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Artistic processing of birch bark. DIY birch bark crafts for beginners: a master class and the rules for harvesting raw materials

Birch bark is the top layer of birch bark - an excellent material for the manufacture of various products. Products from birch bark occupied an important place in folk crafts, they made toys, dishes, bast shoes from it, used it for birch bark letters, made boats, and used it in construction as waterproofing. At present, birch bark is used to make souvenirs, jewelry, dishes, various baskets, etc.

birch bark

Birch bark is harvested from mid-May to late June. At this time, the bark exfoliates well from the trunk, while in winter it sticks to the cork layer. Dates may vary depending on the geographical area, place of growth, time of onset and nature of spring. The best birch bark for the manufacture of all types of products for birches aged 20-40 years with a smooth, even trunk with a diameter of 150-350 mm. Birch branches should be above the middle of the trunk, and stretch upwards. The most suitable birch bark is for birches growing in moderately humid and moderately shady places.

Before harvesting birch bark, you need to obtain an official permit from the forestry indicating a specific place for harvesting, as a rule, these are areas for deforestation.

The period of harvesting birch bark coincides with the period of activity of ticks, so vaccinations against tick-borne encephalitis and protective clothing are necessary.

The outer layer of birch bark is white, in products it is hidden inside and is called the inner or back layer.

Wrong side of birch bark

The inner layer of birch bark facing the trunk has different shades from yellow to brown, in products this layer is called the front.

The front side of the birch

There are several ways to remove birch bark from the trunk: layer, tape, skunk.

Types of birch bark blanks: a - layered birch bark; b - birch bark ribbon (bast); in - sklon

Seam harvesting

To remove the layer, you need to make two horizontal cuts about 200 mm long at a distance of 500-1000 mm (depending on how you plan to store the birch bark) and connect them with a vertical cut. Having unbent the edge of the birch bark, separate it from the trunk, if the time is chosen correctly, the birch bark will easily separate from the trunk. You can pre-clean the barrel from the top white layer, thereby reducing the amount of work in the workshop.

Removing a giant layer of birch bark from a fallen birch

After removal, the birch bark is dried for 30 minutes in the shade with the front (facing the trunk) side up. The dried layers are laid with their faces to each other and tied with a rope. If this is not possible, then the birch bark is twisted into a roll face up in 8-10 layers and tied up. The layers are stored unfolded in a stack folded in pairs with their front sides, a sheet of plywood is placed on top. It is better to store in a dark, dry, in summer in a cool, ventilated area.

Tape blank

In the forest, a smooth birch without knots and cracks is selected. A vertical incision is made on it with a 4-6 cm knife to remove the tape. Next, the bark must be peeled off in a spiral around the trunk down. The knife is held so that the index finger rests on the butt of the blade, and the thumb rests on the birch trunk, limiting the width of the tape. The resulting tape is rolled into balls or rolls with a white layer on the outside. An experienced master removes a continuous tape 100 meters long. It is important to ensure that the depth of the incision is small, within the cork layer, so that the birch does not dry out and after 10-15 years a protective bark appears on it again. To remove the tape, you can use a special cutter with a limiter.

Birch bark harvesting technology: a - birch bark incisions; b - eat layered birch bark; c - packing of seam birch bark; g - birch bark incision; d - eat birch bark; e - the position of the hand and knife when removing birch bark; g - packaging of birch bark tape; h - eat a birch bark tape with a cutter G.Ya. Fedotov

Skoloten (cylinder)

The trunk of a sawn tree is marked into sections, the length of the skunk should not be less than 1.5-2 trunk diameters plus 100 mm to the height of the planned product.

Having determined the length of the skunk, an annular incision is made, the birch bark is peeled off with the help of a spear (a tool resembling a bayonet). With its flat side, it is hammered between birch bark and bast, and carefully peeled off the trunk along the circumference with translational movements. Then, clasping the skunk with hands or a belt, they remove it, making rotational movements.

After removing the first skunk located closer to the top, saw off the freed end of the trunk and proceed to remove the next skunk. Dried cloths are inserted sequentially into each other.

The technology of harvesting skunks: a - marking areas for harvesting skunks; b - separation of the skunk from the trunk with the help of a pommel; c - a pack of skunks

A necessary tool for harvesting birch bark: a saw, an ax, a knife-cutter, a sword (spoiler).

Tools for harvesting birch bark: a - knife-cutter; b - sochalka

Tools and fixtures

The desktop should be well lit, for convenience of work it is equipped with boxes for storing tools, fixtures and pieces of birch bark.

To protect against damage, a sheet of plywood 6-10 mm thick is placed on the countertop. Not less than 800x500 mm in size.

To work with birch bark, the following tools and devices are used:

Knife-jamb - for cutting birch bark, a knife with a curved blade for stripping birch bark, a knife-cutter, sharpened on one side, for working with slotted birch bark.

Tools for working with birch bark: a - a joint knife; b - a knife for stripping birch bark; c - knife-cutter; g - straight awl; d - an awl with a square section; e - awl - kochedyk; g - clamp; h - round punch; and - triangular punch; k - coinage in the form of a cross

Scissors with thin blades 60-70 mm long - for weaving, tailor's scissors with a thick blade and comfortable handles - for cutting birch bark strips.

A round straight awl, with a blunt polished tip - for marking along birch bark, a shoe awl with a square section - for piercing holes when sewing birch bark products, an awl-kochedyk, a flat spatula awl with a hook-shaped bend - used for weaving.

Wooden and metal rulers of various lengths and squares - for marking and cutting birch bark.

Compasses measuring and drawing for marking.

Tweezers are used when weaving.

Clamps - used for temporary fixation of birch bark strips during weaving and in the manufacture of products from plastic birch bark, they can be made from birch rod, clothespins, paper clips, stationery clips, clamps and a rubber band can be used.

Cutters - used to make a slotted ornament, they are sharpened grooves of various sizes; semicircular wood chisels of a suitable size can be used as cutters.

Punches can be of various diameters and shapes, used for interlocks and standard punched figures. The inside of the punch should be hollow, through which the cut sections of birch bark will be removed with a thin rod.

Punches are made from tubes of various diameters, it is possible to grind punches on a lathe, it is better to make punches from carbon tool steel (for example, U8A).

Chasings - designed for applying an embossed pattern on birch bark, made of dense wood, metal, bone, a pattern is made at the end of the coinage. For small mints, medical drills can be used.

Chasings from wood

Tape cutter F.F. Trapeznikov, designed for cutting a birch bark tape of a certain width. The tape cutter consists of two halves, clamping a slanting knife, one of the halves corresponds to the width of the tape. A layer of birch bark is pressed against the edge of a wooden corner, passing along it with a tape cutter, an even tape is obtained. Tape cutters can be made for tapes of various widths.

Tape cutter F.F. Trapeznikova

Templates are fixtures corresponding to the internal dimensions and shape of future products; they are usually made of wood. You can use bowls, vases, boxes, and other items and containers as templates.

Frame boards are needed for temporary storage of birch bark strips. They are a piece of plywood with a size, for example, 500x300 mm. After a certain distance, elastic bands are stretched, which hold the cut strips in the unfolded state.

Board-frame for storing birch bark ribbons

The scoring board is necessary for working with slotted birch bark, it is made of linden, aspen, beech wood, size is approximately 250x250 mm.

To create various products, you may need materials such as willow rods of various diameters, peeled from bark, steel wire with a diameter of 0.2 to 3 mm, boards from various woods (birch, pine, spruce), linseed or sunflower oil, adhesives such as Moment, PVA, medical glue BF-6 (recommended for the manufacture of birch bark utensils).

birch bark processing

The first stage of birch bark processing is the removal of a thin upper thin white layer from the bark on the rough surface of the tree immediately after harvesting in the forest or in the workshop using an ordinary brush and knife.

The second stage is the stratification of birch bark into layers. Birch bark is multi-layered and not all layers can and should be used in weaving. Therefore, it is necessary to peel off fragile top layers to the required thickness for each specific product, small products are made from thin tapes, and larger ones, such as baskets and boxes, from thicker ones.

The third stage is the cutting of ribbons (bars) of birch bark. There are several ways to cut birch bark: with scissors, with a knife and a ruler, with a tape cutter.

With long-term (more than a month) storage, it does not hurt to oil the prepared strips. You can use sunflower oil. Soak a flannel cloth in oil and wipe both sides at the same time. Roll the strips back into balls and preferably put them in plastic bags for long-term storage.

Without oil, birch bark becomes brittle, brittle and must be soaked in water if it was not kept wet in a plastic bag. After a few hours of being in water, dry birch bark becomes elastic, flexible, ready for weaving. It is necessary to soak the whole ball or package of strips so that the strips (ribbons) do not curl. Good material is not soaked, but moistened with a cloth just before the start and during weaving, using soapy water.

Weaving

There are two types of weaving: oblique and straight. The names are explained by the angle (in degrees) formed by the intersecting ribbons with respect to the horizon. The main type of weaving is oblique weaving, due to its better manufacturability and strength.

Direct weaving is suitable for creating flat products - napkins, book covers, bulk products of salt shakers, boxes can also be made.

Basket made by direct weaving

Oblique weaving is used mainly for the manufacture of bulky products - baskets, vases, caskets, and flat straps.

Birch bark boxes made using the oblique weaving method (work by S.V. Ivanov)

With straight weaving, any number of ribbons is used, with oblique weaving, an even number.

The first stage of weaving the creation of the bottom is obtained by interlacing the strips until a square with a checkerboard pattern is formed, the dimensions of which are determined by the number of ribbons 4x4, 6x6, 7x7, etc. The number of tapes, respectively, is taken 8,12,14, etc.

To fix the strips during weaving, weights (for example, glass) and clamps are used. Having received a clear square, mark the bottom of the future product, it can be square or rectangular. With direct weaving, the corners of the bottom are indicated by the letter - c, with oblique weaving, the projection of the square bottom is indicated by the letters - g, rectangular - e.

Making the bottom of the product: a - the beginning of weaving; b - finished canvas; c - places where the corners of the fabric are connected with clamps and the placement of the bottom of the product with direct weaving; g - projection of the bottom of the product with a square bottom with oblique weaving; e - projection of the bottom of the product with a rectangular bottom with oblique weaving; 1-6 - horizontal stripes; 7-12 - vertically woven strips

Next, the walls begin to form. With straight weaving, it is better to form a volume around a template of the appropriate size. All strips protruding beyond the volume are alternately bent at a right angle upwards and tied with a rope. Then, from any angle, they begin to introduce additional horizontal stripes, gradually intertwining the vertical ones with them. The number of horizontal stripes determines the height of the product.

Manufacture of the product by the method of direct weaving: a - bringing the strips into a vertical position; b - fixing the strips with a rope and weaving horizontal ribbons; in - the formation of the edge of the product; g - finished product

With oblique weaving, the angle is formed at the marking site by crossing and interlacing adjacent strips. After braiding all four corners of the product, they are brought to the desired height. To obtain a product with even walls, you can use a template around which the product is formed. During operation, the strips are constantly pressed against each other to obtain a dense wall without gaps.

After forming the inner part of the product, the ribbons are bent outward downwards and the outer layer is woven. Any product consists of two layers, while the inner - front layer of birch bark will be visible both inside and outside the product.

If the length of the cut strips is not enough, it is increased: they are brought under the previous layer, lifting it with scissors or an awl-kochedyg. Finish weaving on the outside of the bottom.

Manufacture of the product by the method of oblique weaving: a, b, c, - stages of forming the corner of the product; d, e - stages of product edge formation; e - finished product

Tues manufacturing

Tues making is considered one of the most difficult in birch bark craft.

Tuesas are made sheathed and reversible. Sheathing tues usually consists of 4 parts of birch bark: skoloten, shirt and two belts, upper and lower.

Scheme for the manufacture of sheathing tues

The reversible tues consists only of the first two. As a rule, the shirt is connected by a lock, although they made tuesas without a shirt, only with belts. The lock that connects the layer into a cylinder has many forms and principles of fastening.

Locks for sewing a tuesa shirt

1 - stitching the tuesa with birch bark, 2-8 - options for locking joints

Tues can be braided both with the root of trees, and with birch bark, and with a ribbon of wicker, and with rope, and wire. In the villages, tuesas were braided only from above. From below the belt was held by the bottom. For beauty, the lower girdle is also braided.

In the manufacture of an eversion tuesa, the height of the cleavage must be greater than the height of the shirt. Putting the finished shirt on a skewer, steam its protruding edges in boiling water. Then bend two hoops from a willow rod and fasten their ends with threads. The hoops should fit snugly against the stud. Now wrap the steamed edges of the cleaver around the willow hoops, putting them on the shirt. The hoops give the edges of the walls a rounded shape and make the structure rigid, fixing the bottom and holding the lid of the tueska.

Making an eversion tuesa: a - a skunk with a shirt; b - a cover with a handle and a bottom; c - the lower edge of the skunk is wrapped after softening in hot water; g - finished product

Saw the bottom out of spruce or cedar wood. The diameter of the bottom should be several millimeters larger than the diameter of the inner wall of the tues. Before inserting the bottom, steam the edges of the walls again. After that, the bottom will be easily inserted, and when the walls are dry, the bottom will be firmly fixed in the tueska, and the gaps between it and the walls will disappear at the same time.

Saw out the lid from a spruce or cedar board with a small margin. Then, carefully cutting off the edges with a knife, bend it to the tueska. Make sure that the edges of the lid fit snugly against the walls of the cabinet. The lid should fit into the box with some effort.

The handle can be made in the form of a poke. Cut the poke with a knife or turn it on a lathe, insert it into the hole drilled in the lid and hammer in a short wooden wedge from the bottom side for strength.

If the tues is intended for carrying products over long distances, it is imperative to make a handle-bow. A simple bow is done like this. Drill two holes in the lid at an angle to each other. Then, in boiling water, steam a willow twig lightly trimmed on one side. Bending the rod in an arc, insert its ends into the holes. After drying, the rod will become rigid and firmly fixed in the lid. For reliability, the ends of the handle can be wedged.

But the handle with a lock turns out to be the most reliable and beautiful. Regardless of the size of the tuesa, such a handle has fairly constant proportions and dimensions. Most often it is done on the hand of an adult.

From willow wood, carve a handle blank.

Punch two rectangular holes in the lid. When marking the holes, make sure that the wood grain on the lid runs across the line where the holes are placed. In the drawing, this line is given in red.

Steam the handle-bow blank in boiling water, carefully bend it into an arc and insert the ends of the handle into the holes in the lid. Drill two holes in the ends of the handle protruding from below and use a chisel to shape them into a wedge shape. Cut a wedge out of spruce and hammer it into the holes in the shackle. The wedge will firmly bind the lid to the handle. But it also has another purpose - being located across the fibers of the lid, it will not allow it to warp, especially if liquids are poured into the tues.

Making handles for boxes

The peasants are well aware that salt stored in a tuesa will never waver, and pickled mushrooms and cucumbers are not only stored for a long time, but also acquire such an aroma that it is sometimes difficult for the uninitiated to believe that spices are not added to the salting.

But still, another advantage of tueska is most valued - water, milk or kvass remain cold in it for a long time, and hot water, on the contrary, does not cool down for a long time. That is why from time immemorial the tues was a frequent companion of the reaper, plowman, hunter, fisherman. The peasant had to notice more than once that even on the hottest days, when the sun scorches mercilessly, the birch sap coming out of the trunk is always cold. This means that birch bark reliably protects the birch trunk from overheating. This property of birch bark is explained by its structure. It consists of many thin layers that do not allow moisture and air to pass through, and the top layer is covered with a white coating that reflects the sun's rays.

Working with plastic birch

To work with the reservoir, it is necessary to choose birch bark with the least amount of inhomogeneities. Required tools: knife, awl. Plast birch bark is used for the manufacture of a wide range of products. These are sewn tuesas, caskets, souvenirs, dolls, dishes and much more.

Jewelry box decorated with slotted birch bark

birch bark dolls

A unique and interesting new direction of birch bark products developed by Vladimir Makhnyuk is birch bark dishes, these are cups, teapots, samovars, you can even boil water in a samovar with steel titanium for kindling (you can get acquainted with the work and technology of the master in his book).

Tea set by V. Makhnyuk

Products made of plastic birch bark and tesa are often additionally decorated in one way or another.

Ways to decorate products from birch bark

Embossing

A method of decorating products from plastic birch bark with the help of chasings and stamps. Chassins are made from various materials: wood, metal, bone. At the working end, a pattern is formed. Embossed ornaments are applied to the product with a certain rhythm, pressing on the coinage with a hand or hitting it with a hammer.

Tuesas decorated with embossing (work by A.V. Shutikhin)

Still hot embossing is used, when the coinage or stamp is heated before pressing, while the imprint in the places of contact with the birch bark will have a brown tint, butthe saturation of which will depend on the temperature of the stamp, the exposure time and the thickness of the birch bark, the main thing here is not to overdo it, the birch bark can burn out.

In the factory, you can make various stamps with complex patterns.

Tuesas decorated by hot pressing

Burning engraving

Drawing on birch bark can be done by burning. To do this, use an electric burning device, the main thing when burning on birch bark is to use the minimum heating of the burning pen.

Birch bark burning (work by T. Kozlova)

Burning can be divided into contour, silhouette and pictorial (see section burning).

Laser cutting and engraving

Cutting and engraving on birch bark can be done using modern laser equipment. On a laser machine, you can carve birch bark, and any kind of burning. This method allows you to produce a large number of identical elements or products, with high productivity.

An example of engraving on birch bark made on a laser machine

Scraping or Scratching

Scraping is used on dark-colored birch bark, as a rule, with a metal tool - a knife, an awl, a needle. Autumn birch bark is used, which is removed from the tree with considerable effort. A thin layer of brown cambium remains on such birch bark, which is removed with a scratching tool during work. Brown birch bark can be obtained by removing the bark from dead birch trees, keeping the freshly cut birch bark for 4-5 days in the bright sun, periodically wetting it with water, holding the birch bark in a swamp at a depth of 10-15 cm for 14 days, dyeing the birch bark with a decoction of alder bark, dyeing it with an organic dye .

Drawing on birch bark is applied with an awl by piercing tracing paper with an image or circling a stencil. Then the birch bark is slightly moistened and with the sharp side of the knife-cutter I scrape out the elements of the ornament, removing the dark layer. You can do the opposite by scraping the background leaving a black ornament or image.

The lid of the box with the image of swans, made by scraping. 14th century

Application

An appliqué is an ornament made of patterns cut out of birch bark, which are glued to a product made of birch bark or other material.

Glass vase with pasted slotted birch bark (work by S.V. Ivanov)

The picture is made of birch bark appliqué

Thread

The carving is usually performed on birch bark taken from young birch trees. On a piece of plastic birch bark of the desired size, a drawing is transferred with an awl, through tracing paper or a stencil. With the help of a cutter, sections of the background are removed. The carving is done on a wooden board, usually made of linden. The same type of elements can be cut with a punch of the appropriate shape. Slotted birch bark can be additionally decorated with embossing.

Making a carved ornament

Tues decorated with slotted birch bark

painting

An ancient method of decorating birch bark products, it was very often used to decorate birch bark tues or beetroots. Primary colors are red, green blue and their shades when mixed with white. Sometimes the whole tues was covered with background paint, and then a drawing was applied. Before painting, the surface is primed, it can be a mixture of chalk with wood glue, or you can use PVA glue. For painting, you can use gouache, tempera and oil paints. To fix the painting, I cover it with oil varnishes.

An example of painted birch bark products

Finished birch bark products are lubricated with linseed or sunflower oil, this adds shine to the product.

Literature:

1. Klevtsov V.I. Weaving from birch bark: 50 useful products. St. Petersburg: Lenizdat, 1996.-158 p., ill.

2. Makhnuk V.G. Birch bark: Technique. Prima. Products: Encyclopedia. - M.: AST-PRESS BOOK. - 168 p.: ill. 2008

3. Finyagin VV Products from birch bark. - M.: Astrel Publishing House LLC, AST Publishing House LLC, 2001. - 128 p.: ill. - (Learning from folk masters).

Like the preparation of other materials for the craft, it is a necessary event and the first work with birch bark, which has to be mastered by a novice artisan. At this stage, the first practical concept will already be formed about the difficulties in the work of a master with birch bark and the properties of the material, about the necessary reserve of patience and dexterity, and, of course, about the philosophy of relations with nature.

The harvesting of birch bark is accompanied by a number of features that must be observed in order not to harm nature and oneself, as well as rationally prepare raw materials for production. After all, do not forget that the properties of birch bark depend on the shelf life (they deteriorate over time), so you should not take more than you can use until the next collection period.

Birch bark is harvested in the places of the planned felling of the forest and by prior agreement with local forestry enterprises. Such work with birch bark in a birch forest can greatly harm the trees, and simply spoil their appearance. Therefore, the harvesting of birch bark is prohibited in parks and near residential villages, unless legal deforestation is planned.

Upon arrival in the forest, be extremely careful and careful - in the grass and on the bushes at the height of a person, someone's dwellings may come across at this time (with yellow-mouthed youngsters, for example), do not cause inconvenience to the inhabitants of such a beautiful place.

The timing of harvesting birch bark depends on the geographical location and terrain. So, in the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions, the period can begin from mid-June and last a month, most often, or a little longer.

Before planning a trip for the material, it is necessary to make test "forays" to determine how well the birch bark is separated from the bast. Such checks can begin to be done in different places from the beginning of June.

Depending on the period and place of collection, various defects in the birch bark will be observed. So, for example, at the end of the birch bark harvesting season in arid places or in an open sunny place, you will observe peeling of the useful (yellow) layer of birch bark in the form of swelling of the film or a change in the color of the birch bark. Such defects can be interesting for the manufacture of various kinds of decorative products, but they will negatively affect the quality of wicker items.

Birch bark tools

Before the trip, you need to prepare the necessary tools and devicesso that working with birch bark is efficient and safe.

The first item available should be joint knife. Such a knife is made from a saw blade for iron, glued into a wooden handle made of soft, non-resinous woods. It is best to have a pair of knives, with a short and long handle (up to a meter long). Knives must be sharpened in advance. In the absence of such a knife, you can use a clerical cutter or a well-sharpened kitchen knife, this will cause some inconvenience, but it will do to collect a certain amount of birch bark. Harvesting birch bark without a knife will be completely unproductive.

You will also have to make something like a flat wooden spatula with non-sharp edges. With this tool, birch bark is carefully separated from the bast, preventing damage to the material and wood.

Twine useful for tying packs of extracted birch bark.

Some masters, in order to more efficiently harvest birch bark, try to climb as high as possible, especially if the birch has a clean, even bark, and the first knots and branches of the crown start quite far from the root. It is very impractical to take a ladder into the forest, so enthusiasts came up with the idea of using home-made devices that resemble the claws of electricians, but without teeth and made of rings of metal wire, so as not to damage the barrel. At the same time, the master ties himself to the birch trunk with a strong wide belt so that he does not cut his back, and, leaving some distance between himself and the tree, climbs as high as possible, starting the collection. This is associated with a certain complexity and risk, so I strongly do not recommend resorting to this method.

One should not go for birch bark alone, it is better together or even with a larger company. In some situations, working with birch bark may require third-party assistance.

The technical and aesthetic properties of birch bark largely depend on the place where birch trees grow and on their age. Depending on the type of product, different birch bark is collected. So for weaving small and medium-sized products, birch bark from birches from 15 to 25 centimeters in diameter is needed. For boxes and motley, thicker material is needed, which means that birch trees should also be older.

In a dense mixed forest, birch bark is most often unsuitable for weaving, as it is too affected by lichen and fungi, but such birch bark can be useful for decoration or in construction. On the outskirts of the forest, birches are too knotty and stocky, which is also not very suitable. In groves with moderate shade on not very dry lands, birch trees grow smooth and slender, which means with high-quality birch bark.

The harvesting of birch bark can start ahead of schedule, because the search for a place to harvest also takes time, and such work with birch bark must be taken into account by the master so as not to catch on in the midst of the season.

Harvesting birch bark begins with a thorough examination of the tree. It is necessary to find out a number of properties, such as the thickness of the birch bark, the presence of knots and moss, the type of lentils.

Lentils are longitudinal strips on birch bark through which some metabolism is carried out, therefore they are popularly called "windows". Lentils should not be too dark and large, you should pay attention to whether they protrude too much above the level of the bark.

It is also necessary to make a cut and separate part of the birch bark from the tree. Only in this way it is possible to determine the presence of some defects and the readiness of birch bark for harvesting, without harming the tree.

The most valuable birch bark is with a uniform yellow or yellowish-green color and with thin greenish-brown lenticels. Birch bark with other properties, and especially with uneven color and spots, is considered second-rate.

Before direct collection, the birch is cleared of old layers of birch bark, moss and lichen. This can be done with gloves, stroking the trunk in the direction of the lenticels.

Methods for harvesting birch bark

The most impractical and rare way is to use a special tool - a machine that cuts birch bark in a spiral on the trunk. Due to the different diameters of birches, the use of this method is problematic and resource-intensive, and also causes more harm to the birch itself.

The most popular way I think is sheet collection. To do this, a vertical incision is made on the trunk with a knife. It is necessary to withstand a certain pressure on the handle of the knife so as not to damage the bast and wood, so some experience is needed here, which will come after several such operations.

Before cutting, it is necessary to determine the cleanest edge of the birch. There is always more lichen on the north side, so birch bark is usually less clean and flaky there. Do not make a cut in the middle of the clean side of the birch - this part is more usable and should be saved as much as possible. An incision is made between a clean and lichen-covered part so that the latter remains on the edge of the intended leaf. Cutting in the middle of the overgrown part is also not worth it - this can cause difficulties with separating the leaf from the bast and its further stratification.

After the cut is made, the birch bark is carefully separated from the bast along the entire length of the cut in both directions with a wooden spatula. At the very height of the birch bark harvesting season, you can observe how the birch bark itself moves away from the trunk when it is cut. In this case, a spatula is not needed.

On the clean side, the birch bark leaves easier - you need to start separating the sheet from there. Do not get carried away with large sheets. A width of about 40-70 cm is quite enough, depending on the product being prepared. Wide sheets are more difficult to transport and handle.

The removed sheets are neatly folded, alternating the front side to the front side and the wrong side to the wrong side, picking up approximately in width. This is done to protect the material from contamination, since the sheets are first soaked in juice, and unwanted vegetation elements can stick to them, thereby spoiling the valuable front layer of birch bark. Folded sheets can be tied into rolls of 8-7 kilograms or into piles, squeezing them with twine and sticks. The latter method is preferable because straightened birch bark is easier to process and use.

Probably the oldest way collection of birch bark into balls(ribbons). It is convenient for weaving massive products, where the length of the strips is critical. With this method, an incision 3-4 cm wide is made in the selected birch as high as possible, then it is carefully folded back with a spatula or knife and the birch bark is removed in a spiral, slightly pulling the strip of birch bark down and towards itself. Such tapes are folded into a ball, leaving a mandatory hole for drying.

This method may cause some inconvenience at first, since the direction of the lentils will deviate from the general direction of the tape itself, and may cause burrs to form on the birch bark when weaving. Experienced craftsmen easily cope with such inconveniences and do not consider this a problem.

For tues birch bark is the most difficult to assemble, because you need to assemble it with a cylinder, which means that the birch will have to be cut down. In such cases, the birch is chosen with particular care, because the birch bark must be clean and easy to peel.

The tree is cut down, remaining on the stump. It falls so that it does not fall directly to the ground, but remains suspended about half a meter from the soil. Then the desired area of \u200b\u200bthe bark is selected and incised on both sides in a circle. After that, very carefully, avoiding breaks, peel off with a thin rod or spatula not from the bast this time, but from the wood. This procedure must be performed from both ends of the cylinder until it begins to rotate axially around the tree. Several such cylinders are made along the entire trunk, and then the top is sawn off.

When everything is done, the birch bark can be pulled off the trunk, starting from the top. The remains of the bast after removal from the barrel can be separated by slightly deforming the cylinder. Then the blanks are inserted into each other with nesting dolls for transportation.

Please note that birch bark loves to curl, especially during the collection period, because at this time the sun is already baking and the air temperature is quite high. Therefore, immediately after collection, the sheet material must be placed under a press between two flat surfaces, for example, two boards or a floor and a sheet of plywood.

The job took

4th place

I live in the Komi Republic - this is a rich and beautiful northern region. In the east of the republic, the ancient Ural Mountains stretch, in the very north - mountain tundra. Komi land is boundless forests, generous waters and the richest subsoil, cozy cities and villages. Hardworking, talented people live here, among whom there are Masters - golden hands. They create a variety of traditional art products that continue to preserve and transmit the memory of our ancestors. In many regions of the republic, traditional handicrafts and handicrafts that came from grandfathers and great-grandfathers have been preserved. Artistic processing and woodcarving, weaving from birch bark, vine, pine root, traditional wood painting, patterned knitting and weaving, fur processing, various types of women's needlework - patchwork, embroidery, lace weaving, etc. have received the greatest development.
All these crafts, of course, deserve special attention, but to complete the course (and now competitive) work, I settled on the study of birch bark craft ... About it a little later, but first I will tell and show you how I made my "birch" tuesok ))))))

To do this, we need a landscape sheet of white paper (it will be the background, but you can do without it if you make a box as a separate element for future compositions), pastel-colored office paper (light yellow, mustard, brown), scissors, a simple pencil , glue, brown marker (felt-tip pen, pencil or paint, depending on what you are used to working)))))

We draw a sketch of our tueska on light paper ...

We cut out the template itself and additional details from mustard paper - the upper and lower rims, as well as the handle ... If desired, you can immediately punch holes in the rims - through which we will "sew" our spare parts)))))

We glue all the details together, with a wax crayon (pencil, marker) we make light strokes that imitate a drawing on birch bark ... On top, I sprinkled a little more crumbs from a brown pencil and shaded it with vertical movements, now our birch bark has become even more like a real one)) )))

Now we pass a "bark" cord through the holes, just cut the light paper into small stripes, round off one edge, glue them over the holes ... The box is almost ready ... In this version, it also has the right to exist, but we will not calm down and decorate some patterns - in my case, these will be Komi ornaments ...

With a simple pencil, we mark up a simple ornament ...

Next, we draw our ornament with paints, markers or pencils and now the tuesok is finally ready !!! It turned out very similar, it seems to me ... You can safely proceed to the next stage - processing real birch bark))))))

And now a little about the craft itself... Since ancient times, birch bark has attracted the attention of craftsmen by the fact that during processing it retains its properties - softness, flexibility and strength. Birch bark is the upper thin layer of birch bark of a delicate pinkish-cream color. Its ancient name "birch bark" has been known since the 15th-16th centuries. Later, "birch bark" and "birch bark" appeared. These names are still in use today. They used to make tuesa (beetroot) from birch bark - vessels for storing food and drink. Leaving for work in the field, the peasant took with him a tub of water or kvass, and on the hottest day, the drink in the tub remained cold. Behind his back he wore a birch bark - a woven shoulder bag, on his feet bast shoes, often woven from birch bark. Kuzovki, birch bark - boxes for flour and honey, baskets, shepherd's horns, ropes for fishing tackle - all this was made from birch bark. According to the nature of the ornament, northern carved birch bark can be divided into several types associated with other areas of folk art - embroidery and bone carving.

Manufacturing technology. Birch bark is harvested at the beginning of summer, at the end of May - June, when the birch is full of juices, and the birch bark easily lags behind the rest of the bark. If it was removed skillfully, without damaging the next layer of the bark - greenery, then this did not harm the tree, and after a few years elegant white clothes grew on it again. The first known information about the technique of processing birch bark dates back to the 18th century. Birch bark carving requires the simplest tools: a knife and an awl. First, the outline of the pattern is drawn, which is then cut out with a sharp knife. Carving and embossing on birch bark was sometimes combined with shotting. By hitting the cantornik (a chisel in the form of a tube) with a hammer, the craftsman "chooses" the background of the object and obtains a grainy surface. This technique has long been known in metal processing. Since the 19th century, it has also been used in birch bark products.

Products from birch bark were painted with picturesque floral patterns. As a rule, craftsmen filled the surface of the items with floral ornaments (a thin winding stem with leaves and branches, smooth curves). Through, openwork "lace" (carving) of birch bark masters usually imposed on a bright background of fabric, foil or paper, which made it possible to achieve a high decorative effect. Birch bark tuesas (beetroots) are more often ornamented. The very process of making a tuesa is quite complicated: it is necessary to carefully remove the bark from the tree without damaging it. This will be the inside of the box. It is solid, even water will not flow out of it. Skolotni on the front side are wrapped in a "shirt", i.e. birch bark, cut on one side. The shirt is a bit smaller than the cloak, it closes in a "lock". Then, a wooden bottom is hammered into the steamed skoloten, wrapped in a shirt. A lid with a handle is cut out from above. Tues is ready. The master, at his own discretion and in accordance with the tradition prevailing in the area, before covering the cleaver with a shirt, can decorate it with a geometric or zoomorphic (image of animals) ornament. Sometimes a tuesa shirt is cut through with a floral ornament or a geometric pattern.

And in conclusion, I would like to say that despite the fact that art is constantly developing, more and more advanced technologies are constantly layered on old technologies, old forms are used more and more whimsically, birch bark production remains almost unchanged ... Of course, in souvenir shops you can find birch bark objects with some modern heroes, but this is more an exception than a rule ... Basically, craftsmen adhere to traditional methods of making birch bark products, they pass on their skills and experience from generation to generation, so this craft has come down to our days almost in original form. And I'm done with this and thank you all for your attention!!!

Sources of information: the site of the All-Russian Public Organization "Russian Geographical Society" and the official site of the Ministry of Culture of the Komi Republic.

Birch bark is an integral part of the craft weaving from birch bark and requires the development of skills and experience as well as the weaving itself.

Before you start trying to make something out of birch bark with your own hands you need to understand well how to make a blank for the product.

Key points of birch bark harvesting:

Gathering place

Birch Grove- the best place to collect birch bark. The technical and aesthetic properties of birch bark largely depend on the place where birch trees grow and on their age. IN dense mixed forest birch bark most often unusable because she is too infested with lichen and fungi. On outskirts of the forest birches are too knotty and stocky, which is also not suitable for masters. In the groves with moderate shade in not very dry lands, birch trees grow smooth and slender. And that means with quality birch bark.

The collection of birch bark should be carried out in permitted places. It is better to ask the forestry in advance future felling areas trees.
You can negotiate with local firewood suppliers. Remember - collecting birch bark from living tree maybe hard for him harm.
birch bark regulated by local law. For example:
Law of the Krasnoyarsk Territory on the procedure for harvesting and collecting non-timber forest resources by citizens for their own needs
Law of the Pskov region on the harvesting and collection of non-timber forest resources on the territory of the Pskov region
Law of the Moscow Region on the use of forests on the territory of the Moscow Region

collection time

The birch bark is usually firmly connected to the trunk of the birch, and only in spring, during the "molting", she is without compulsion, easy to separate From him. It is this time moment that is used to harvest it. In the same period, sap flow is observed. The leaf is gaining strength, becoming dark green. At this time, the first thunder rumbles, the first thunderstorm is coming. In the Leningrad region, the average time for harvesting birch bark ranges from May 15-20 to June 15. The timing may vary depending on the geographical area, the place where the birch grows, the time of the onset and the nature of spring. During this period - from mid-May - you just need to visit the forest more often. At the end of the sap flow, the birch bark, as it were, dries up to the bast, and at the end of summer its preparation becomes almost impossible.

In central Russia, bark is harvested mainly from mid-May to mid-June. In the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions, the period can begin from mid-June and last a month, most often, or a little longer. If the time is correctly determined, the bark is cut with a slight crackle, the edges at the cut points rise. Before planning a hike for material, you need to do test runs to determine how well the birch bark separates from the bast. Such checks can begin to be done in different places from the beginning of June. Depending on the period and place of collection, various defects in the birch bark will be observed. So, for example, at the end of the birch bark harvesting season in arid places or in an open sunny place, you will observe peeling of the useful (yellow) layer of birch bark in the form of swelling of the film or a change in the color of the birch bark. Such defects may be of interest for the manufacture of various kinds of decorative products, but they will negatively affect the quality of wicker items.

The period of harvesting birch bark coincides with the period of activity of ticks, so vaccinations against tick-borne encephalitis and protective clothing are necessary

The harvesting of birch bark can start ahead of time, because the activities to find the place of harvesting also take time, and such work with birch bark should be taken into account by the master so as not to catch on in the midst of the season.

Tool

Before the hike, you need to prepare the necessary tools and accessories so that working with birch bark is efficient and safe.

The first item available should be joint knife. Such a knife is made of a saw blade for iron, glued into a wooden handle made of soft, non-resinous woods. The best thing have a couple of knives, with a short and long handle (up to a meter long). Knives must be sharpened in advance.

You will also have to make something like a flat wooden spatula with non-sharp edges. With this tool, birch bark is carefully separated from the bast, preventing damage to the material and wood. Twine useful for tying packs of extracted birch bark.

List of main tools:

joint knife
wooden spatula (scoop)
twine

Tree selection

Depending on the type of products collected different birch bark. For weaving small and medium-sized products, birch bark from birches from 15 to 25 cm in diameter is needed. For boxes and moulds, thicker material is needed, which means that birch trees should also be older.

From forty kinds birches growing in Russia, only downy birch or its hybrid forms with warty birch can serve as a source of birch bark suitable for the manufacture of products. A distinctive feature of the downy birch is fine thick fluff covering its one-year shoots and leaves. The leaves of the downy birch are oval or ovoid in shape without a top extended to the petiole, most often double-toothed. The branches are not drooping, the catkins remain on the tree for a long time after ripening. Downy birch grows on soils with moderate moisture, in mixed forests with moderate shade (it is shade-tolerant), on pine forest slopes.
The harvesting of birch bark begins with a thorough examination of the tree. It is necessary to find out a number of properties, such as birch bark thickness, the presence of knots and moss, the type of lentils. lentils- longitudinal strips on birch bark, through which some metabolism is performed, therefore they are popularly called "windows". Lentils should not be too dark and large, you should pay attention to whether they protrude too much above the level of the bark. Necessary make a cut and separate part of the birch bark from the tree. Only in this way can determine the presence of some defects and readiness of birch bark for collection, while without harming the tree.

The most valuable birch bark for all types of products - wide-layered, layered, even, thin (average thickness up to 1 mm), with small narrow surface lenticels, warm and velvety to the touch, stretchable, yellow, golden yellow or yellow-green. Such birch bark occurs in birches aged 20 to 40 years old with a smooth, even trunk (diameter more than 160-200 mm), without painful thickenings, sagging, knots, cuts, pronounced crusts and fungi. The exception is when birch bark is needed for slotted carving. Then they look for young trees no older than 15-16 years.

On the outskirts of the fields, the edges of the forest often grow birches with thick bark. Their birch bark is with long and wide lenticels, smooth, strong, low stretch, yellow, sometimes reddish or even multi-colored: on the north side - yellow, on the south - reddish. This - birch bark. It takes a lot of effort and time to process. Birch bark from birches growing in peaty marshy places or separately in open spaces is fragile, inextensible, with many small and large blackened lentils, thick, spotted, scabbed, with holes from insect passages, one-sided, with thickenings. It's better not to take it.

Before direct collection, the birch is cleared of old layers of birch bark, moss and lichen. This can be done with gloves, stroking the trunk in the direction of the lenticels.
Having removed a good, in your opinion, birch bark, once again check its appearance, the place where this birch grows, determine its approximate age, trunk diameter, and its characteristic features. The first uncertainty, inexperience pass with time. Knowledge remains. Such exits into the forest do not exclude the possibility of a quick harvest of birch bark (in places where trees are felled and cut), but even in this case, you must be able to find your birch.

birch bark

most impractical and a rare way is to use a special tool - a machine that cuts birch bark in a spiral on the trunk. Due to the different diameters of birches, the use of this method is problematic and resource-intensive, and also causes more harm to the birch itself.

The most popular, I think the way is to collect sheets. To do this, a vertical incision is made on the trunk with a knife. It is necessary to withstand a certain pressure on the handle of the knife so as not to damage the bast and wood, so some experience is needed here, which will come after several such operations.

Before cutting it is necessary to determine the cleanest edge birch. There is always more lichen on the north side, so birch bark is usually less clean and flaky there. Do not make a cut in the middle of the clean side of the birch - this part is more usable and should be saved as much as possible. An incision is made between a clean and lichen-covered part so that the latter remains on the edge of the intended leaf. Cutting in the middle of the overgrown part is also not worth it - this can cause difficulties with separating the leaf from the bast and its further stratification.

The oldest, probably, the way is to collect birch bark into balls (ribbons). It is convenient for weaving massive products that require long strips. With this method, an incision 3–4 cm wide is made in the selected birch as high as possible, then it is carefully folded back with a spatula or knife and the birch bark is removed in a spiral, slightly pulling the strip of birch bark down and towards itself. Such tapes are folded into a ball, leaving a mandatory hole for drying.

For tues, birch bark is the most difficult to assemble, because you need to assemble it with a cylinder, which means that the birch will have to be cut down. In such cases, the birch is chosen with particular care, because it must be clean and easy to peel. The tree is cut down, remaining on the stump. It falls so that it does not fall directly to the ground, but remains suspended about half a meter from the soil. Then the desired area of \u200b\u200bthe bark is selected and incised on both sides in a circle. After that, very carefully, avoiding breaks, peel off with a thin rod or spatula not from the bast this time, but from the wood. This procedure must be performed from both ends of the cylinder until it begins to rotate axially around the tree. Several such cylinders are made along the entire trunk, and then the top is sawn off.

Transport and storage

The removed sheets are neatly folded, alternating the front side to the front side and the wrong side to the wrong side, picking up approximately in width. This is done to protect the material from contamination, since the sheets are first soaked in juice, and unwanted vegetation elements can stick to them, thereby spoiling the valuable front layer of birch bark. Folded sheets can be tied into rolls of 8-7 kilograms or into stacks, squeezing them with twine and sticks. The latter method is preferable because straightened birch bark is easier to process and use.

Please note that birch bark loves to curl, especially during the collection period, because at this time the sun is already baking and the air temperature is quite high. Therefore, immediately after collection, the sheet material must be placed under a press between two flat surfaces, for example, two boards or a floor and a sheet of plywood.

Birch bark harvested for future use can be stored for several years. To do this, it is placed in a closed dry (cool in summer) room. Pieces of plastic birch bark are placed on a wooden shield in small piles, combining the transverse edges, and sandwiched with plywood sheets. The birch bark laid on top is covered with a wooden shield, on which a significant load is placed to prevent the ends of the birch bark from folding. Then it retains its original state and does not warp. Bark tape is stored in balls or rolls, and skolotni- inserted into each other.

Birch bark stored in damp rooms becomes moldy, which causes stains to appear on it. With long-term storage of birch bark in the light, it changes color, becomes light. Under such conditions, birch bark gradually loses its properties. Therefore, the old birch bark is soaked in water for a certain time, after which it can be used in work.

Ecology of birch bark harvesting

Do-it-yourself birch bark harvesting is accompanied by a number of features that must be observed in order to do not harm nature and to himself, as well as to rationally procure raw materials. After all, do not forget that the properties of birch bark depend on the shelf life (they deteriorate over time), so you should not take more than you can use until the next collection period.

Upon arrival in the forest, be extremely careful and careful - in the grass and on the bushes at the level of a person’s height, they can come across at this time someone's home(with yellow-mouthed youths, for example), do not cause inconvenience to the inhabitants of such a beautiful place.

Having determined the area to be visited, the sanitary and epidemiological station clarifies whether it is endemic for tick-borne encephalitis. It also discusses the need for vaccination and precautions. In the spring, when harvesting birch bark, it is better to be in rubber boots, in a shirt with long sleeves (sleeves with elastic or cuffs) and a closed collar, in a cap with a visor and a cape that covers the ears and neck and soaked in dimethyl phthalate solution, with gloves.

Coming out of the forest, be sure to check for ticks on the body and clothing.

Birch bark was used to make various household items, such as fishing boats (oblasks), tuesas, boxes, caskets, boxes for storing salt, cereals, flour, grain, berries, pine nuts and more. Birch bark tuesas were made to store milk, sour cream, fish, and meat. Strength, flexibility, resistance to decay - these are the main qualities of this material. All these products could be stored indefinitely, because birch bark has excellent bactericidal properties. It is no coincidence that the air in the birch forest is several times sterile than in the operating room. Bags, clothes, shoes were made from specially processed birch bark, which in their qualities are not inferior to leather products, moreover, they are not afraid of moisture. In addition, birch bark is combined with other natural materials.

Birch bark is an affordable and well-workable material. Birch bark is harvested in May - June, during sap flow. At this time, it is elastic, easily removed from the trunk, when embossed, a deep pattern with soft edges remains on it. The tool for removing birch bark is an ordinary sharp knife. If you need large, solid pieces, then the birch bark should be removed from spinal trees, with a diameter of at least 20 cm, if possible, choosing smooth places without knots. The entire outer side of the bark is cleaned with a knife or skin and freed from the dirt of fungi and moss.

Before use, birch bark is soaked in hot water. With this treatment, the birch bark is well stratified into many translucent white-pink films, and also becomes flexible and transparent. This work must be done carefully, without haste. Young birch bark can not be steamed, but only slightly moistened.

Products from birch bark are absolutely environmentally friendly, as they are made from natural materials and only by hand. Birch bark is called a warm tree. Even in a cold room, she feels very warm to the touch, because she has a lot of positive energy. It is enough to look at it for a while, hold it in your hands - and you will immediately calm down if you were excited about something. Very often one hears that when working at a computer, if you put on a birch bark headband, you do not feel tired, and also often normalizes blood pressure.

Each visitor has the opportunity to master the skills of working with birch bark, under the strict guidance of the master. You will not only discover the secrets of this amazing material, but you can also take your unique, inimitable, author's product as a keepsake.

Master classes are held by prior arrangement. Date and time will be agreed by phone.
You can sign up for a master class and ask questions of interest by calling: 8 983 118 26 57