to decorate the comb, which is considered the most important part of a Russian kokoshnik made by hand. Its decoration includes beads and stones.
- The shape of the top may vary. For example, in the form of a crown, diadem or radiant star. This is where there is a place to apply your most intricate ideas and fantasies, harmoniously reflecting the chosen folk motif.
- Both beads and beaded patterns, as well as original fabric appliqués, will look great. They are pre-cut out and then glued onto cardboard for a better effect. After this, they become decorations for the fabric base.
The head decoration you create should be in harmony with the costume as a whole. All elements for decoration should be light and miniature. Then the shape of the dress will be preserved, and grace will increase.
You can use the themes of craftswomen of past centuries, then the outfit will have the proper originality. If such a thing is being made to decorate a bride’s outfit, then an elegant veil and veil would look appropriate. The royal decoration will be emphasized by a luxurious diadem or crown.
The kokoshnik is attached with ribbons. They should be quite wide and long, then the headdress will fit well on the head. It is better if their color is not bright, but rather neutral.
Wooden toys
Scenes from the surrounding life became the theme for creating wooden crafts. In villages, children played with dolls made with an axe. With the advent of the plane and other woodworking tools, toys began to transform and improve.
Tumblers, which are now made of plastic, first appeared in the 19th century. Back then they were made of wood. They were painted to look like merchants, clowns, and funny fat women. Using a knife, two halves were cut out of linden, and a weight was attached inside the round blank. Both parts were glued together, painted, dried and varnished. This traditional Russian toy was the first toy in life for many generations of children.
Ancient folk traditions are being revived again. Russian art, dormant in grandmothers' chests, is becoming more popular every year. It evokes admiration among foreigners and pride among descendants. Now there are many sites on the Internet where master classes show and tell in detail how to make a folk craft yourself.
Clay crafts
In the old days, potters were revered people. They produced household utensils, dishes, and made toys from the remains of clay. Clay was mined near the village. Plastic fatty clay without impurities is located in the soil between layers of black soil and sand. It was soaked in a wooden trough, diluted with boiling water, mixed and placed on a small layer of ash.
Stir until smooth. The images surrounding them were created from the clay mass: domestic animals, peasant young ladies, birds and animals. Bear cubs with a barrel of honey became a symbol of goodness, birds brought happiness to the house, and horses represented a rich harvest.
The figurines were fired in a Russian stove, where dry wood created coals with a temperature of 600 - 700 degrees.
In the morning, the products were taken out of the cooled stove and dipped into a lime solution. After drying, they painted the crafts using natural means - paint from a decoction of onion peels, soot extracted from a chimney, and beet juice. Experienced craftsmen felt the clay and its structure. The hand and soul of the master was felt in every sculpted toy.
Straw masterpieces
Straw is the stems of cereals. The basis of the toy for peasant children was a bundle of straw, folded in half and tied with a rope. The fan-shaped straws resembled a sundress. These were the first straw creations.
Over time, this type of creativity improved, and ideas arose for creating not only human images, but also all kinds of little animals, golden-maned horses, and deer.
Skillful weaving and artistic taste, imagination and ingenuity of talented people led to the creation of wonderful plates, boxes, chests, hoops, bracelets and many other original souvenirs.
Crafts made from material saturated with the sun, nourished by mother earth and the warmth of human hands, create a certain style for a fashionable interior.
