From ancient times in Russia people believed in the magic power of felt boots. The man believed that they would bring prosperity and wealth to the house, the main thing is to do everything right: put in them what you need, hang in the right place. What are whisper-boots? Why they are so called, what matter, read the article.
What are whisper-boots?
These are winter shoes in miniature. Valenoks can serve as a charm, a gift for the soul or just a souvenir. They are often presented to guests who live in a warm climate, as a symbol, a reminder of the Russian people with a cold winter.
Valenoks were called “whispers”, as people whispered their most cherished desires in them and firmly believed that they would come true. An unbeliever can buy them as a souvenir or amulets, hang them on a Christmas tree, like a toy, or on a bunch of keys, like a keychain. In any case, this is an interesting little thing. Coins, a grain of cereal, were put in whispers. They were assigned a place at the door at the entrance to the house or in the corner between the stove and the wall.
What do you need to make felt boots?
To whisperers turned out to be "glory", you need to think through everything to the smallest detail. For work you will need the following materials and tools:
- A sufficient amount of wool of natural origin. The traditional color of boots is gray. But do not limit this fantasy. Raw materials can always be painted in the desired shade.
- It is important to stock up on bubble wrap. This material with a smooth surface is not suitable for use.
- To make templates, you need a piece of foam rubber.
- Prepare a container of water, soap, or any liquid used when washing dishes.
- Necessarily need a spray gun and a fine mesh.
- A few cotton towels, so as not to dry them in the process.
- To decorate your product, you should prepare felt, many different cords and ribbons.
Manufacturing technology
Do-it-yourself whispers are easy to do, the main thing is a great desire and diligence. Step-by-step instruction:
- The template is done first.
- Then, on its basis - the workpiece. To do this, the template is applied to the rubber, encircled and cut with sharp scissors along the edge, otherwise there will be burrs on the canvas.
- We put the foot template to ourselves and lay the wool in small bundles in the horizontal direction so that its edges extend beyond the shape of the felt boot.
- After laying the first layer, proceed to the second. Wool should be evenly distributed in the vertical direction.
- Then we take a spray bottle filled with soapy water and spray it on the wool.
- A mesh is placed on top of the wet layer and is well pressed with your fingers to evenly distribute moisture.
- Further, the wool with the pattern is turned over together on the other side, and the wool protruding beyond the edges is wrapped inward.
- The wool is again laid on top in two layers, as in the first case.
- All this is again wetted with the solution from the spray gun and pressed by hands.
- The mesh is removed, and the template with the hair is turned over.
- The edges are wrapped again, pieces of wool are pressed against the template very tightly.
- The blank is wrapped in a net, it is time to respect the wool. To do this, rub for a long time on top of the net, about 15 minutes. Attention should be paid to corners and ribs.
- Then the workpiece is cut in half, the template is removed.
- The process of felting continues. For this, the felt boot is put on the hand and its entire surface from the inside and the outside is rubbed with fingers, but not so much that the edges of the product do not deform. Felting miniature shoes completed. It remains to check the length of both whispers. If it is different, even with scissors.
- The penultimate stage is washing the felt boots under running water to wash off the soap solution.
- After this, the products get wet with towels that absorb moisture well, straighten and dry away from the battery.
Souvenir decoration
The last stage is the most responsible. You need to decorate your handiwork very carefully and beautifully. Here you can apply all your imagination. Put patches, hem the sole with a thin felt, make appliqués, sew the lace in the form of a pattern or in a chaotic manner, use different braid colors and textures. At the end of the work, both felt boots need to be connected with a decorative thread. Whisper boots are ready. Such a gift will satisfy the most fastidious guest at the holiday.
Whisper boots: meaning
Any crafts that are created independently using manual labor, people love and carefully store them, especially children. And this is no coincidence. It's about whispers. With them in the house creates an atmosphere of comfort and individuality of the owners. And most importantly - a miniature craft, souvenir boots, whispers, is of great importance in the education of the younger generation.
When creating a souvenir, a certain technique of manufacturing, embroidery, applique, pattern is used. This is all folk art with which the child will become acquainted in the process of work. And when you consider that such a gift is being prepared for the New Year, which falls on the winter time, when you want a lot of warmth and comfort, it is doubly expensive. Whisper boots, which will be a joy to children and adults as a gift, help create a festive atmosphere in the house. Even in summer, such a souvenir creates a contrast in the interior, which looks very attractive.