Valances made of slotted carving. Wood carving for beginners - create unique wood products with your own hands using video master classes

Wood carving is an ancient art form. Its high popularity to this day is explained by the availability of the material and the beauty of the result. The primitive designs that can be found in the works of our ancestors over time turned into elegant patterns and ornaments. Thanks to the power of the Internet, finding sketches for wood carving is not particularly difficult.


What is an ornament

Since ancient times, various ornaments have been used to decorate wood products. The ornament is a special rhythmically arranged pattern made of various visual elements.

There are several main, basic varieties of ornament. Let's look at some types in more detail.

Geometric ornament

A geometric pattern, as a rule, consists of many simple figures, the combination of which creates an amazing fantasy image.

Individual elements of geometric patterns can be used independently:

  • dot (together acquires a decorative effect);
  • lines (used as delimiters individual stories on the product);
  • broken lines (carry a sacred meaning, for example, a zigzag is a symbol of water);
  • squares and diamonds (act as frames for plots);
  • polygons (traditional patterns of oriental motifs);
  • crosses (in ancient times - symbols of various structures);
  • spirals, screws;
  • circles.


The geometric ornament will be most widespread in geometric and contour carvings.


Trees and flowers

They border the main ornament of the composition, or are independent ornaments. Trees, flowers, and fruit-bearing plants are depicted. It is one of the most favorite ornaments of different nations.

The most common forms are lotus, ivy, grapes, oak.


Wild animals

As the name suggests, zoomorphic ornament is based on the repetition of images of different animals. Most often, their appearance is greatly simplified. Animals are often associated with mythology.

Used in combination with floral and geometric patterns.


It is found in any type of carving (from flat-relief to sculptural).

Image of a person

As a rule, a person in wood carving is depicted schematically, along with plant and animal ornaments.

Complex ornaments

A wide variety of elements that have a decorative function (inscriptions, hieroglyphs, Arabic script, heraldry, symbols).


Depending on the location and shape of the ornament, The following varieties are distinguished:

  • border;
  • garland (wavy ornament);
  • rosette (a separate ornamental figure);
  • palmette (fan-shaped ornament);
  • arabesque (complex, ornate ornament);
  • wreath;
  • panel

Stages in preparation

Before cutting out the design you like, you need to find a sketch of it. Then you will need to cut out the templates.

Next, transfer it to the workpiece using carbon paper (tracing paper) and a simple pencil. And only then will it be time to cut out the ornament (with a knife, jigsaw, milling cutter or other suitable tools).

Beginners should not attempt complex, ornate designs. Contour carving and artistic motifs are good for beginners.

The template must be suitable for the specific type of thread. There are some templates for flat-relief and geometric carvings, and others for slotted carvings.

Here are some easy-to-follow sketches (photos and drawings):



In order for the product to be perfect, it is enough to have high-quality stencils for wood carving! In this article you can find out all the information, how to use them and how to find them. Wood carving is an ancient art. The skill passed from generation to generation, gaining momentum and improving with evolution. Now there are enough materials for working with wood and blanks. You just need to have a little patience, a desire to study and the mood!

Selecting a template

First you need to decide on the choice of pattern. A stencil helps to apply symbols or patterns to a surface. They are suitable for decorating external walls and creating a new interior in the house.

Let's look at what stencils are needed for:

1) For carved ornaments;

2) For pilasters;

3) For towels;

4) For brackets, etc.

Examples can be seen below:


Thanks to these templates you can create a three-dimensional ornament. They will help you create a beautiful product. A stencil will completely make the task easier, because you don’t need to invent something new, draw, or spend a lot of time making a template. It’s enough to find a great option on the Internet and that’s it - the masterpiece is ready for execution.

Progress

Before starting work, decide what exactly you will create. Enough ornaments have been created, so it will be easy to find templates.

1) For beginners you can find various sketches, but most masters post schemes for intermediate skill levels on websites. To create such products you need to have experience and skills.

2) If you haven’t found the template you’re interested in, you can draw it yourself. Use thick cardboard. Make a sketch, draw lines. Observe the proportions strictly! To work, use a ruler, compass and tracing paper so that every detail is traced and drawn.

3) When the template is ready, apply it to the workpiece and carefully trace along the contour.

4) There are 2 more convenient methods of work:

  • If you transfer geometric shapes, then use the pricking technique. This will make the work easier. It is enough just to fix the sketch on the workpiece, and then use a needle or awl to mark all the necessary points. Connect the marks on the wood with straight lines so that the product has exact proportions.
  • Copy paper is ideal for the product. Place it under the sketch and trace the lines in the drawing. Thus, the image is transferred to the workpiece.

We invite you to look at the photo, where there are examples of templates:




Methods and methods

There are several types of wood carvings. It is slotted carving that will always be challenging, but exciting. Traditionally, such carving is also called through or openwork, because it is very reminiscent of lace. The peculiarity of this carving is the removal of the background part of the pattern. It is carried out by sawing through workpieces of small thickness. The slotted thread is suitable for almost different products. It turns out original and aesthetic appearance, which masters love to use. The widespread use of carvings is reflected in decorations, cornices, picture frames, etc.

Stencils for slotted carving are easy to find. How to work with them is indicated above.


Carving tools vary. For slotted carving, different types of chisels, knives and jigsaws are suitable. By the way, craftsmen believe that a jigsaw is a substitute for many electronic machines and knives that are necessary for the product. In their opinion, it performs patterns no worse than more professional tools. With a simple tool, a jigsaw, you can easily surround yourself beautiful things. There are millions of pattern options. You can do wonders with a jigsaw.

Stencils can be made from any material. Whether it's plywood or paper, reusability is a plus. You just have to number the sheets so as not to lose them! Such templates will often help in creating the interior of a house or room. Wood products have been gaining momentum lately, but isn’t it great to make something with your own hands?

Housing

In ancient Rus', decorating the trim of your house with carvings was a sign of well-being, wealth and well-groomed. Every house looked like a picture. Ornate patterns attract attention and fascinate. But who said that now it is not beautiful or fashionable? Nowadays, old traditions are returning, so information about wood carving for the home is suitable for everyone. What was most often found in houses? Animals, sculptures of people and carved household appliances.

Carvings are chosen for decorating private houses, cottages and gazebos. This type of house carving is suitable for exterior design - trim on doors and windows. Animal images that look ideal in the form of sculptures, paintings, etc. are suitable for homes.

Some drawings for inspiration:

Ancient folk craft, common to this day - woodworking. Modern machines, laser burners, plastics and other substitutes for figured carving on wood cannot replace art self made for real natural material. One of the types of this interesting craft is called slotted carving.

Stencil and ornament

Not used as often as other types. But not at all because it is unclaimed. This is a technique that has been studied for years, although if you try to formulate what it is in a nutshell, then everything will turn out to be simple - this is a type of carving when the background, background, and substrate of the image are removed during the processing process.

Thanks to this, the design and ornament become airy, openwork, and the products amaze with their fabulous lightness. Moreover, this type of carving is not always performed on miniature planes. There are masters who do this with chainsaws.

Types of thread

In principle, among all types of carvings, which are conventionally divided into several groups, it is difficult, and there is no point in setting clear limits on technology, since the methods for manufacturing a particular product can be combined in any way you like. But for orientation, it’s worth mentioning some common wood processing methods:


Of course, this division is conditional, so we will not consider this type separately. Stencils, sketches and drawings of finished products, as well as photographs of striking works by masters, combine several processing techniques. For example, some textbooks highlight the cutting technology using jigsaws or saws, as well as the one that is performed with cutters and chisels.

Craft Basics

If you look at some photos of the works, you can clearly see that the authors used several methods of wood processing at once - when performing different elements decoration or exterior of buildings, flat-relief patterns with raw edges are rarely found, which means more than one or two technologies are used.

To begin getting acquainted with the basics of the craft, let’s remember how each of us held a jigsaw in our hands and cut figures out of planks or plywood. This is called the simplest slotted thread. More complex jobs will require more tools than a jigsaw and a dozen spare files, but the principle remains the same.

Technology and tool

To take the first step towards mastering the technique, we select a sketch or prepare a stencil if the pattern turns out to be complex and cyclically repeating. The design is transferred to the wood and then processed with the selected tool. To perform cutting, as a rule, soft wood species are used:


Depending on the chosen tool, the appropriate cutting technology is used. If a jigsaw or a hand jigsaw will be used for carving, in this case we drill holes according to the stencil for inserting the saw blade. This method is simpler, but errors are possible when working with jigsaws. A manual electric router is also used. In this case, high-quality processing of the edges of the drawing is guaranteed, however, working with a router requires experience.

Before choosing a design for a stencil, you need to compare the size of the finished product with the size of the image. In order for the design to be clearly readable, for large products you should not choose an ornament that is too delicate and small, but for small products, boxes, frames, it will be appropriate openwork pattern. Maintaining proportions is very important when choosing a stencil. This applies to both plant patterns and stencils of animals and ethnic ornaments.

Among the not very common methods of carving is burning. This is a productive method, but it requires a special machine, which is quite easy to assemble with your own hands. It consists of nichrome wire, a step-down transformer, and a filament current regulator. The nichrome thread burns through the wood, making it possible to complete the work accurately and accurately.

Also sometimes used laser cutting, however, this method is not available to everyone due to the high price of equipment. But this is the most accurate and effective method. In industrial settings, CNC machines are often used. They help to quickly and accurately produce the same type of specified patterns for the production of large batches of products.

But the most important thing when working with wood is imagination and creativity. Using unique sketches for work, the products will be unusual and truly expressive, emphasizing the individuality of the master. Therefore, experiment boldly and good luck to everyone!

Slotted thread

The name of this type of carving means that with this method of wood processing, the background is removed. Therefore, such threads are also called sawing or through threads.

The techniques of slotted carving are quite simple, which is why it has been used since ancient times to decorate houses (cornices, platbands, etc.)

It can be used as an independent type and in combination with geometric and relief carvings. IN the latter case This work seems more labor-intensive, but very effective. Carved carving, combined with geometric and relief, is called through openwork, because it resembles lace (Fig. 90).

Rice. 90. Slotted carving on house decorative elements: A– frieze; b– top of the casing; V– overhead element

Secrets between the lines

Is it true that the hardest thing to cut out are the hands?

This is so difficult that there are cases recorded in history when famous artist he instructed someone else to paint his hands on his paintings. In carving, the development of hands begins with defining them general position, reference (control) points of the forearm, joints, hand, fingers. The sleeves are first made without folds, and the hands are made without fingers. The position of the fingers is determined by the points of the hand, and the features of the folds are determined by the points of the sleeve. Then the individual parts are cut into a partial profile. If there are no errors, final processing is carried out.

Slotted carving is characterized by the use of stencils, which greatly facilitates the work. If the design is not very complex, then it can be done with a hacksaw (Fig. 91). This hacksaw is called a trigger and has a narrow blade, shaped like a wedge. The final design can be finished with chisels (both straight and curved).

Rice. 91. Making slotted threads with a hacksaw: A– filing; b– final processing with a chisel

In those places where it is impossible to get close with a chisel, the final elaboration of the shape is carried out with a knife. The product is finished on both sides, which helps to clarify the silhouette of the ornamental composition.

The carver working with slotted carvings must be especially careful and precise, since the slightest chip or cut in the wood will spoil the silhouette of the ornament.

Saws that are used for cutting curved workpieces along the outer contour are called rotary. They come in narrow and wide versions (web sizes from 4 to 15 mm) and are accordingly used for small workpieces that have steep lines, and wider ones that have a straight or smooth contour. The difference between this tool and a bow saw is that the blade rotates, therefore, without changing the position of the workpiece, you can saw in any direction.

Secrets between the lines

How to work with growth?

A variety of products can be made from a single growth, the shape of which can be clarified only by removing the bark from it. This is difficult because the surface of the build-up can easily be damaged, which will reduce the aesthetic value of the product. If the bark of a fresh growth is easily removed, then it is difficult to remove from a dried one. Therefore, it is better to work with dried material. The bark is cut with a knife or chisel, the cambium is cut with a cycle, after which they begin marking.

When performing slotted carvings, you can effectively use not only a hand-held (for example, a bow saw), but also a power tool, in particular a jigsaw.

The order of performing the individual stages of slotted carving is as follows (Fig. 92).

Rice. 92. Performing openwork carving: A– drawing a picture using a template; b– filing, marking guide recesses; V– making holes; G– sawing along the internal contour; d– finishing

First, they mark the workpiece, having previously secured it, after which they drill holes (small ones are made with an awl, and large ones with a brace), the pattern is filed along the contour, cleaned or chamfered (using sandpaper or a chisel, respectively). At the final stage, the product is polished, turning Special attention on recesses and corners that should be clearly visible in order to emphasize the beauty of the relief.

A type of slotted thread is an applied thread, which consists of individual parts or elements and figures. Characteristic feature applied carving is that the design on the wood is completed only on one side - the front side. This is explained by the fact that products made using this technique are glued onto the surface to be decorated (furniture, frames, etc.). Otherwise, it resembles openwork carving.

Secrets between the lines

Is it possible to carve items using bark?

This has long been practiced by carvers. But the bark should be very decorative and durable. For this purpose, birch bark (birch bark) is used, which is glued onto a prepared birch blank. In a product made from such material, the bark will contrast and enhance the artistic perception. This technique is usually used to cut out dishes.

From the book Stylish DIY Jewelry. Beads, bracelets, earrings, belts, headbands and hairpins author Khvorostukhina Svetlana Alexandrovna

Carving Carving is one of the most difficult types of decoration, because it requires some experience and precise hand movements. For this job you will need very sharp knives with thin blades. Carving is best done on thick leather, then the carved patterns can

From the book Secrets of Wood Carving author Serikova Galina Alekseevna

Flat grooved carving As the name of the carving suggests, its background is a flat surface (both the workpiece and the object being decorated), and the pattern is made up of recesses (notches) of various shapes. Flat thread threads are divided into contour and

From the book Wood Burning [Techniques, techniques, products] author Podolsky Yuri Fedorovich

Flat-relief carving When performing flat-relief carving, the image is located in one plane, while the relief, varied in pattern and composition, is revealed in a unique way. To do this, the background surrounding the element or ornament is selected or deepened. IN

From the book Wood Carving [Techniques, techniques, products] author Podolsky Yuri Fedorovich

Relief carving Of the varieties presented, relief carving is the most expressive, which is why in former times it was used to cover wall panels, furniture, doors and ceilings. It is still relevant when decorating the interior. There are 2 types of relief carving -

From the author's book

Sculptural carving Sculptural carving is the most ancient and dates back to the times when people carved figures of pagan gods from wood, whom they worshiped and from whom they sought help and protection. In the period after the Baptism of Rus', they began to carve from wood

From the author's book

House carving The name of this type of carving speaks for itself: house carving is intended for the external decoration of a home and its interior decoration. According to the nature and technique of execution, house carving is heterogeneous and can be relief, slotted and

From the author's book

From the author's book

Flat notched carving Flat notched carving is characterized by the fact that its background is the flat surface of the product or workpiece being decorated, and the pattern is formed by variously shaped recesses - recesses. The lowest points of the relief are located below the level of the decorated

From the author's book

Flat-relief carving The essence of relief carving is that a pattern (drawing) is formed by sampling the background around it. Such a sample can be uniform in depth. In this case, the formed pattern (drawing) will have the same height (usually 5–7 mm) throughout

From the author's book

Relief carving Relief carving is made by trimming a flat ornament left on a recessed background and working out shapes on the surface of this ornament. Relief carving has almost no flat surfaces. The shapes of the pattern are revealed by relief of different heights.

From the author's book

Slotted carving Slotted carving can be made using both the technique of flat-relief (with a flat ornament) and relief carving. The background in the slotted thread is removed with a chisel or saw. In the latter case, the thread is called kerf.

From the author's book

Sculptural carving Sculptural, or volumetric, carving is characterized by the fact that in it the relief image is partially or completely separated from the background, turning into a sculpture. Unlike the one-sided image of an object in other types of carving, volumetric carving can be

From the author's book

House carving House carving is characterized by the fact that it is large-scale and is performed mainly on wood coniferous species using an ax, saw, chisel and is used to decorate wooden buildings. Although house carving was popular already in the 16th century, before us

From the author's book

Contour carving According to the technique of execution, contour carving as a type of geometric carving is the simplest. Images made in this way resemble a clear graphic drawing. Applying different kinds cuts and combinations of straight, curved,

From the author's book

Geometric carving All elements of geometric carving are the simplest geometric figures formed by straight and curved lines or a combination of tetrahedral or semicircular recesses. The main elements of geometric carving are dihedral,

From the author's book

Staple, or nail-shaped, thread Staple thread is performed with semicircular chisels, using a jamb knife as an auxiliary tool. As a result of using a semicircular chisel, a mark remains on the surface of the wood, similar to a bracket or a fingernail mark, hence

You can make so many decorative items and useful little things from carved wood and plywood that it is stupid to limit the scope of the work. In fact, it can be absolutely anything that your imagination can handle: boxes, covers for decorative and collectible books, lampshades, panels, shutters, furniture elements, trim, cornices... But the most attractive thing about creating exclusive works is that anyone can do them willing, if he puts in a certain amount of effort.

Wood carving: photographs, drawings and sketches

The main key to success in creating interesting things with slotted carvings is the choice of pattern. It is he who conveys the overall concept and sets the aesthetic tone for the entire product.

The easiest way for beginners is to make geometric patterns, as in the photo.



Carved designs of floral and animal themes are classic ornaments for any field of application.

Inscriptions - modern version application of wood and plywood carving. At the same time, you are unlikely to be able to find drawings and sketches on the Internet - they will have to be compiled purely individually according to personal requirements for sizes, fonts, and words.

Stencils for slotted threads

However, unlike cut-out inscriptions on plywood, drawings with plant, animal and fantasy themes can be found on the Internet. So feel free to choose the stencils you like for your album, and you’ll have plenty of ideas for creativity for a long time!

The simplest sketches are suitable both for training at the very beginning of product manufacturing, and can become individual elements of a complex design. For example, this is how carved houses are decorated.

More complex templates will require some skill and patience, but the results are worth it. Such pictures can serve as an independent product, even as a gift.

Entire compositions with an idea and meaning usually serve either as a separate work or form the basis of a work.


Tools for slotted carving: jigsaw or router

However, choosing a design is only a third of the success. Another important aspect, which must be considered before starting the work itself. Namely, the choice of tool that will be used to carve wood or plywood.

Depends on the equipment:

  • how thin the thread will be;
  • complexity of pictures;
  • cutting speed;
  • accuracy of work.

Therefore, it is important to evaluate all the pros, cons, capabilities and limitations of each of the traditional sawing tools:

A jigsaw is a device for shaped cutting of parts. Working with a hand tool is quite labor-intensive, but it allows you to cut very accurately according to the drawing. Power tools allow you to quickly produce shaped plywood products, but require caution.

A milling cutter is a tool thanks to which flat-relief slotted threads acquire a thinner and more complete appearance. It is with its help that you can round edges, remove chips, make valances, and carry out the most complex cutting.

Theoretically, a milling cutter can do the same work as a jigsaw, and even more, but in fact, such handling of the tool is fraught with its rapid failure and frequent replacement of the frieze.

Materials for slotting threads

In most cases, plywood is chosen for this type of work - it is uniformly thin, has a pleasant color and structure, and does not suffer from further use or storage, unlike solid wood. It is the choice of material that becomes the third pillar of successful work.

The modern market is abundant different types materials, so it’s easy to get confused. For this work you should choose:

  • FC plywood - harmless to humans and the environment, durable, easy to cut, practical;
  • FB plywood is also safe for humans, but resistant to aggressive environments, since it undergoes special processing and receives a protective coating, which is why it can cost an order of magnitude more.

Note! Do not under any circumstances choose to interior work FSF class plywood - it is treated with carcinogenic preservatives and is permissible for use only in fresh air- they are excellent for covering the outside of a bathhouse or a house.

Photos of carved wooden houses

For Russia, slotted carving is of particular importance as a decoration for building facades. Since ancient times, ornaments carved on birch bark and other similar materials have been decorating huts, bathhouses, and churches, as photographs colorfully demonstrate.




Video of wood milling with a hand router

If you have just decided to try your hand at curly slotted carving, it would be a good idea to watch a video with a master class. It will help you better understand how drawings are created and how such home beauty appears.