When creating landscape design and decorating a site, you must remember that every detail, even the smallest, is very important. Of course, shrubs, trees and flowers cannot be dispensed with, since this is the basis of landscape design, but special attention should be paid to decoration elements. Clay figurines or wooden crafts are often used as decor. Such an interesting DIY craft is a decorative mill for the garden. This is an attractive element of decor that fits perfectly into the overall picture.
Why do we need a decorative mill?
Everyone knows that a decorative mill is just a small copy of its prototypes. Large structures are used as generators, and small ones as a decor element for a personal plot. Many prefer ordinary garden mills, but if there is a river or a pond near the site, you can install a decorative water mill that will complement the overall picture and decorate the garden.
There are many different types of mills, but, nevertheless, they have the same structure. The design consists of such parts as:
- The base or platform of the structure.
- Wireframe.
- Roof.
- Axles mounted between the roof and the frame.
- Blades.
- Sail.
Choosing a place to install
To install a decorative mill for the garden, you must choose the best place on the territory. Do not put the structure near trees, shrubs and buildings, you need to pick up the ventilated part of the garden, where the structure will be clearly visible.
The place should be level - this will ensure unimpeded functionality of the structure. In the designated area, it is necessary to remove debris, plants and weeds. It is better to put the mill on a base made of concrete or stone. This will protect the wooden structure from soil moisture and other negative influences.
Create an installation plan
A self-made decorative mill should be properly built. To do this, do the following:
- draw a sketch of the future building;
- calculate the dimensions of all parts and elements;
- make a drawing of the future product;
- choose a good material to create the components of the structure.
When the drawings and calculations are ready, proceed with the direct assembly of the mill. The finished model, made in accordance with all parameters and requirements, will decorate the infield for many years.
Materials and tools for making a decorative mill
To quickly design this crafts for the garden, prepare the materials. For the mill body you will need:
- chipboard or plywood sheet;
- four bars of wood;
- two wooden slats;
- lining for a covering;
- lining for blades;
- wooden corners.
To make the roof, take the following tools and materials:
- chipboard;
- self-tapping screws;
- slats - 3 pieces.
In addition to the materials for installation, you will also need special tools, such as:
- screwdriver;
- tape measure and pencil;
- nails
- drill;
- metal rod;
- bolts and washers;
- sandpaper;
- jigsaw.
After preparing all the necessary tools and materials, it's time to do construction work, which is not as complicated as it seems at first glance.
Functions of the decorative mill
Fruit trees and beds in the garden have not surprised anyone for a long time, and the desire to decorate the territory as best as possible leads to the most unexpected and interesting ideas. Today, even on the smallest plot, owners grow interesting floral arrangements, forming fabulous landscapes. Painted wells, statues of gnomes, mushrooms, decorative mills made of wood and other interesting handmade crafts are used as decor.
Mills are installed not only as an element of decor, but also used as a toy house for a child, if the structurally decorative element occupies a large area, and inside it can be played. Also in decorative mills store garden tools and a variety of devices.
In addition, with the help of the building it is easy to cover engineering communications, such as:
- watering tap;
- ventilation pipes;
- hatches of septic tanks.
Such designs fit perfectly into any environment, and also do not require large expenses.
Parts manufacturing
Before you make a mill, you must first make all the details. For starters, itβs worth doing a house block slicing. The design consists of a four-part base, this:
- facade;
- backside;
- a pair of sides.
Each part, in turn, is composed of six segments placed as it grows, this helps to create a trapezoidal shape. When the block house is ready, you need to make bars from the rail, cut the lining for finishing the roof.
You will also need to prepare the following structural elements:
- layout
- two circles of plywood.
Part processing
Having built all the components of the structure, the assembly of the mill must be postponed, since all parts need pre-treatment and preparation. It is imperative to sandpaper composite structures with sandpaper, paying particular attention to cuts and ends.
Since the garden crafts will be in the fresh air, it must be protected from the negative effects of moisture and sudden temperature changes. Antiseptic agents will cope with this task, which will protect the structure and protect it from fungus.
Assembly of a decorative mill
After the parts are dried and processed, it is time to proceed with the assembly of the structure. Installation work involves several stages:
- Side parts. The walls must be connected to the rails with self-tapping screws, so that an integral structure is obtained, and then all parts are folded together. This will not only strengthen the walls, but also make the structure stable.
- Base. We take two squares with holes in the middle and fasten the screws to the body.
- Roof. In the manufacture of a decorative mill with our own hands, we first make two triangles on the pattern, to which we fix the lining on both sides. To decorate the roof, you can use the skate.
- Pinwheel. To create a turntable, you need wood rails or metal pipes. At the end of each blade, short rails must be screwed. In the center of the turntable, on both sides, we fasten two circles with screws. Then you need to make holes for the studs and bearings and hammer them into the grooves.
- The final stage is the installation of the roof.
After reading all the recommendations, everyone will learn how to make a mill with their own hands correctly. This information will help not only to make high-quality products, but also to reliably strengthen it.
Decorative finish
It is not enough just to make a decorative mill with your own hands. To make it even more attractive and interesting, you need to do decorative decoration. Decoration is an important stage, since the overall landscape picture depends on it. A decorative watermill or windmill perfectly complements the overall picture of the site.
To preserve the natural structure of the material, it is better to coat the surface of the structure with clear varnish or use paint. To make the wood darker and imitate expensive wood species (oak or ash), it is worth using a wood dye designed to preserve the texture of the tree. They give the surface a pronounced bright pattern. This is a special liquid called stain. With each applied layer, the color of the tree will change, become darker.
From an aesthetic point of view, moldings will look good on structures, they will give it spectacularity and attractiveness.
LED flashlights look beautiful inside the structure. If there are windows in the mill, then the backlight will look even more harmonious. Even the absence of windows is not an obstacle for installing lights, because they can be placed around the perimeter of the structure.
It is recommended that all plants be removed near the decorative mill, although a small flower garden with creeping ground cover flora representatives will not hurt.
Whatever decor is used to decorate a decorative mill, if you follow all the above tips and instructions, you can create a harmonious and interesting design that fits perfectly into the overall style of landscape arrangement of the territory.
Useful Tips
Design according to the step-by-step instructions of the decorative mill does not guarantee the exact execution of the installation work. That is why the helpful tips presented below will reveal all the issues that arose during the construction and installation of the structure.
It is important to choose the right material for the manufacture of the structure, so that it lends itself well to processing. We need a tree species that will have the best qualities. Pine is best suited for construction, in addition to the fact that it has advantages that are perfectly manifested in the construction and construction, the tree smells great. In addition to choosing a quality material, special attention should be paid to the mass of the blades. If they are too heavy, the whole structure will collapse.
During assembly, you will need a drawing of a decorative mill. With its help it is easy to organize the work done.
Construction dimensions
The size of a home-made mill depends on the preferences of the owner and the size of the infield. It can be a large structure or a small decorative structure. Most often, the owners of the site choose modest decorative mills. All sides of the base of this design are one and a half meters, and the size of the upper frame is about one meter. The height of the mill from ground to roof is less than two meters.
Depending on the parameters of the structure, the type of roof and its dimensions are selected. During the development and construction of a decorative mill, all details, materials and finishes are subject to change.
It is simple to calculate the parameters of the structure and build it, but for this it is necessary to have certain skills and abilities, so that the building is reliable and looks attractive.
A self-made decorative mill will look great on the garden site. Adhering to all the recommendations and rules, you can easily build a real work of art. Regardless of whether summer is outside or autumn, the decorative mill will look great among yellowed, fallen leaves and fresh greenery.