School of Samodelkin: what is applique

Among the various kinds of crafts the most popular is the applique. This is done with pleasure by small children, developing imagination, motor skills and dexterity of hands, learning to handle fragile or cutting objects. Those for whom the child's occupation has become a passion for life, improve the skill, creating whole amazing canvases.

Features of terminology and variety

Let's see in more detail what an applique is. If you look in the explanatory dictionaries, we learn that the name of an image of something made or received in a certain way or technique (about this below) is called that. The second meaning is the technique itself, which relates to arts and crafts. In other words, what is an applique: it is a picture (or a small picture) on some surface, only not painted with brushes and paints, but pasted. Depending on the type of material used, it can be paper, fabric, fur, and also from natural (natural) objects.

Types of applications

Let us consider each type in more detail.

1. What is a paper application? For its manufacture, the cardboard or sheet from the album is taken as the basis. The surface is covered with a color background or left in a natural form. Figures, patterns, details of a picture are cut out from color paper and then are fastened on a basis by means of glue or other means.
2. What is the application on the fabric: the material is glued on or sewed with colored pieces of fabrics of different texture, from which this or that pattern is obtained. Interesting are combinations with felt, leather, fur, ie, relief fabrics and smooth - cotton, silk, etc. As decorative elements, cords and braid are often used. By the way, different embroidery is also one of the types of tissue applications.
3. What is the application of natural materials? In many respects it resembles a herbarium. Dried or fresh plants - grass blades, leaves, twigs, small inflorescences are attached to cardboard. The resulting compositions retain the natural beauty of natural materials.
4. Applique on wood - since ancient times one of the most popular forms of furniture decoration. It is an insert of artificial (plastic, metal) and natural impregnations (the same wood, stone, etc.) elements.

Practical lesson

How to teach a child to do appliques with their own hands? To teach him some lessons. To begin with, come up with a story. For example, make a forest clearing. Help me find the basis. Using a simple pencil draw on the back of the sheets of colored paper details of the composition: brown trunks, different shades of green - the crown of trees. A toothed strip can represent grass. Small yellow and red circles are flowers. The sun and the clouds will finish the landscape. However, the first practical experience should not be cluttered with many details. However, the more a child is trained, the more precise his movement, the more subtle types of work he can be entrusted with. When all elements are prepared, you can paste them. For this purpose, either a solid glue in a tube or, if using a conventional clerical, is better, spread it with a brush for drawing. Then the work will look neater. Teach your child to use rags to soak excess glue. When the picture is finished, wrap it with cellophane and place it on the bookshelf - for memory.

Good luck, Samodelkin!