Today, more and more people are inclined to build country houses and dachas from wood. And despite the fact that these buildings bear little resemblance to their ancestor - the hut, many owners, as in the old days, decorate them with carvings, making the buildings unique

Each of us has heard more than once about churches built without a single nail, which are now in Museums wooden architecture, for example in Kizhi or Small Karelia. These objects are rightly called masterpieces of wooden architecture. However, few people thought that the well-known Russian hut deserves such an epithet. Yes, yes, don't be surprised. The most ordinary hut is the same architectural miracle as the mentioned monuments, albeit of a smaller size. To understand why this is so, let's take a closer look at its design.

Without a single nail

Cutting down a hut is not an easy task. After all, these are not just four walls covered with a roof, but a most ingenious and very functional wooden structure, assembled from the basement to the ridge without a single nail. So not everyone was able to build a hut - only a good, experienced carpenter. And for this he needed only three tools: an axe, a scraper and a chisel. The craftsmen did not use a saw, since it cuts the wood fibers, and does not crush them like an ax, which reduces the absorption of moisture by the wood.

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1-4. The tradition of decorating the front, and often the rear end of the roof ridge with sculptural carvings in the form of the head of a horse, a bird, and even a deer with real antlers did not die with the disappearance of the okhlop. True, now the carved wooden figure is attached not to the ceiling, but to the rafters or a special ridge on the roof.

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5-7. According to the tradition of Russian wooden architecture, wind boards in a modern cottage are made carved and consisting of several boards located one above the other, like a layer cake. But almost no one follows the rule of covering the junction of two hems with an elegant lace towel. More often it is attached under the racks - it’s easier.

The basis of the construction was a cage assembled from crowns - squares of four logs, at the ends of which so-called cups were cut down - connecting nodes that firmly hold the logs in a given position without any additional fastening elements: staples, nails, wooden pins, etc. Having cut down the first crown, a second was laid on it, a third on the second, etc., until the frame reached a certain height. At the same time, a longitudinal groove was made in the lower part of each crown so that the vertical connection of the logs was tighter, and it was filled with moss. Next, over the end walls of the log house, triangular log pediments were assembled - tongs, into which, after every two crowns, longitudinal horizontal logs were cut - slabs, reliably fastening the pediments together. Kokoras, or hens, were attached to the sledges across them - either taken out by the roots, or young spruce trees bent into the shape of a hook. A long log with a hollowed-out groove was placed in the bend or on the upwardly bent parts of the kokor - a stream that served as a drain and at the same time a support for the lower ends of the roofing planks. Then the planks were laid tightly together on the roof - not sawn, but ax-hewn boards, with a shallow longitudinal groove on the top surface. To prevent such roofing from leaking, it was made of two layers, but the shingles were laid in such a way that the gap between the two shingles of the upper layer was exactly above the groove of the shingles of the lower layer located underneath them.

1. Porch with pillars - a porch supported by one (single-pillar) or two (double-pillar) wooden posts.
2. Valance - a carved board located horizontally under the eaves of the porch roof.
3. Flow (water tank) - a beam with a hollowed out longitudinal groove for drainage; The lower ends of the planks covering the roof rest against it.
4. A window is a small window that was closed ("clouded") from the inside with a sliding board.
5. Chimney - a wooden pipe for the release of smoke in a smoking hut, usually carved.
6. Chicken (kokora) - a curved spruce trunk or a trunk cut down along with one of the rhizomes growing perpendicular to the trunk. It is attached to the sides of the male roof and carries a stream-water source.
7. Crown - a horizontal row of logs in a log house, connected at the corners of the cage they form using notches.
8. Sleg - a horizontal log embedded in the pediment.
9. Brush - the openwork end part of the hairline or towel.
10. Okhlupen (okhlup, shelom) - a hollowed out log covering the ridge of the roof.
11. Soroka is a dowel that fastens the horse's harness and the horse's head.
12. Prichelina - a board covering the ends slightly.
13. Horse leg - the upper leg lying under the ridge.
14. Towel - a carved board covering the joint of the railings.
15. Ridge - the upper joint of the roof slopes, covered with a ridge, as well as a figurine decorating the end of the roof.
16. Male (gable) - self-supporting triangular pediment. The upper part of this pediment was called the brow (ochelye).
17. Pomochi (felling) - gradually lengthening extensions of the upper crowns, allowing to increase the extension of the roof.
18. Earring - a carved board covering the ends of the felled logs.
19. Portal - the main doorway.
20. Baluster - a small volumetric or flat column that supports the railing of the fence.
21. Corner notching is a method of connecting logs or beams in the corners of a log house without the use of auxiliary elements.
22. End board - an ornamental board covering the ends of the logs of a log house.
23. A slanted window is a window whose jambs are held by the ends of the crowns facing the opening.
24. Front board (red board, scarf) - a carved frieze on the main facade, placed above the windows. With the frame construction of the pediment, it covered the transition from the wall logs to its plank cladding.
25. Platband - the frame of a window or doorway, closing the gap between the wall and the window or door frame. Visually highlighted and emphasized the opening.
26. Balcony - a platform protruding from the wall and enclosed by a balustrade (parapet) on cantilever beams.
27. Balustrade - fencing for balconies and stairs, consisting of a row of balusters connected at the top by a handrail.
28. Shutters - single or double-leaf carved shutters for slanted windows.
29. Chairs are wooden or stone supports of a log house, which are the prototype of a modern foundation.

The junction of two slopes on the roof was covered with a hollowed out heavy log - a shell (another name is a shel), which was attached to the upper (horse) side with special wooden dowels - they were inserted from above, through the side and side, and fixed from below with wooden wedges.

It should be noted that in order to protect the frame and gables from rain moisture, they tried to extend the edges of the roof beyond the wall line by a meter, or even two, thus obtaining something like a canopy. The roof extension was supported by the extensions of the upper logs of the longitudinal walls.

So, the hut is assembled. All that remained was to cut windows in the log house, which were divided into trussed and slanted. The first ones were low and were cut through two adjacent crowns, subject to sampling no more than half of each of them. They got their name because they were closed with a gate valve - a wooden panel mounted from the inside of the house. The slanted windows were much larger than the forked windows - they were cut out in several adjacent crowns of the log house and, in order not to disturb the strength of the wall, the ends of the logs facing the opening, hewn onto a wedge, were fastened with massive jambs (hence the name - slanted). These windows belonged to the main facade and therefore were also called red. Now think about how simply and wisely all its parts are connected in the design of the hut! Isn't this an architectural miracle? And what names are colorful, ancient: streams, kokory, shelomy... Not names - a song.

Protect and decorate

Despite the fact that the described construction of the hut, as they now say, was 100% repairable (it could be disassembled and any of the elements replaced), both the builders and the owners of the house tried to push back the repair time as much as possible, for which purpose they protected the critical parts of the building, exposed to rain and sun, using special parts, each of which received its own name. And over time, these seemingly purely functional details turned into elements of decoration, or rather, carved decoration of the hut. Let's start with the roof.

11-13. Modern and reliable gutters and pipes have not been able to completely displace the gutter-drain together with the poles holding it, the ends of which are decorated with the heads of skates or chickens, from use. The gutter has turned into a kind of flower pot and now, along with the chickens, decorates the perimeter of the veranda.

The far protruding outer ends of the helmets were decorated with carved figures. Most often it was the head of a horse. True, to make such a helmet it was necessary to use a thick log with part of the butt, on which the carving was made. If the log had no butt, then the heads of birds - a goose, a swan, a duck - were carved right at its end, symbolizing a good beginning. It should be noted that the figurine on the skate was a subject of special pride for the owners of the house and creative competition among the builders: whoever has it more beautiful has a better hut, and the craftsman is more skillful. The dowels connecting the flange with the ridge, which were often called magpies, also became decorations. Why? From a distance, the outer ends of the dowels, rhythmically placed on the helmet, really resemble magpies sitting on the roof - these cautious birds never sit in one dense row, like swallows.

Carved brushes

This openwork element, which once adorned the ends of carved curtains and towels, is now practically never found in the design of facades. Which is understandable - the thin wooden lace of tassels is the first to be destroyed under the influence of rain, wind and ultraviolet radiation. Well, those who do use brushes often turn them into an easily replaceable part that is simply attached to the ends of the boards.

The ends of the kokor - hooks holding the gutters - also gave the roof an elegant look. In the simplest version, they were decorated with the head of a chicken, which could also be carved on a rather thin rhizome (hence the second name kokor - chicken). If the owners could afford to buy more massive kokora, then instead of a chicken’s head they depicted a horse’s head.

Another prominent attribute of the roof, the wooden chimney, or chimney, began to be decorated with intricate carvings. With a helmet and magpies, he crowned the structure, adding the finishing touch to its silhouette, and these three elements together looked extraordinarily beautiful against the sky.

Well, now let's move on to the truly protective elements. Thus, the ends of the roofing layers were covered on the facades with inclined boards - piers, the ends of which protruding beyond the gutters were finished with openwork tassels. The gap at the junction of two piers under the ridge was covered with a vertical board - a towel; its lower edge was decorated with either a brush or a carved round rosette - a symbolic image of the sun. Decorative and protective towels were also nailed to the ends of the beams (falls) that supported the roof extension.

Earrings and end boards

If earrings, designed to protect the ends of the supports (pillars) supporting the roof from bad weather, can still be found, albeit occasionally, in the decoration of modern cottages, then the carved end boards that protected the ends of the log beams have practically disappeared from everyday use. And it’s clear why. After all, the end board is a fairly large element. And if on a one-story house it had a height of about 3 m, thanks to which it looked organic on the facade, then on a modern two-story building it should reach 5-6 m. Agree that in any case, such a “large size” will stand out from the general style of the house.

Often, with the help of carved vertical boards, the ends of the outlets of the crowns forming the log house were also protected from atmospheric influences. Such elements were also often called piers, although, perhaps, it would be more correct to call them end boards.

Another carved board - the frontal one - was attached above the front windows. While the roof structure was male, this element served only aesthetic purposes, but after the transition from a nailless roof to a rafter roof, the front board began to perform a very important function. It visually smoothed the transition from the log wall to the plank cladding of the pediment and protected the gap between them from rain (often the front board was covered with ebb). And one more little secret- why was the frontal plate needed? Together with the piers, it formed a triangular composition, reminiscent of a pediment in classical urban architecture.

The canopies were also decorated with carvings, protecting the slanted windows from rain and snow. Such a visor was usually supported from below by two side carved brackets. Later, the visors and brackets were replaced by overhead trims with a rich lace top - an eyepiece. And at the same time, the shutters protecting the windows also acquired openwork patterns. Gradually, it was the platbands that became one of the main elements of the decorative decoration of the facade.

The second most important decoration of the house was the porch. For example, in the north it was usually made large and tall and placed on one or two massive pillars covered with intricate carvings. Carved pillars also supported the roof of the porch. The beams connecting these columns were necessarily supplemented with light openwork valances.

This is how the traditional Russian hut harmoniously combined utility and beauty - structural elements with protective and decorative ones. It is not for nothing that the external decoration of the log walls of a hut from time immemorial was called not just something, but an outfit.

Types of thread

According to historians, the tradition of decorating homes with carvings arose in Rus' long before its baptism. True, the first attempts to do this were quite primitive - notches were placed on window and door jambs, which served as amulets that protected the house from all kinds of troubles, adversity and evil spirits. The notches formed simple patterns-signs: crosses, triangles, asterisks, and over time they were combined into more complex figures. Gradually, the laws of their location were formed, not only on the facade, but also in the interior. True, later the symbolic meaning of the signs was lost and they turned into nothing more than decoration.

17-19. Modern carved frames are not only in no way inferior to their ancestors, but in beauty and originality of design they often significantly surpass them. Designers achieve this artistic effect mainly due to the somewhat non-standard arrangement of overhead elements.

According to the nature and technique of execution, all house carvings can be divided into the following subtypes: volumetric (sculptural), blind relief, slotted (cut) and overhead. Moreover, in different regions of Russia, preference was given to one type. They also developed their own patterns there. But still, it was rare to find a house in which only one type of carving would be used in its design - non-through patterns certainly coexisted with slotted ones, and at the same time, the decorative themes were necessarily combined and even intertwined. Both craftsmen and the owners of the house themselves were engaged in making jewelry in the winter months, free from worries about the harvest, which is confirmed, for example, by the expression “sharpening balusters” (balusters), which to this day means doing something that you can spend time on if you just do more nothing.

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A. Volumetric, or sculptural. Characterized by the fact that the object is depicted in volume. It was this type of carving that was used to decorate the ends of ohlupnyas, forty dowels, kokor and supporting pillars of the porch of a wooden house.
b. Blank relief (ship). It has a high relief pattern and a solid, blank background. Can depict geometric patterns, plants, animals, as well as fairy-tale characters. She decorated doors, shutters, and often trims.
V. Slotted or sawed. The design is cut out with a jigsaw or saw. It was this technique that was used in most cases, since it is much cheaper than solid carving and gives a more interesting play of light and shadow.

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g. Multilayer slotted. Simulates blind carving by overlapping boards with a slotted pattern. The number of carved boards to be connected is from two to four, and the design on each of them can be different.
d. Invoice. Elements of the design, made with slotted carvings, are secured with nails (glue) on a solid or carved board. It imitates a blind carving, but is much easier and faster to manufacture, and the image is clearer.

Modern jewelry

Traditions that are largely lost today artistic carving on wood are recreated almost anew, bit by bit. Each of the masters works mainly in one technique, and only a few take on several types of carving at once. Wooden lace is usually made to order and at negotiated prices. At the same time, as in the good old days, single craftsmen most often offer products with saw-cut carvings, made from boards with a thickness of 15 to 30 mm the old fashioned way - with a jigsaw.

But do not think that progress has not affected the process of creating carved decor. In addition to individual craftsmen, there are also small firms who make products from boards using computer programs and laser. And this is not bad at all - the laser beam, “sawing through” the pattern in the wood, simultaneously burns the cut, as a result of which the product lasts much longer. The ornament or design can be made in any of the traditional styles or made according to the customer’s sketches.

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20-23. Carved balusters, as before, are able to transform fencing of stairs, balconies and terraces that seem to have a purely functional purpose into a façade decoration. IN Lately designers are increasingly using a rather original technique - instead of balusters they use thick tree branches.

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24-29. A one- or two-post porch can not fit into the architecture of every wooden house. And therefore this element is practically forgotten. But such a design as a “hanging” porch, resting on the outfalls of log logs, and even decorated with type-setting or carved columns supporting the roof, still does not lose its position

Among these technically advanced companies, there are also those that have gone even further, starting to produce high-precision carved products with complex patterns from the most different materials. Let's give three specific examples.

Waterproof plywood. Switch design bureau has developed a technology for manufacturing carved products from moisture-resistant plywood. This multilayer material, according to company experts, is much more resistant to external factors(moisture, sun, frost, etc.) and is more durable than wood, provided, of course, that the finished product is treated with an antiseptic and coated with modern varnishes or paints. In addition, plywood allows you to create highly complex patterns - with a large number of tiny through elements. Using this technology, you can make not only windshield boards, towels and trim, but also decorative trims, baseboards, screens for radiators, screens, interior partitions, inserts, panels, ceiling rosettes, etc. The proposed method has some technological limitations. Thus, the maximum length and width of the products is set by the size of the plywood sheet - 2x3 m, so long elements have to be assembled from short ones, fastening them end to end, but at the expense high precision When manufacturing parts, these joints are almost invisible. The area of ​​the treated surface does not exceed 1.5x1.5 m, and the thickness of the material is 10 cm. In addition, there are restrictions on the minimum size of elements that can be fixed to the equipment. The cost of a complete set of products can only be found out during a comprehensive and detailed discussion of the order.

Woodcomposite. According to the method developed by the Art Gorodets company, all elements are cut from slabs made of wood shavings by hot pressing method. The binder is a substance of natural origin - lignin. Finished goods treated with eucalyptus resin and covered acrylic paint. As a result, the material retains all the properties of natural wood, but surpasses it in moisture and frost resistance, as well as resistance to microorganisms. The cutting of slabs is carried out on machines with numerical control. program controlled, which ensures high quality processing and pattern reproduction accuracy. On request, products can be painted in a color selected according to a special table. It is possible to select the necessary decorative elements and their design style from an extensive catalog, which presents hundreds of details and dozens of design options (created on the basis of surviving historical carving samples). Volume and variety of decor can be achieved both by performing layer-by-layer milling and by superimposing blanks on top of each other in several layers (each of them is pre-processed and painted). Thus, to reproduce patterns characteristic, for example, of the “Kalyazin” style, up to five carved layers are sequentially combined, and to obtain even the most ornate pattern of the “Tver” style, three are enough. The price of the products depends on the complexity of the carving - the more delicate the option you choose, the higher the cost will be. Let's say platband standard size in the “Red Hill” style will cost 27 thousand rubles, and a similar “Uspensky” style will cost 18 thousand rubles. Accordingly, samples that use several carved layers will cost more than single-layer ones.

The order execution time, depending on its complexity, ranges from 3 to 8 weeks from the moment the drawings are approved and payment is made. The products are delivered completely ready for installation, an assembly diagram is included, but custom installation can also be ordered.

Original home design option

Progress affected not only the technologies for making carved decorations and the materials used for this, but also the options for arranging decor on the facade of the house. For example, wind boards made of plexiglass and equipped with LED end lighting are proposed to be secured under multi-layer carved piers made of waterproof plywood. In this case, during daylight hours only the “wooden” part of the decoration will be clearly visible, and the transparent plexiglass will remain almost invisible. At night, on the contrary, the luminous carved contour of plexiglass will come to the fore.

Plexiglas. Enough original proposal from the already mentioned design bureau Switch: a carved wind board is made of plexiglass 1 cm thick and equipped with LED backlighting. The color of the glow can be static (blue, red, orange, white, green) or change according to a given program (RGB LEDs controlled by a controller are used). The light sensor is responsible for turning on the backlight. Energy consumption is minimal - approximately 50 W. No backlight required professional service(it is enough to wash the plexiglass elements once a season or when they become dirty) and can work without replacing light sources for up to 30 years (50 thousand hours) provided the supply voltage is stable. Warranty period - 5-7 years. The cost of a luminous decoration is about 3 thousand rubles. for 1 linear m., of which 1.5 thousand rubles. for 1 linear m. will cost the plexiglass product itself, the rest is the cost of waterproof LED lines and the equipment that controls them.

Keep it in moderation

Unlike Europe, with its inherent refinement and minimalism in design, in many parts of Russia there is a clearly noticeable desire to decorate houses with wooden lace. And this is wonderful, since a truly modern home should be comfortable in every sense - not only be practical and meet energy saving requirements, but also distinguished by high aesthetics, characteristic of such established architectural styles as Russian style, Art Nouveau, Empire style, etc.

32-34. The use of carved elements made of wood composite will not only transform the building, but even visually change its proportions. You can use them to place or shift accents and thereby make the façade of the house more attractive. But in both cases, you should be guided by a professional design project.

But no matter what style of carving the owners of the house choose, it is very important that in the process of implementing their plans they do not lose their sense of proportion. After all, the abundance of decorative details is extremely tiring to perceive, and the use of complex and intricate carved patterns is not always justified. Thus, very thin lace, which up close admires the elaboration of the design, from a distance can merge into a continuous, indistinct mass. In turn, too large a decor will dominate other architectural details of the building. The facade should not be overloaded with excesses, because any annoying decoration irritates the eye. And most importantly, the dimensions of the wind boards, valances and platbands must be correctly correlated with the proportions of the wooden house as a whole and the dimensions of the structural elements of the porch, windows, balconies, cornices, overhangs, etc. And then even the simplest pattern will look elegant and stylish.

You need to take a responsible approach to choosing the color in which the wooden lace will be painted. It must be in harmony with the tone of the log walls of the house. At the same time, light patterns will look impressive against the background of logs painted in dark tones, while dark ones, on the contrary, will benefit from a combination with light wood.

Wood carving is a fascinating hobby and an opportunity for... additional income. For example, a 3D end cutting board can cost $500. If you are new to this field of art, then you need to carefully explore all the difficulties that you will encounter in the future. After all, this is only in a fairy tale - he said the magic word, and everything happened by itself - the boards, the table tops, and the carved frames with valances. IN real life This is a painstaking task, cutting requires a keen eye and a faithful hand, but the result is worth it.

Products made from real, natural wood, made by hand by a craftsman, have been valued since ancient times.

Real wood products

Decorating your home interior with carved wood has a lot of possibilities. Elegant, beautiful carved boxes, unusual picture frames and carved edgings for mirrors. Eco-friendly toys, frames and furniture, carved cutting boards, jewelry and board games - the range of everything you can make from wood is limitless. The larger the size of the product, the more labor-intensive it is during execution and, accordingly, the more expensive its price will be, but the less likely it is to quickly find a buyer. However, it is also very difficult to carve small, miniature works from wood.

To organize work on the manufacture of wood products, some investments are needed. First of all, you need to purchase special tools:

Let's try to analyze the composition of a carver's tool: what the tools are called and what they serve.

The cutters come in a variety of sizes and shapes with an angle of 35 degrees. Finding a good cutter is a very difficult task, but this is the main tool with which the master performs most of the work and also creates subtle patterns and graceful shapes of carved boards.

Shoals are knives, they are used in the technique of flat-relief carving for cutting straight long lines and for rounding the contour. The cutting angle of the jamb is 60 degrees.

Chisels are straight and flat, semicircular, steep, sloping and medium, large and small. Each tool has its own purpose.

Rivets, they come in a variety of sizes and sharpening shapes. Thorn cutters are a group of tools, they have two bends of 125 degrees.

Geismuses have a bend angle of 45–50 degrees, and gravers have a bend angle of 20 degrees. The handles of these instruments are made in the form of a mushroom.

There are also spoon knives, they are used to remove a large amount of material when making dishes. These knives are used for flat-relief carving. For carving, there is great amount tools, and each has its own purpose.

You can greatly reduce costs by learning to sharpen your tools yourself. When working with wood, knives quickly become dull. If a craftsman sends his tools for sharpening, this procedure takes about a week. But if you learn how to sharpen your tool yourself, you can save a lot, especially since it’s not difficult.

To work with wood you need a separate workshop. This can be any room, the main thing is that it well ventilated and heated. You will need a table with a wooden top, a cutting table for editing, finishing tools, a couple of stools, a cabinet and shelves for materials, tools, sketches and paper templates. You need enough diffused, bright lighting and a directional lamp for very small work - painting, carving burning, etc. Boards different types wood And now your wood carving workshop is ready.

Depending on what product you plan to make, you will need different kinds and parts of wood. Beginners are usually advised to start working with linden, aspen or alder. This wood is soft and cuts well in any direction of the grain. Linden and birch are used to make children's toys, figurines, cutting boards. This is a soft material, simple and uniform to process, but fragile and splintered. In the technique of geometric wood carving, cedar wood is suitable; it is pliable in work, with a uniform structure. But in the southern regions of our country, cedar will not be easy to find. For other types of carving (ship carving, house carving, or openwork carving, flat-relief sculptural carving, etc.), more common types of wood are suitable.

Finished crafts cover:

• gouache;
• stains;
• acrylic paints;
• tempera paints.

and then open with a safe oil varnish, but it is better to protect your hands with gloves

Impossible to master carving technique without constant practice. It is better to work in the production of wooden products to master the practices. There are woodcarving schools, but they are accepted from 10–12 years old, as they require strength in the hands and accuracy and compliance with safety precautions when using sharp tools.

In order to start working on the production of natural wood, you will need a considerable amount. With this money you need to buy necessary tools, raw materials and consumables. The most popular product - These are cutting boards. This money will pay for itself in about a month if you work hard.

Gallery: DIY cutting boards (25 photos)

Plywood products

You can also make crafts from plywood using a hand jigsaw or electric jigsaw. Sawing out of plywood seems to be just a hobby that is enjoyed in childhood. But with the help of a jigsaw, a craftsman can create a unique masterpiece.

Every housewife in the kitchen must have such an irreplaceable item as a cutting board.

Recently, handmade household items have become very popular; they are not only beautiful, but also functional. Cutting boards, handmade from wood with intricate patterns, will be a worthy decoration for any kitchen.

Wood carving is one of the ancient types of arts and crafts of many peoples.

In the 15th century, carving became widespread and was called carving.

It is unlikely that many everyday things made of wood could attract our attention if the hand of a master had not touched them.

Currently, there are many trends and styles of wood carving.
There are still two main groups and each has its own characteristics, styles and techniques.

Flat relief carving

Proriznaya

Contour

Geometric

Bracketed

Abramtsevo-Kudrinskaya

Tatyanka

Volumetric thread

Brownie

Church

Bogorodskaya

Sculptural

For decoration household items folk craftsmen most often used geometric carving: triangular-notched. For such carving, the only tool used is a knife with a sharpened end.

The best material for triangular-notched carving is considered to be soft hardwood - linden, alder and aspen. The wood of these trees is uniform and cuts perfectly in all directions. After drying, it becomes durable and does not warp.

The Curious World offers you a selection of carved cutting boards, watch and be inspired!

The natural appeal and easy processing of natural wood allows you to create beautiful wooden decorations for your interior and home. This environmentally friendly material, created by nature, has been tested for centuries and continues to be in great demand in construction and everyday life.

Original carved wooden box

Increasingly, even wealthy citizens prefer brick or log buildings to more expensive ones. And this is not only a tribute to fashion, wood is a unique material with living energy. Wood retains heat perfectly and creates a favorable indoor microclimate. Along with wooden houses, interest in is gradually returning.

In the old days, houses were decorated with carved elements not only for the sake of aesthetics - each pattern and ornament had its own meaning and served to protect the home and family from troubles, evil spirits and bad people.

The carving was applied to elements of the facade of the house: cornices, shutters, platbands, towels, pillars and supports. Today, few people think about the symbolism of carved decorations for homes.

However, the beautiful patterns invented by ancient masters continue to live, acquiring new details. New technologies and high-precision equipment come to the aid of modern woodcarvers, thanks to which they can create complex and original wood products.

Carved decor for the roof

The upper triangular part of the roof (pediment) in the old days was called the ochele. It was this that was especially richly decorated with decorative carvings:

Window carvings

An equally important element in home decoration is considered. With its help, not only a decorative effect is achieved, but also the gap between the window frame and the wall is closed, and the house is better protected from noise and drafts.

In ancient times, carved window decoration also had great protective significance, because it was through windows and doors devilry you can get into the house. Over time, carved amulets turned into beautiful ornaments that have come down to us.

The carved frame could have a fairly simple design and consist of three, less often four, boards, onto which a simple repeating pattern or ornament was applied. A more complex and decorative window frame included various elements, multi-layer carved overlays and details:

House carving technique

House carving styles and techniques combine many schools, directions and methods of application. Wooden house decorations can be made in the following ways:

What wood to use for house carvings

The most common, and in the northwestern regions the best, is considered to be pine. Quite durable and easy to process, it is well suited for making carved decorations for the facade of a house.

Over time, unpainted pine becomes light yellow, almost honey-colored. Since ancient times, aspen has been valued as a good ornamental material. It has a soft pliable structure, dries out slightly, and is resistant to cracking. As aspen wood ornaments age, they acquire a steely gray sheen that can be mistaken for metal.

Linden is plastic, soft and very convenient for carving. Smooth, light linden wood is uniform and well suited for relief carving. However, the softness and porosity of the fibers make linden short-lived and high maintenance.

Oak is a very strong and durable material, but it is very expensive and difficult to process due to its hard and dense wood. Larch is also a durable and hard type of wood, but it is rarely used for making carved jewelry, since linden splits easily.