The aesthetics of a summer cottage is determined not only by neat vegetable beds and rows of berry bushes or fruit trees. It is important to introduce interesting decorative elements into the surrounding landscape , which they do with their own hands using available materials.
Original ideas for giving, a selection of tips and photos presented in the article will be an excellent help for you in creating a beautiful and well-groomed garden.
Garden sculptures
An interesting accent is brought by bright and original garden sculptures that you can make yourself. Use a variety of materials.
- Branches, rhizomes, stumps, tree trunks . Having picked up a snag, a root, a branch, a cut of an unusual trunk in the forest, you can install an attention-grabbing sculpture on your site. If necessary, remove excess parts, grind. You can make a painting, varnish.
Advice! If stumps remain on the site, then do not uproot them. They will serve as an excellent basis for making garden figurines.
- Concrete . The creation of sculptures and whole group compositions from concrete will transform any corner, making it bright and colorful. You can sculpt figures from a fairly dense mass or cast them in special shapes, making a more liquid solution.
Advice! To ensure that the finished products do not crack or fall apart when they dry, they envisage the use of fittings, especially for large dimensions of the future sculpture.
Also, to increase the plasticity, a small amount of PVA glue, liquid glass is introduced into concrete. Putty is applied to the surface of the finished figures in order to give smoothness, choosing an option that is stable under changing atmospheric conditions. Concrete sculptures are expressive and can be placed in different corners of the summer cottage.
If desired, concrete figures are primed and painted. They use different types of paint:
- acrylic;
- enamel;
- aerosol cans;
- front.
After drying, it is recommended to apply several coats of weatherproof varnish.
Increasingly, colorful fishnet balls appear on the garden plot. In their manufacture, a thick cord is impregnated with cement mortar and enveloped, forming an openwork pattern of an inflated balloon. After drying, you need to pierce and remove the base. Openwork spheres are decorated or painted if desired.
- Tree . Sculptures made from wood require certain skills. They turn out to be very expressive. Thanks to their natural texture, wooden figures are able to decorate a lawn, a shady corner, a flower bed, and a play area.
- Polyurethane foam . Crafts are gaining popularity for decorating sites made of such an unusual material as polyurethane foam. After drying, the products acquire high resistance to any environmental influences. The light weight and ease of processing attracts craftsmen.
It is taken into account that it is necessary to work with polyurethane foam at positive temperatures. Protect hands with tight gloves. Distribute the foam in layers, observing a break between them for at least 10 minutes so that the finished product acquires the necessary integrity and does not fall apart.
The frame will require various containers that can be filled with sand or soil. Also, depending on the product being made, you need to stock up on wire, wood elements. After drying, excess foam can be easily removed with a knife. The finished product is painted and varnished.
Used inventory, dishes, shoes
- Stylish garden décor doesn't have to be an expensive store-bought item. you can do it yourself, the main thing is that the right idea comes to mind. For example, it will not be superfluous to preserve disused containers, household items, inventory, furniture and even shoes. All these items can serve as a magnificent decoration of the landscape with the correct application of decor.
The simplest options include planting in watering cans, buckets, tubs, barrels, wheelbarrows of ornamental plants. Such a mobile flower garden immediately becomes a bright accent spot. It is recommended to grow annual crops in such containers.
Old bicycles, chests of drawers, beds are used as a stand for pots. Interesting compositions are made of pots of different sizes.
Ideas for a summer residence should not be limited to anything. You can create beautiful art objects in the garden from absolutely anything. A flower stream, surprising in its decor, is obtained by putting a tub or other capacious container with soil on the side on its side and pouring a layer of soil with a winding line. After planting low-growing flowering plants, a colorful bright accent is gradually formed.
Small buckets of mayonnaise, various jars are decorated with beads, shells or other decor. They are easy to paint, then varnished. Fill with soil and plant your favorite flowers. From such small details, a vertical composition is easily assembled, decorating the walls of the gazebo, the fence.
Decoration and decor from stones
Increasingly, the surface of flower beds, flower beds, tree trunks is laid out with stones, colored pebbles. Large cobblestones are painted, receiving original art objects. There are many options for using this durable material.
- Glowing stones . An amazing effect is obtained when stones are placed in different corners, which are covered with fluorescent paint. Paths, flower beds, reservoirs are decorated with luminous accents. At night, they emit a mysterious glow, which not only allows you to illuminate the surrounding space, but also brings a fabulous atmosphere to the landscape.
- Painting on stones . With the skills of artistic painting, you can create an amazingly beautiful image on fairly large cobblestones. If desired, use stencils that are suitable for the topic. To increase durability, it is recommended to apply a protective layer of transparent moisture resistant varnish.
- Crafts from stones . Picking up cobblestones of a certain shape, you can make original decorative elements. For example, oblong oval stones are painted in a dark green color scheme. After drying, light green dots are applied with a thin brush. The finished product is protected with varnish. Such improvised cacti are placed in flowerpots filled with rubble and decorate a gazebo, veranda, or create a cozy corner under a spreading bush.
- Dry stream . An original stylish solution is the arrangement of a winding "dry" stream. Its size and direction are chosen, focusing on the features of the site. They often complement the stream with a cozy fountain or an elegant bridge. In the finished form, an unusual, very expressive object is obtained, which becomes the center of the entire landscape.
When self-manufacturing, several operations are performed:
- The contours of the future channel are marked on the surface.
- A layer of soil is removed to a shallow depth.
- The bottom of the channel is covered with small stones, pebbles or coarse sand.
- Large cobblestones are laid out along the edges.
- To enhance the decor, flowering plants are planted, an openwork bridge is mounted.
- Increasingly, when arranging a dry stream, stones are pre-coated with paint. They use muted pastel shades or create bright accent spots from cobblestones with a rich rich color scheme.
Use of car tires
Are there old tires in the garage? Don't rush to throw them away. With the right approach and reasonable application of ideas, you can create a real work of art from them with your own hands. Automobile tires have not lost their popularity as an ornamental material for many years.
They serve as durable, convenient planters for growing a variety of plants. It is not difficult to create multi-level flower beds from tires of different sizes. If necessary, they quickly equip them, swings, comfortable hammocks and even make outdoor furniture.
On a note! Craftsmen have learned to carve graceful flowerpots from tires that can decorate the most ordinary-looking corner of the garden. Increasingly, in summer cottages, there are figurines of animals and birds made of this practically ageless material.
There are many options for using car tires, so it is worth stocking up on this material in order to transform a summer cottage in a certain style and color scheme.
Hammocks
A comfortable seating area is easy to equip with a hammock. You will definitely need a reliable solid support, which is often the trunks of trees.
You can make a hammock for a summer residence with your own hands from thick burlap, tarpaulin or other durable canvas. You will also need a reliable rope.
Manufacturing requires several operations:
- The edges of the fabric are folded and stitched at a distance of 12-15 cm.
- Ropes are threaded into the resulting drawstrings.
- The ends of the fabric are pulled together, and then the product is attached to the supports.
- Hammock on rails . You can independently make a more complex hammock structure on slats from a durable canvas. You will also need slats, metal rings, carabiners, ropes. Having fastened the slats and ropes at the end of the fabric, the hammock is fixed on the prepared supports.
- Hammock chair on a hoop . Very comfortable hammocks made in the form of a chair with hoops. Place it on the veranda, in the gazebo or in the garden. Supplement with decorative pillows to enhance comfort. By installing a small table next to it, you can get a comfortable seating area.
Decoration of garden paths
Allows you to streamline the local area high-quality surface design of the tracks. They use a variety of materials for do-it-yourself styling.
Stone and brick paths
A long-lasting, durable track coating is obtained using stones or bricks. It should be borne in mind that this material is quite expensive, but the high-quality result obtained makes it profitable, due to the long-term preservation of integrity. The decorative characteristics with natural sounding, which allow creating a single composition in the surrounding landscape, also attract.
Paths from plastic modules
Among the new technologies in the design of tracks, the laying of ready-made plastic modules is distinguished. They are distinguished by their light weight, good resistance to external influences, preservation of decorative characteristics over a long operating period. Special tiles are equipped with a backing and locking system that allows you to quickly create a walkway cover. It is important to pre-level its rough surface and lay a drainage layer.
Wood saw paths
Paths paved with tree cuts look very attractive. Preservation of the characteristic texture gives an amazing feeling of closeness to nature. Such a covering adorns even nondescript corners of the garden. It is important to properly prepare the material, given that wood is easily susceptible to decay and mold.
- First, the bark is removed, under which various pests are often hidden.
- Then the surface of the wood cuts is sanded and treated with abundant natural drying oil. You can use special antiseptic agents. After that, the seamy surface must be covered with a layer of bitumen.
- Slices are laid on a pre-leveled surface of the track with waterproofing and a sand cushion.
On a note! There are many options for decorating paths in the garden. For covering, paving slabs, colored pebbles, concrete blocks are used.
Crafts for the garden from plastic bottles
More and more often, various crafts from such an affordable material as plastic bottles are found in landscape design. Their popularity is due to their durability, light weight, elasticity, and ease of processing.
Palm
To obtain a colorful palm tree, you will need to prepare green and brown plastic bottles, scissors, a piece of reinforcement for support. On brown containers, cut off the upper part, leaving approximately 2/3 of the total volume below. On these parts, on the upper edge, cuts are made in the form of a crown with scissors, which are bent to the outside.
Holes are made in the bottom, identical to the dimensions of the support and alternately put on a piece of reinforcement dug into the soil. For the leaves, the bottom is cut off from the green bottles. The remaining part, keeping the neck, is cut into leaves. They are put on the upper free end of the reinforcement and fixed.
Dwarves
You can make bright colorful gnomes with your own hands to decorate a flower garden or an area with ornamental shrubs using a plastic container with a volume of 5-6 liters. And also you need to prepare liter plastic bottles, awl, paints, brushes, glue and decorative details for decoration.
From the inside, a clean container is painted in the basic tone by pouring in the paint and turning the dishes carefully. Hand parts are cut from liter bottles. To attach them, holes must be prepared in the main part. For fixing, wire and glue are used. They decorate the face by gluing the nose. The eyes and lips can be painted with paints. Attach decor, hats. For stability, sand or soil is poured into the product.
Carport
Having collected the required number of plastic bottles, you can build an amazingly decorated carport that serves as a shelter for a car. Using the same technology, they make a recreation area, placing light wicker furniture under a canopy sparkling in the sun.
It is important at the first stage to calculate the size of the site and install strong, reliable supports. Holes are made in the bottles, and then they are connected together using an elastic, durable cord. It remains to attach the structure to the posts.
Fence
You can even build a fence from plastic bottles, which will not only carry a protective function, but also serve as one of the key elements of landscape decoration. The material can be chosen in different colors or, if necessary, painted.
Racks are pre-installed, which must be strong. The bottles are connected in rows and fixed to the crossbars. You can distribute elements horizontally or vertically depending on the project.
Tracks
Lightweight and durable plastic containers are an excellent material for decorating the surfaces of garden paths. Using bottles with different shades, you can lay out original ornaments, obtaining a surface with a high degree of decorativeness. Lids or only bottoms from plastic containers are also used.
Rest zone
Craftsmen from such an affordable material as plastic bottles are able to create amazing things, creating, for example, a complete recreation area. Walls, curtains for a summer gazebo are made, as from this material, and they also use multi-colored covers.
Collecting bottles in sturdy structures, armchairs, tables, ottomans are made, which have a light weight with a high strength index. They do not rot or deform when exposed to moisture.
Curtains
From the bottoms or caps of plastic bottles, it is easy to assemble an elegant stylish curtain that will decorate the windows or doors of a country house window, will serve as an elegant decoration for the entrance to the veranda or gazebo.
You can use both transparent material and painted in exquisite pastel colors. A fishing line is used to fasten individual parts. You can make the elements convex by slightly heating them.
Decorative ponds
Any body of water on the site serves as a great place to relax. You can make a small water body yourself.
A pond from a plastic mold
You can quickly make an original pond using ready-made plastic containers. Select a product of the desired configuration and volume.
Stages of work:
- In the allotted area, the contours of the future reservoir are marked and a hole is dug.
- The bottom is carefully leveled, a layer of sand 6-8 cm high is poured in and tamped. If the bowl has a large volume, then additionally a concrete screed is made, maintaining a thickness of about 7 cm.
- The container is installed, the gaps remaining at the edges are filled with soil.
- They decorate the shores with gravel, planting plants.
Artificial pond
It is quickly possible to equip a pond on the site if you use a polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene dense film. Spread it into a dug pit with aligned sides and bottom.
A layer of sand is poured on top for additional fixation. The edges of such a pond can be edged with tiles. Ornamental plants are planted around the perimeter.
Concrete pond
Even a large enough pond is made of concrete. After leveling and tamping the sand cushion, a waterproofing film is placed in the pit. Formwork is installed and concrete walls are poured, and then the bottom.
There are many options for making decorative items from available materials. Even after studying some original ideas, you can independently come up with decoration projects for your own landscape.