Carve a wooden nesting doll with your own hands. Making nesting dolls

A painted wooden doll, inside of which there are similar smaller dolls, is a traditional Russian toy, the interest in which has recently increased. – this business is not for everyone. It's more suitable creative individuals. You will learn how nesting dolls are made and what equipment is needed in this article.

Depending on your skills, you can choose one of several areas of production that is right for you. Traditionally, a matryoshka is a set of brightly painted wooden dolls of 3 or more pieces. They consist of 2 parts, shaped like an egg with a flat bottom. The design on the matryoshka depicts a doll in a sundress and a scarf.

Modern production makes souvenirs of this kind more original, even individual. Traditional painting of nesting dolls is more suitable for sales foreign tourists. The domestic buyer will be more interested in a unique image, for example, you can draw celebrities, portraits of relatives, friends, reproductions famous paintings– all this applies to the original production of nesting dolls.

Basic production processes

Matryoshka dolls are made only from wood. For these purposes, preference is given to soft breeds. Use:

• larch;
• linden;
• aspen;
• alder;
• birch

Manufacturing stages:

1. Wood preparation.

It is better to use a tree cut down in early spring; to avoid cracks, the bark is not completely removed. The logs are then stacked in a ventilated area to dry. The logs take 2-3 years to dry; at the start of processing, the wood should not be dry, but not wet either. Next comes grinding on machines, as well as sawing into blanks.

1. Turning the smallest shape.

The material is chosen without cracks and knots. The first figure is made non-demountable.

1. Making all sizes of dolls.

The stage begins after the smallest figure is ready. The next one after it is made a little more, but so that the previous one is included in it. The workpiece is cut into two parts: upper and lower. The wood is removed from them so that space is created inside for a smaller doll. The parts fit tightly together. This is done with every new size of matryoshka.

1. Preparing for painting.

Before painting, the figures are sanded and then primed with potato paste. After drying, the future matryoshka is ready for painting.

Turning and milling equipment

Matryoshka dolls and a lathe are inseparable things, especially if your work is the basis of your business. Some craftsmen prefer to work the old fashioned way, but this is painstaking, long work. Similar equipment is used as in other workshops. We have already looked at what equipment is needed:

For business, it is better to buy a machine for nesting dolls, namely a turning and milling machine. Special equipment will save time and will be useful to you in a number of other woodworking projects.

Pay attention to the “Galaxy” wood turning and milling machine (Czech Republic) - this is equipment designed for complex milling work with wooden blanks.

This equipment is suitable for the production of:

• table legs;
• balusters;
• artistic pillars.

Also suitable for MDF, plastic and other materials. Some equipment models have a numeric function program control(CNC). This gives high precision in the execution of work, which improves the result in the manufacture of complex objects. Ideal for mass production.

TFS-1550 machine– equipment for profiling and turning of objects. Combines hand router milling with a rotating disk-type tool. A template is used, so you can work with this equipment without special training.

– turning and milling equipment for wood. Purpose of the equipment:

• productive processing;
• high performance;
• ease of programming;
• quick adjustment for different workpieces;
• production of various products.

What do you need for painting?

Before applying the design, the figure is varnished and polished.

You can apply the drawing with ordinary paints. In this matter, you don’t need to look for something strictly targeted or expensive. Just choose between the following types of paints:

• gouache (the most favorite paint among masters);
• tempera;
• oil paints;
• watercolor;
• acrylic.

Stages of painting:

1. Sanding the workpiece: paint must be applied only to a smooth surface;
2. Applying glue– the process serves as the basis for the future application of gold leaf (imitation gilding);
3. Application of gold leaf: This material gives the product a golden shine; this process gives the figure uniqueness, sophistication, and the effect of high cost;
4. Applying the background: design always begins with the background, this stage goes quickly and does not require much effort;
5. Working on the details: more small parts are unique painting, the individuality of each souvenir, the character of the doll; it is this stage that will make your products recognizable;
6. Drawing a stroke: small details are outlined to make the drawing more vivid;
7. Varnishing a souvenir: the last stage, when a protective layer of varnish (from dust, moisture) is applied to the finished object, thanks to which the product acquires shine.

Drawing is a very delicate matter, it all depends on experience and talent, but special equipment is not needed to paint nesting dolls.

You can take traditional painting styles as a basis:

• Zagorsk - a picturesque style in which there is an abundance of small details, gilding, and no more than 4 colors are used;
• Semyonovsky - bright style, simple image;
• gelding;
• Polkhovsky - elongated shape with a clear design of the head;
• Vyatsky: with straw inlay;
• Sergievsky - a bold combination of colors, a sundress, apron, shawl is required;
• peasant;
• boyarsky

Matryoshka painting

Matryoshka is a native Russian toy depicting a rosy-cheeked girl. It is usually made of wood. This doll is unusual in that it contains the same nesting dolls, but one is smaller than the other. They are usually dressed in red sundresses and scarves.

Popularity of the Russian nesting doll

Matryoshka is a traditional souvenir of our country. Many believe that it brings happiness, wealth to the home and fertility to the family. In this regard, every tourist purchases it before departure.

But you don’t have to buy such a toy; you can make it with your own hands from available materials.

Initially, the nesting doll was carved only from wood and painted bright colors. Currently, it can be made from any available material. This requires desire, patience and time. This craft will not leave either a child or an adult indifferent. And the manufacturing process itself will bring a lot of positive emotions.

How to sew a matryoshka doll from fabric

If you know how to sew, you can easily make such a doll. To make it you will need:

Manufacturing stages.

Using the same principle, you can make a felt toy.

Making crafts from cardboard

You can make this craft together with your child.. To make it you will need:

Manufacturing stages:

Now you can admire your creation together with your child.

Modeling toys from plasticine

Even he can fashion such a matryoshka doll Small child. To do this you will need soft plasticine of different colors and a little patience.

Every person has their own little hobby. Any hobby can be turned into a means of income by building small business from scratch. This option is most suitable for entrepreneurs who do not have start-up capital. An interesting area is the production and sale of souvenirs, such as nesting dolls.

Ways to organize a business

There are several popular ways to make money on nesting dolls.

1. Engage in turning out products. This requires minimal knowledge of turning and your own workshop. Marketing research shows that this is an unprofitable direction. For wood workshops, demand is less than supply.

2. Buy blanks and paint them yourself. Only creative people can do this.

3. Become a mediator. Purchase blanks, hire an artist and find points of sale for products. Our business plan for making nesting dolls assumes exactly this option. But we will also consider the technology of production and painting of products, so that you can be realized in any direction.

Choose a suitable niche and make a competent plan. You can draw up a business plan or consult with specialists. The main thing is to adhere to the correct structure.

If you do not intend to hire employees and will sell products through Internet sites, intermediaries or souvenir shops, it is best to register as individual entrepreneur. The main advantages are ease of paperwork and minimal taxes.

If you are planning to establish a full-fledged manufacturing process, and it is planned to expand the project by producing other souvenir products, register an LLC. To pay taxes, select the simplified tax system.

Matryoshka manufacturing technology

1. Choice of wood. Linden, birch and aspen are suitable for this product. The tree is cut in winter or early spring. The barrel is processed and stored, and constant airflow is ensured. It is important not to dry out the log. Drying time is about two years.

2. Grinding the first figure. The smallest nesting doll is made first. It does not open.

3. Grinding the following elements. Then the lower part is made for the next matryoshka. The upper part is immediately put on the bottom without drying out. This is done to ensure that the elements of the figures fit tightly to each other.

Turning process

Considering the large time costs of drying the wood and its considerable cost in prepared form, a more cost-effective direction would be to purchase ready-made figures and then paint them.

Nowadays it is appreciated handmade, so it’s best to paint the nesting dolls by hand. This increases the cost of the toy. Each master's approach is individual. The thinner and more interesting work, the higher the cost of the product. Let's look at the detailed painting process.

Before painting the nesting dolls are primed, after painting they are varnished. In the nineteenth century, gouache was used to paint these toys - now unique images Matryoshka dolls are also created using aniline paints, tempera, and watercolors. But gouache still remains the favorite paint of artists who paint nesting dolls. The first step is to paint the face of the toy and the apron with picturesque image, and only then - a sundress and a scarf. Since the mid-twentieth century, nesting dolls began to be not only painted, but also decorated - with mother-of-pearl plates, straws, and later with rhinestones and beads...

But the first nesting dolls did not have these decorations - and a “real”, original Russian nesting doll is still considered a wooden painted doll, without inlays or “overlays”.

There are several cities and villages in Russia where nesting dolls are traditionally produced - and everywhere these dolls have their own characteristics. Craftsmen from the village of Krutets are experimenting with coloring and even – slightly – with the shape of nesting dolls. In the village of Polkhovsky Maidan, the nesting doll is the breadwinner and support of the entire village: its residents live almost entirely on the income received from the sale of traditional dolls. The nesting dolls from this village are famous for their “rose” designs - the main element of the ornament of these toys is the rose hip flower. Semenov nesting dolls - made in the city of Semenov, Nizhny Novgorod region - are easily recognized by their rather large unpainted surfaces and a lush bouquet of fantastic flowers on the apron. They are distinguished by their “spaciousness” - traditionally such a nesting doll consists of 15-18 dolls, and the most capacious nesting doll in Russia, made in Semenov, is as many as 72 dolls, the largest of which is a full meter in height! The most “northern” in Russia is the Vyatka matryoshka. And in Sergiev Posad, even members bought the famous bright nesting dolls royal family who came to venerate the shrines of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

There are entire museums in Russia dedicated to nesting dolls. The first in Russia – and in the world! – The Matryoshka Museum opened in 2001 in Moscow. The Moscow Matryoshka Museum is located in the premises of the Folk Crafts Fund in Leontyevsky Lane; its director, Larisa Solovyova, devoted more than one year to the study of nesting dolls. She is the author of two books about these funny wooden dolls. And more recently, in 2004, it opened its own museum of nesting dolls in the Nizhny Novgorod region - it collected more than 300 exhibits under its roof. There are presented matryoshka dolls with a unique Polkhovsky-Maidanovsky painting - the same Polkhov-Maidanovsky dolls that are known all over the world and which villagers have been bringing for sale to Moscow for many decades in huge baskets, sometimes loaded with up to a hundred kilograms of precious toys! The largest matryoshka doll in this museum is one meter long: it includes 40 dolls. And the smallest is only the size of a grain of rice! Matryoshka dolls are admired not only in Russia: quite recently, in 2005, a group of painted dolls came to the International Trade Exhibition of high-quality consumer goods "Ambiente-2005" in Germany, in the city of Frankfurt am Main.

The image of the matryoshka combines the art of masters and a great love for Russian folk culture. Now on the streets of St. Petersburg and Moscow you can buy a variety of souvenirs for every taste - nesting dolls depicting politicians, famous musicians, grotesque characters...

But still, every time we say “matryoshka”, we immediately imagine a cheerful Russian girl in a bright folk costume.

Matryoshka by Larisa N.S.

Matryoshka dolls by Olga Guseva

Matryoshka dolls by Olga Guseva

Matryoshka dolls by Olga Guseva

Matryoshka dolls by Olga Guseva

Matryoshka dolls by Olga Guseva

Consumer interest in folk crafts today tends to develop, so you can open a very profitable business in this area. The beauty of selling souvenir products is that there will be high demand for them not only local residents, but also visitors and tourists. Making nesting dolls in this regard is very interesting view business, because a wooden doll of an original design is known throughout the world as a traditional Russian souvenir.

History of Matryoshka

The first such toy was brought to Moscow at the end of the 19th century from Japan. It was a figurine of a Buddhist saint, consisting of 5 figures nested inside each other. A Russian turner became interested in this idea and carved similar dolls out of wood, and one of the local artists painted their faces. Without thinking twice, the doll was given the name “Matryona”, and then they began to affectionately call her a matryoshka. In Russia they spread very quickly and began to be considered a symbol of the country.

Our business assessment:

Starting investment – ​​150,000 rubles.

Market saturation is average.

The difficulty of starting a business is 7/10.

Business options on nesting dolls

You can classify ways to make money on wooden toys as follows:

1. Turning blanks. It is enough to have minimal knowledge of turning and a small workshop to produce matryoshka blanks. But marketing research and practice shows that you need to take care of sales channels in advance, because the demand for wooden products (even if these are future nesting dolls) is not very high.
2. Painting blanks. These are potential clients of those who decide to engage in the first business option. For such a task you need even less - a set of paints and brushes plus the ability to draw. The portrait on the matryoshka can be anything, but buyers prefer female faces.
3. Intermediary services. In this case, you do not need to be able to grind and draw. It is enough to organize the entire structure: purchase blanks, hire artists and find ways to sell.

You can choose any of the proposed options or combine them, choosing as a business the production and painting of wooden nesting dolls or a full cycle of all works.

Manufacturing technology

For work, it is best to use dried linden, aspen, and birch. Drying is done outdoors under a canopy for 2-3 years. You cannot take raw wood, because... The finished matryoshka will be too fragile.

The matryoshka manufacturing technology has a certain algorithm that must be followed in order to obtain truly high-quality products:

1. The first step is to make the smallest nesting doll that does not open.
2. Next, there is a gradation of sizes with mandatory fitting of each turned part.
3. During the production of each nesting doll, the previous ones should remain closed and dry in this position. If you do not do this, the toy will not close.

Making nesting dolls with your own hands is a fascinating and interesting process. You can give your toys some special feature so that they become truly original.

Painting or printing

The painting technology also has a sequence:

1. Putty and primer of the workpiece.
2. Applying glue in a pattern.
3. Applying gold leaf if necessary (imitation gold).
4. Drawing the background and details of the portrait.
5. Stroke contours.

If over time your company develops to such an extent that it receives large orders, then only hand painted there will be no way around it. But in this case, printing technologies, which today are at a fairly advanced stage, will come to the rescue. high level. It will be possible to draw portraits of nesting dolls in graphic editors, and then stamp the products on special equipment.

Unconventional nesting dolls

Painting nesting dolls in the traditional style is quite difficult. And it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to replicate the faces of the famous Semyonovsk or Zagorsk beauties. Therefore, many people choose this type of business as making custom nesting dolls from photos. You can paint the nesting dolls as if they were members of a large family, and this will be an excellent gift for any family celebration. You can do this kind of business at home by ordering blanks from a local workshop or on the Internet.

Portraits of famous personalities

If you have sufficient talent, then a portrait on a matryoshka can depict famous personalities. Foreign guests, for example, are very fond of buying portrait nesting dolls with the face of the president and other key people of the country.

Branded products

Corporate gifts and souvenirs today play an important role in running any business. Therefore, it is customary for companies to give branded gifts to colleagues. The production of nesting dolls with a logo can be an excellent help for expanding your business.

Investments

To organize a business on matryoshka dolls with full cycle, you will need about 150 thousand rubles. Cost items will include the following:

• rental of premises (workshop and painting workshop);
• equipment (machine for making nesting dolls, tables, brushes);
• consumables (wood, paints, varnishes);
• staff salaries;
• registration of individual entrepreneurs;
• advertising.

If you draw up a competent business plan, it is quite possible to get consumer loan with an annual rate of 15 to 20%.

Profit

Each manufacturer values ​​their product differently. Finding a balance between product price and demand for it is difficult, but the right strategy plays a decisive role. The average cost of a matryoshka doll from 5 items is 400 rubles. Products made to order cost 2-3 times more.

In the first months, the production and sale of nesting dolls, if successful, can bring up to 25 thousand rubles in income. After 3-4 months, the profit increases to 40 thousand. Full payback occurs after 8 months, and with the constant development and expansion of sales markets, in just six months.

Making nesting dolls is an interesting business that can become very profitable if you tackle it wisely and calculatedly. And charming colorful beauties will give good mood every working day.