Graceful crafts made of harsh concrete. Garden figures made of concrete How to make a turtle out of cement with your own hands

Turtles and gnomes, mushrooms, flowers and leaves - all these cute garden sculptures can perfectly decorate and enliven a summer cottage or the area next to a country cottage. They can be made from various materials, including cut from, for example. Or squeeze out of .

But it is much easier to cast garden decorations from common materials: and. By the way, this can be done with your own hands,.

Features and varieties

Since the figures decorating the site, as well as, will have to constantly be in the open air, they must be made of durable and frost-resistant material (cement, for example, is used only above, and moisture-resistant ingredients are recommended to be added to gypsum). From above, the products are covered with protective compounds that will protect the surface from moisture and destruction.

Let's not forget that large heavy figures may need a foundation (so that they do not sink into the ground). Often there is a frame (made of wire, rebar, or other materials) inside the garden decor.

• As a basis for sculptures, cement can be used, which is convenient and easy to work with, and it is also used for. Concrete products are durable, long service life, easy to manufacture. They are able to stand on the street all year round - it is only necessary to periodically update the surface of the decorative coating (touch up or restore the varnish layer, for example).
• Gypsum is a cheap and affordable material. This is his big plus. There is also a minus - the sculptures are quite fragile, requiring careful care. To increase plasticity and strength, PVA glue is added to the gypsum-based mixture. And there is also the option of making a gypsum-cement mortar. More on this later.

Read on to learn how to make a mortar for country garden sculptures from cement, concrete or gypsum.

Composition and structure

In order for our figurines to turn out not only beautiful, but also not to fall apart in a short time, you need to use high-quality components. Fresh (loose, not caked) cement, river washed, sifted and dried, clean (not from a puddle and not sea) water. Gypsum must also be of high quality: white, dry, crumbly.

Here are some recipes for solutions:

1. For one part of cement powder take from two to three parts of sand. Water is added to the dry mixture, bringing it to the desired consistency (usually the density of sour cream, sometimes a little denser).
2. A gypsum mortar is made by mixing gypsum powder with water to a semi-liquid state (basically, like a concrete mixture, to a creamy density).
3. Gypsum-cement mortar consists of five parts of cement and one part of gypsum, slowly diluted with water until a dense (but fluid) mixture is obtained. PVA glue is added to the composition in the amount of one tablespoon.

As already mentioned, it is also recommended to add PVA glue in small quantities to a purely cement or gypsum mortar. How to make decorative sculptures from gypsum, cement, concrete for the garden and garden with your own hands, read on.

This video will tell you how to paint a garden gnome you made or any other sculpture:

Do it yourself

How to prepare a mixture

To make a concrete mix, you need to take dry cement with sand, mix them, and then slowly add water. You can make the solution in a basin or bowl of a suitable size, mix it with a wooden spatula or spatula. Don't forget to protect your hands with gloves. do it in a similar way.

Gypsum powder, on the contrary, is poured into water (so that lumps do not form). You can use a special sculptural gypsum, as well as construction (sold in hardware stores). Suitable and, based on gypsum. The solution is used immediately.

In the manufacture of a gypsum-cement mixture (remember - it must be dense for easy application to the frame). In dry mixed components, water should be poured in very small portions. PVA glue in all three cases is added at the end.

How to make molds for garden sculptures, read below.

How to prepare a mold for products

Clay or plasticine

For garden decor, there are also ready-made forms (sold in stores). Independent production of a stencil assumes the presence of a sample figure. You will also need clay, which can be easily collected in a quarry.

Having slightly diluted the clay to a plastic state, it is necessary to immerse a sample figure in it. First, we press its front half to obtain an impression, then the back half. Now the clay mold needs to be dried - in the air or in the oven. Two parts are cast, which are then glued together.

Before pouring gypsum or cement-sand mass, lubrication of the inner surface of the mold is necessary. Vegetable oil, vaseline, paraffin. You can also make a composition of two parts of grated soap, seven parts of water and one part of vegetable oil.

For lighter gypsum, plasticine can be used instead of clay, which is easier to mold. We sculpt a figure from it, not forgetting to draw a separation line. Then we apply lubricant - a solution of soap and vegetable oil is suitable. After that, with a spatula or brush, we apply a gypsum mixture, while the layer should not be more than two millimeters.

If necessary, after drying, you can apply another layer. Or several. We work on a flat plane (slightly larger in size than the future sculpture).

This video will show you how to make a mushroom sculpture for your garden:

Made of metal and wire

For animals, birds, men, a metal frame is made, which must be wrapped in places of thickening with a metal mesh with small cells or wire.

To save cement, you can put rags or old crumpled newspapers inside the structure. A fairly thick sand-cement (or gypsum-cement) mixture is applied to the frame.

From improvised materials

From natural materials

A textured sheet (for example, burdock) printed on cement can become a beautiful drinker for birds. To make such a decorative product, it is necessary to pour a hill of wet sand on a flat plane, cover it with polyethylene and put the selected sheet with textured veins up.

Then a layer of cement mixture is smeared no thicker than two centimeters (we slightly reduce the thickness towards the edges). Let's prepare the base - a piece of plastic pipe filled with concrete. We put it in the center. After two days, the leaf is ready. We paint it.

You can also make so-called "living" sculptures, inside of which lawn grass will be placed. Or other plants.

To do this, you need to prepare a metal frame of the desired configuration, covered with wire. It is tightened with a metal or polypropylene mesh, then soil is poured (where live plants will be planted), after laying a layer of straw.

If you still have not decided what kind of garden sculpture you want, then the following video will help you with this:

Good day to all. April outside. Many gardeners are already preparing for the summer season. They not only plant plants in their garden, but also love to decorate it. Recently, it has become especially fashionable to decorate your garden with crafts made from waste material - plastic bottles, tires, and so on. I also decided to decorate my garden with handmade crafts. And I made a forest clearing with mushrooms and hemp.

To make it I needed:
- A semi-circular plastic plate and a small plastic ball.
- Cement, sand, water.
- Disposable cups (volume 0.5 l. and 0.1 l.).
- Knife.
- Form for pouring (an old leaf for the oven).
- Brushes.
- Oil paints.
- Green plastic bottle.
- 5 liter plastic bottle.
- Primer for painting.
- Masking tape.
- Scissors.
- Matches, a candle.
- Sandpaper.
- Glue.
- Optional (flowers, butterfly, ladybug).

First, I took a plastic plate with a round bottom, for insurance, greased it from the inside with a drop of sunflower oil, so that the mushroom cap would come out well. I diluted the cement solution and poured it into a plate. As you probably already understood, this is the future mushroom cap.

A little later, when the cement had already set, but had not yet completely solidified, I took a 0.5-liter disposable glass, cut off its bottom and placed it on top of the cap, bottom down and also filled it with cement solution. The mushroom is ready.

I left the mushroom to dry for a couple of days in a warm place. Then without difficulty I took it out of the mold, I also removed the glass from the leg. I also made two small mushrooms. I poured the hats into a small plastic ball, which I first cut in half, and the shape for the legs was disposable cups with a volume of 0.1 liters. When the mushrooms were completely dry, I sanded all the uneven edges with sandpaper.

Mushrooms are ready, it's time to make a stump. To do this, I took a 5 liter plastic bottle, cut off the lower part of the desired height from it.

I glued the workpiece on the outside with masking tape, so that the cement adheres better. The blank for the stump is ready.

Since I wanted to make a clearing, I needed a form to fill it. I thought for a long time what to make it from, and then the idea came to my mind to use an old baking sheet in the oven. I took a leaf, filled it with cement mortar and installed a stump blank and mushrooms inside. All this was left to dry for a couple of days.

Once everything was solid and held together well, I started shaping the hemp. Once again, she kneaded a solution of cement, sand and water, slightly wetted the stump blank with water and began to apply cement to it. I smoothed out all the bumps with a damp brush. Inside the stump, I also applied cement to the sides of the bottle and to the bottom. When I liked the shape of the stump, I left it to dry until completely dry. Here's what happened.

Then I sanded everything again until smooth. The remaining dust was swept away with a soft brush. I applied a primer for painting. When the primer was dry, I painted everything with oil paint. The stump turned out to be brown, the mushroom caps were painted dark brown on top and light brown on the bottom, and the grass was painted green.

She gave the paint time to dry and then took up the additional decor of the forest clearing. I took a green plastic bottle, cut off a strip from it and with the help of scissors gave it the shape of grass. I deliberately cut off an uneven strip, since the grass should be of different heights.

When I take my forest clearing into the garden, I will put a pot inside the stump and plant flowers in it. It will look very nice. I hope you enjoy my garden craft.
Goodbye, see you again.

Cement is not only a material for the construction of buildings and structures. From it you can create a very unusual and rather attractive decor for the garden. This article will be devoted to how to make a beautiful cement craft with your own hands.

What you need to know when working with cement

Various figures of fairy tale characters, objects of flora and fauna, etc. can act as decorative details and elements of landscape design from cement. This material is considered not picky.

Cement crafts need a rather long drying time. Cement mortar can harden up to seven days. To avoid cracks, the finished object is wrapped in a plastic film.

As can be seen from the photo of cement crafts, a hill is considered their optimal location. It can be both natural and artificial.

Paint or varnish must be applied over the primer. And it, in turn, must be applied only after the cement has completely dried. To smooth the surface of the product, it is permissible to use sandpaper.

Concrete or gypsum can act as analogues of cement. Craft ideas and instructions can be found online.

Original ideas for beginners

If you have little or no experience with grout, it is preferable to choose a simple product as a first test. It can be cute mushrooms, colored balls or unusual planters.

Cement Mushroom Craft

Prepare the following materials: an old rubber ball (for a hat), a plastic bottle (a leg will be made from it), a steel bar (fasteners will be made from it).

Cut the ball in half. Place one half in a bucket of sand and pour cement into it. Trim the bottom and neck of the bottle. Insert the blank into the center of the half of the ball filled with cement. Immersion should be 1-2 cm.

Connect both parts of the mushroom with a steel rod and pour the cement-sand mixture into the bottle. Leave the product to dry completely. Then remove the bottle and ball. After a couple of days, the mushroom can be painted and decorated.

Such mushrooms will wonderfully decorate any garden clearing. Instead of a ball, you can use the containers themselves - bowls, cans, etc.

Another interesting idea is a light openwork ball. To create it, you will need an ordinary balloon, rope and cement. The balloon must be inflated to the desired size and wrapped with a rope soaked in a cement mixture. After the craft has dried, the ball must be removed by bursting it. Next is decoration.

Using the same technology, you can make elegant lanterns for the garden or containers for flowers. Rope in this case is not needed. You just need to add a little gypsum to the cement.

One of the most popular varieties of cement crafts for decorating a summer house and garden are garden gnomes. It is not difficult to make such objects of garden and park architecture. You will need cement mortar, a steel bar, old stockings and a rope.

It is necessary to pour the cement mixture into the stocking by inserting a metal rod into it. Using a rope, form a nose, beard and legs. Hang on a hat and leave to dry.

After the workpiece dries completely, cover it with a cement-gypsum mortar. As soon as the polishing layer dries, you can start decorating.

The most original do-it-yourself craft is a leaf fountain. In order to make a sheet of cement, you will need a fairly large leaf from a plant. With its help, we will form its cement copy. We leave it to dry. Then we work it out in more detail and paint it. We build a beautiful fountain from sheets of different sizes, which will decorate your local area.

If you have any difficulties in making cement products yourself, then you can purchase ready-made handmade cement crafts in a specialized store or order them in a workshop.

Photo of cement crafts

If you have a personal plot, then you probably want to equip it beautifully and in an original way. But still, most decorative garden items are expensive. And besides this, they can not be called durable. For those people who have a well-developed inner fantasy, they may well make interesting crafts for their garden from ordinary cement. This material differs from others in its high resistance to various types of natural influences (hail, frost, bright sun, water), but also in its availability.

The nuances of working with cement mortar

After reading this publication, you will learn how to create crafts from cement for the garden with your own hands. Below we will offer you only the best ideas. In order to decorate your backyard plot in an original way, you can use planters, flower pots, all kinds of figurines of fairy-tale characters, and you can also make various objects of the plant world from cement with your own hands. This material does not belong to the category of capricious, but many people have either little or a lot of experience with it. Despite this circumstance, there are a number of basic rules that should be observed when working with cement in order for crafts to be durable and of high quality.

As for the manufacturing technology itself, sweep, it consists of the following:

First you need to prepare the main elements for the job: building sand, cement, tile adhesive and water (for the best plasticity and the lowest risk of microcracks). For one part of cement, you need to take two parts of sand and one part of glue. At the very least, it is necessary to add two hundred and a solution to the water in small portions to the consistency of thick sour cream. It will be much more convenient to work with this mixture: it will not drain, but it will remain very plastic.

All products made from cement will require a long drying time. This process can take up to seven days. In order to prevent the surface from spreading, the finished product must be covered with a PVC film. And in order to give the product a correct and beautiful shape, you need to place the base on a small hill of sand, or deepen it a little. After the product has completely hardened, its surface should be coated with a primer. And only after the end of this procedure, you can start applying paint and varnish.

If your craft has any bumps and roughness, then before priming it, you should finalize the product with a file and sandpaper.

In addition to cement mortar, concrete is used. This material is distinguished by the presence of large fractions (gravel or pebbles), and also by high strength. Crafts made of concrete for a garden plot can be in the form of large monolithic boulders. In addition, concrete is very convenient to use for making the base for all kinds of compositions (a pedestal for a sculpture or a platform for a fountain).

There is another material that is very similar in its use. This is plaster. Yes, it is worth noting that it does not have such strength as cement, but it is decorative and more plastic. With it, you can make hollow figures. For garden creativity, molding, architectural and acrylic types are used. When working with gypsum, it is necessary to take into account its very fast solidification. Often, this material is advised to be added to the cement mortar for the manufacture of sculptures.

The most interesting cement crafts will be presented in the photo. And you will really be convinced of this. If you don't have the experience to use cement for decorative purposes, you can start making something simple. The very first products in your garden can be multi-colored balls, flower pots of interesting shape or cute mushrooms.

In order to make a mushroom, you will need to find an old rubber ball. It is from its diameter that the size of the future mushroom cap will depend. In addition to the ball, you will also need a plastic bottle. It will act as the basis for the legs of the mushrooms. Its size must necessarily be proportional to the size of the hat. In addition to the bottle and the ball, you will also need a metal rod to attach the cap to the stem of the mushroom. The ball must be cut into two halves. One of them must be installed on a bucket of sand and pressed evenly. Then it is necessary to pour cement mortar into the resulting form and level it. At a plastic bottle, you need to cut off the neck and bottom, and insert it into the filled form in the center, approximately immersing it by one or two cm. Next, using a long metal rod, you need to connect the cap of the future fungus to the leg and fill the cavity inside the bottle with a solution. Two, three days the finished product must harden. Then you need to remove a piece of the ball and a plastic cylinder.

Mushrooms of different sizes in the form of a small clearing will look very nice on the garden plot. In addition, it should be noted that your own imagination may prompt you to use other containers (jars, bowls). You just need to make an openwork ball that will seem airy and light. You can use a balloon as a base. All sizes of your future figures will depend on how much you inflate the balloon. Then you need to place any rope in the prepared solution and wrap the ball around. In this case, you do not need to wrap the base very tightly. It is necessary to leave small holes for the subsequent extraction of pieces of the burst ball. After your product is completely dry, you can start decorating. If you cover the balloons with a small amount of cement mortar with the addition of gypsum, then you can get very interesting and original garden lanterns or flower pots.

Using this technology, you can also make beautiful vases for dry flowers. In this case, not only the outer, but also the inner side will be decorated. If you pour the solution into a small hole in rubber balls, then as a result you can get monolithic balls of various sizes. Scattered in a chaotic manner and painted in a variety of colors, they will look stylish and concise. If you use plastic containers in the manufacture of products, you will be able to get a planter for a fat woman, cacti or Crassula Ovata as a result.

The container should be wrapped in PVC film, and a bag filled with sand or clay should be placed inside so that the container can hold its shape. Then it must be covered with cement mortar. After it is completely dry, you need to remove all auxiliary materials. And in the bottom, with the help of a drill, you need to make special drainage holes. Then the product should be coated with a primer and paint. It is quite simple to make a flowerpot using a vase or bucket. One container should be inserted into another, and the solution should be poured into the space formed between them. As a result, you will get a beautiful product. You can decorate it as you go. It just takes a little imagination.

Those cement crafts that are in this article are painted step by step. Our instructions will help you make beautiful products to decorate your summer cottage. Flowers that are planted in a flowerpot, in the form of crossed palms of the hands, will look very original.

In order to make this masterpiece, you will need rubber gloves. They should be evenly filled with mortar. And for rigidity, a metal bar must be inserted into each finger. In order for the product to come out of high quality, you need to try to prevent the formation of air bubbles. After the gloves are completely filled with the solution, they need to be shaped and fixed. After a couple of days, the rubber should be cut and removed. If you need to connect two palms together, you should use the same solution for this. Well, in the end, the surface must be polished with sandpaper, primed and painted.

Complex figures with a frame

Our cement garden crafts are able to attract the attention of everyone. If you do everything right, then your garden will be filled with new colors. It is more interesting to decorate your summer cottage with sculptures of mythical characters and animals. These masterpieces will involve the preliminary construction of a very strong frame and the application of cement in layers.

Very original flowerpots can be made using buckets from the building mixture. At the initial stage, the container of the required size should be wrapped with a plaster mesh and covered with a thick layer of cement mortar. At the second stage of these works, before the mortar is completely hardened, it is necessary to carry out a decorative adjustment, thus making an imitation of an old stump with natural wrinkles on the bark.

Next to artificial reservoirs, it would be quite appropriate to place a monolithic figure of a hippopotamus. But as for the place for the location of the sculpture, it must be determined immediately, and properly aligned, since in the future, the figure will be stationary. As a frame, 2 elongated basins can be suitable, which should be fastened together with a wire. You can come up with another option: a very thick cement mortar must be covered on top of a large pile of broken bricks or rubble. As for the figure itself, it will not contain very complex elements. It's pretty easy to make. After the cement has completely hardened, the figure must be treated with a special fixing impregnation, or with a dry pigment for concrete, carefully rubbing the powder with a sponge.

The most complex sculptures are made in several stages:

1. First you need to make a frame of foam, wire or containers.
2. Then the blank is covered with a plaster mesh.
3. Then the mixture is applied in several layers.
4. Next, small details are formed (clothes folds, facial features, clear texture, etc.).
5. At the last stage, the primer and painting of the finished work is carried out.

Flower vases in the form of swans will be a very beautiful and elegant decoration of your garden. An old plastic basin will serve as the body frame of the future swan, and the neck will be made of interlaced wire. You will need to make wings, head and imitation plumage from cement mortar.

Powerful monolithic figures will have a lot of weight. For this reason, there is a method of making lightweight large-sized sculptures. You can also decorate and enliven your garden with boulders of various sizes. In order to make them, you need to take a wire and tie a light and unnecessary material (plastic bottles, cutting foam, polystyrene) into a very tight ball. The base you have received should be wrapped with a plaster mesh and covered with a thick layer of cement. The more protrusions and irregularities you get, the more natural and natural the stone will look. And you can make small garden figurines from a mixture of cement with the addition of gypsum or Portland cement to it. In this case, you can apply the above manufacturing methods, and also any basis: clothing items, old unnecessary toys, household utensils).

Step-by-step instructions for making: 3 master classes

Below we will present cottage crafts made of cement, which you will be happy to do with your own hands. Just prepare everything you need, and also be patient. In this case, you should be fine. In order to analyze in more detail all the existing nuances of this work, we will try in this section to consider the best master class with a step-by-step explanation of the work being done.

Spectacular flowerpots made of fabric and cement.

In order to make flowerpots for your garden from fabric and cement, you can use either Portland cement or pure cement mortar without any additives. In this case, the mixture with the addition of water should turn out to be very liquid. In addition, you will need a bucket or other container for the frame, a piece of cloth and a piece of polyethylene.

The material must be very dense and perfectly absorb liquids. In this case, synthetics are simply not suitable for these works. It is best to use cotton fabric.

First you need to cut a piece of the fabric you need. If you need smooth edges, then you should round them.

Then you need to moisten the cloth well in the cement mortar.

A PVC film should be fixed on the prepared container.

From above it is necessary to lay out and smooth out the matter moistened with cement mortar.

After a couple of days, the cement will completely set, and you can remove the bucket without any difficulty.

The finished product must be slightly moistened with water and left to dry completely for 5-6 days.

In the finished flowerpot you can plant even large plants.

Funny cat for the garden.

First you need to prepare a frame from wooden slats and a cut plastic bottle. Next, we will fasten them with wire. The solution should be made from sand and cement in a ratio of 1 to 1. Gypsum can be added during work. Being engaged in the gradual application of the solution, it is necessary to create all the details of the sculpture. The finished figure should be polished with a wet hand and left to dry for 3-4 days. The final touch is painting with water-based paint or enamel.

Large drinking bowl for birds and pets.

A very interesting and versatile decoration for your backyard will be a sheet of cement. On a small mound of sand, you need to lay a PVC film, then a large sheet. (the mound will help us get a figure with a slight indentation, but not a flat one). If you find small holes in the sheet, then they need to be closed with small leaves so that the cement solution does not leak. Then the sheet should be covered with a thick layer of mortar. And insert a small piece of plastic pipe into the center and then fill it with cement. This will serve as the leg of our leaf. For 2-3 days, the workpiece must be covered with a film until it dries completely. Then you need to remove the sheet, prime and paint the finished product.

Summing up

We hope that now you will be able to create beautiful cement crafts for the garden. Decorate your yards with something beautiful and draw attention to them.

Concrete is an artificial stone material that is obtained from a binder, aggregate and water. As the basis of concrete, cement is most often used, sand or fine gravel is used as a filler. Cement concrete is a strong and durable material, characterized by frost resistance and fire resistance. In the article we will talk about the master class garden figures made of concrete, we will give instructions and advice to gardeners.

The brand of concrete directly depends on cement, the brand of which exceeds concrete by 2 - 2.5 times. For example, for medium plastic concrete grade M - 200, Portland cement cement grade M - 400 is required.

Selection of the brand of concrete, depending on the brand of cement, composition of the sculptural mixture, calculation of components

To prepare concrete, measure 1 weight part of cement, 3 parts of sand. Water is added so much that the mixture resembles thick sour cream. You can use any drinking or technical water. Water from a reservoir with various impurities or waste water with oily or acidic compounds is not suitable for solution.

As a measure of the components of the mixture, it is convenient to use a 10 liter bucket, which contains:

• Cement - 13 - 15 kg,
• Sand - 14 kg,
• Crushed stone - 15 - 18 kg.

Tip #1. Note! Usually crushed stone is used for large or monolithic forms.

Step-by-step instructions for making figures of varying complexity

Modern gardeners place purchased and home-made figurines on the plots. Depending on financial freedom, various forms can be acquired, but, like any commodity, they are repeated, and they cost a lot.

It is not only possible to create a unique copy, but also quite affordable both in terms of materials and money. The general principle of constructing figures is similar to one another, some features differ. In general, the sequence is:

Stage	Description
Step 1.	Mixing the sculptural solution.
Step 2	Form preparation.
Step 3	Filling the mold with solution.
Step 4	The hardening of the mold depends on the components included in the mixture.
Step 5	Removing a shape from a mold
Step 6	Product painting.

Creating garden figures has some nuances. Most often, relatively simple methods are used: pouring the solution into a flexible or rigid form, stencil prints, figures on frames. Let's talk about the features of each method in more detail.

How to make a garden vase in the form of a hand

In independent modeling of garden figures, the principle of lithium or sculptural modeling is used. The prepared solution is poured into a mold, in this case elastic. For this you will need the following materials:

1. A mixture of cement and sand 3: 1, with the addition of water to a state of thick sour cream.
2. For final sanding, putty for concrete,
3. Impregnation for strengthening concrete,
4. Sandpaper with fine grit for grinding the surface of the product (or hand sander)
5. A rubber glove and a container in which the form fits freely.

When everything is ready for work, you can proceed with the execution:

• The cement mortar is kneaded, if desired, a coloring pigment can be added.
• It is important to remember that you need to mix it dry, and only after that pour in water.

The mixture is poured into a mold that serves as a glove. To make it easier to remove after solidification, it is advisable to grease it from the inside - machine oil or drying oil.

• The completed form is given the desired position. For rigidity, a wire can be inserted into each "finger". It is better to bend it in half and move it into the form with a loop forward so as not to tear the glove.
• The solution hardens for 2-3 days. After this time, the glove can be removed by first cutting.
• The finished form is sanded with sandpaper and the surface is painted if no pigment was originally added.

The figure can be used as a stand-alone installation or flower stand.

Artificial stones for rock gardens and garden decor

Gardeners do not always have the opportunity to buy natural stones for a rock garden or just for decoration. There is a way out, you can cast artificial stones. For the mixture you will need cement, sand, crushed stone or gravel, water. A solution is prepared from these components in the ratio of parts:

• Cement - 1,
• Sand - 3,
• Rubble - 5.

With this method, you can cast not only stones, but also any other figures.

Features of creating a flower vase in the form of a leaf

Decorative concrete technology is widely used in interior design. (It also has the name liquid or polished.) The principle of execution is the overlay of a stencil to give a certain texture. This method began to be used to create garden figures.

• To get a curved stone sheet, you need to give it the desired shape.
• It can be done by pouring a hill of wet sand on plastic wrap.

Cover with a film on top and lay a stencil on it, for example, a large leaf of burdock.

• The resulting form is covered with cement mortar, with a layer of 5 - 10 cm. The upper side is the future wrong side.
• The sculpture is kept for 2-3 days until completely dry.
• Turn over, remove the sheet, paint and varnish.

Method for making figures on frames

For more complex forms, a rigid base is needed, as for professional sculpture.

Frames can be made independently or bought ready-made, they are sold in garden stores for bulky flower beds. Most often these are animal figurines.

Homemade frame is made of the following materials:

1. 8mm thick wire that is easy to bend yet holds its shape.
2. Cord for fastening wire.
3. Grid steel or polypropylene with small cells.
4. Cement or plaster mixture.

Tip #2Note! The frame remains in the middle, so it is made of frost-resistant materials.

You can sculpt a sculpture yourself if you follow these rules:

Stages	Description
Step 1	Make a frame.
Step 2	Install it in a permanent place.
Step 3	Prepare a cement or gypsum mixture.
Step 4	Apply the first layer of mortar to the entire surface of the framework. You need to work in latex or rubber gloves. The next layer is smeared only after the previous one dries. And so several times, until you get a form that fully satisfies the plan.
Step 5	The surface is polished.
Step 6	They paint the figure using building paints for external work. In conclusion, it can be covered with a protective varnish.

How to paint the finished concrete product

1. For concrete surfaces, a special acrylic paint based on organic solvents is used, such as Aquapol. Due to the composition, it has increased adhesion to the surface, which increases wear resistance. The paint withstands temperature changes, designed for painting concrete floors.
2. Recently, polymer impregnations have been increasingly used, for example, Proteksil or special paint Teksil. The products penetrate deep into the concrete surface, which increases strength and prevents cracking. The main condition for optimal application is the cleaning of concrete from dust and dirt. It is also necessary to degrease the surface, no preliminary primer is required.
3. "Lakotex" - a means to protect concrete products from the negative effects of environmental factors. The advantage is to protect the surface from dust, dirt and temperature changes. The disadvantage is that the composition of the product includes chlorinated resin.
4. "Betoxyl" - polymer - acrylic paint resistant to temperature changes from minus 400 to +500, which allows concrete garden products to be in the garden in winter. To achieve more durable strength, it is better to prime with Betoxyl-primer before application.

Overview of the range and cost of purchased garden sculptures

A wide variety of garden figures and sculptures are on sale. Their cost depends on the size and material from which they are made. Features of materials, their approximate cost:

№	Material name	Peculiarities	Approximate cost
1.	Gypsum	It is considered the most common for sculpture. This is the most fragile and short-lived material. Products from it do not last long and are more often used in the interior than in the garden. Advantage in low cost. Such a sculpture does not serve for long, perhaps only one season.	The cost of the product, size 15 cm, from 125 rubles.
2.	Concrete	Durable material with a service life of at least 10 years, if concrete of a grade of at least M 400 is used.	Figurine with a height of 25 cm - from 1500 rub.
3.	Polystone (or other polymeric materials)	This is a synthetic stone made from acrylic resins, with the addition of natural stone chips and other components. The properties are not inferior to natural stone. Withstands high and low temperatures Has anti-shock properties Resistant to sun, wind, rain, snow, acid and alkali, Does not emit harmful substances.	Form 30 x 40 cm From 1000 rub.

Rubric: "Questions and answers"

Question number 1. What to add to concrete for strength?

Modern additives to concrete are fiber fillers. They bind the material, reduce fragility, that is, the concrete does not crumble and does not crack. More often than others, the following fiber additives are used in construction:

• Polypropylene,
• basalt,
• Fiberglass.
• Fiberglass.

Their volume is 2 - 5% in the total composition.

Question number 2. Where is it better to place garden figures made of concrete on the site?

The choice of location depends on the design intent. It is important that the sculpture decorate the garden, and not look like an out of place object. The figure must correspond to the stylistic image and comply with the rules of composition.

1. Dimensions are determined by the size of the space in which it is located. A well-chosen form does not get lost like a pea on a huge dish, and does not look like a huge heap in a small area. The optimal distance from the object to the viewer is 2 - 3 heights.
2. The appearance is consistent with the surrounding landscape and does not contradict the overall composition.
3. If the form serves as a garden vase or a stand for mobile flower beds, then the plants should be one with the MAF.

Question number 3. What flowers to use to decorate the figure?

Most often, annuals are planted - petunia, ageratum, marigolds, antirhinum, lobularia, verbena. Read also the article: → "". The recommendation is as follows: if the figure is monochromatic, then the plants can be multi-colored, and vice versa, when the shape is painted in several shades, it is better to plant monochromatic flowers. In any case, the composition looks like a harmonious whole. Plants should not overwhelm the decorativeness of the figure, just as MAF should not prevail over flowers.

Serious gardening mistakes when creating a concrete figure

Mistake #1. Preparation of concrete mix from low grade cement.

The lower the number in the marking of cement, the lower the quality and strength of concrete. For garden forms, it is better to use cement, starting from M 400 and above.

Mistake #2. Some craftsmen forget to grease the mold with a greasy agent before pouring the solution.

After the concrete has hardened, it is almost impossible to separate it from the mold without damage, unless it is smeared with a greasy substance before pouring. Machine oil or drying oil is suitable for this.

Mistake #3. Homemade large-sized concrete without a frame.

If the concrete is not supported, then under the influence of temperature and direct sunlight, it cracks and crumbles. The thicker the concrete layer, the more the bonding base is needed. Even artificial stones are not cast in large sizes.