Keeping in their hearts the memory of those who died during the Great Patriotic War, people create various accessories that express grief and respect for the soldiers. Among them is a soldier's scarf, which in most cases is made independently. Thanks to this attribute, the memories of the fallen heroes are preserved for generations. That is why knowledge of the rules and methods of its manufacture is necessary for every citizen devoted to the Motherland.
The essence of the action
The "Soldier's Scarf" campaign was born in 2004 and was initially planned to be held in most of the capital's schools. But the increased interest in the event influenced the fact that it grew into an all-Russian scale. During the campaign, a common canvas is displayed, consisting of small patches brought by those who are not indifferent to the actions that took place in 1941-1945.
The main goal of the campaign is to preserve the memory of great warriors. Considering that not all of them are immortalized in books and other historical publications, each family can make its contribution by making a scarf of memory with their own hands. Students of Russian schools together with their legal representatives can participate in the campaign. At the same time, the fallen hero does not necessarily have to be a relative, he can just be an acquaintance.
To perpetuate the memory, it is enough to find out information about the participant of the Great Patriotic War: last name, first name, patronymic, year of birth, military rank. It is also necessary to indicate the places where he fought for the Motherland, and provide information about the awards he received. All the collected information is displayed on a piece of plain fabric.
What is a memory scarf?
As mentioned above, a soldier's scarf of memory is a piece of material. You can simply apply the data found about the soldier to it with a felt-tip pen, but products with embroidery, applique and other decorative items created by hand look much more beautiful. It is permissible to use paper instead of fabric. The dimensions of the accessory are 30 x 30 cm, sometimes 40 x 40 cm, where the main fabric occupies a volume equal to 36 x 36 cm. When making it, it is advisable to take material of white, blue or red colors.
In addition to the surname, first name and patronymic, information about awards, battlefields and date of birth, small handkerchiefs can be supplemented with thankful inscriptions. Among them, the most popular are the phrases:
- "Eternal memory to the heroes of our country!"
- "They fought for their homeland!"
- "We remember, we are proud!"
- "Nobody is forgotten, nothing is forgotten!"
- "We remember them!"
It is permissible to apply inscriptions on a soldier's scarf with felt-tip pens or markers. It is also possible to embroider all the data on the material with satin stitch or cross stitch, using floss threads. Many scarves are decorated with flowers (carnations, roses, chrysanthemums), decorated with St. George ribbons. Images of a star and the Eternal Flame are common.
How to create with your own hands from fabric
Many people are interested in how to make a scarf with their own hands, so that they can then bring it to the great celebration of Victory Day. In fact, there are practically no restrictions on the production of this attribute. It is usually made of fabric, but there are also options combined with paper. To make a fabric base, you will need:
- a piece measuring 40 x 40 cm;
- scraps of colored materials for creating appliques;
- felt-tip pens or markers;
- floss threads;
- scissors;
- braid or lace.
The process of making a scarf for May 9 consists of several stages. The first is preparing the material. If there is no suitable patch, it must be cut out from a piece of fabric. Next, you need to process the edges using braid, satin ribbon, fringe or lace. This will prevent the edges from fraying or curling. After that, you need to draw or embroider with thread the soldier's last name, first name and patronymic, year of birth, information about the battle locations and awards, if any. A little further from the main inscription, a thank-you signature is placed. All that remains is to decorate the decor to your taste.
Each fabric has its own advantages. Thick cotton and linen (pure or with additives) hold their shape well. It is easy to embroider on calico, coarse calico and satin. And it is easier to draw on satin and silk with felt-tip pens.
If paper is used for decoration, it is better to buy thick white cardboard. It can be easily sewn to the fabric and written on with markers or each separately cut letter can be glued. The scarf can be complemented with an applique of an eternal flame. For this you will need:
- thick A4 paper;
- office scissors;
- simple pencil;
- glue;
- colored paper.
First, you need to cut out flames from colored paper - yellow, red or orange. Then you need to glue them together, leaving the edges free (they are then curled with scissors or fingers). The next step is to cut out a star from red paper, and glue all the details onto thick cardboard. Finally, you can decorate the scarf with various patriotic elements.
Design ideas
Among the most popular options for decorating a soldier's scarf are the St. George ribbon, the red star, various flowers, and inscriptions stating the anniversary of the Victory. The main text is usually located in the middle of the product, all other details can be placed wherever you want. You can make the decoration using the cross-stitch technique. For example, place flowers in one corner and the inscription "May 9" in another. The fabric can be trimmed around the perimeter with the St. George ribbon, which is sold ready-made in many stores.
If there is no ready-made pattern, you can create the drawing yourself using a simple pencil. After that, embroider it with satin stitch using floss threads. Creating letters is a rather labor-intensive process, so to simplify the task, you can write them with a marker, and design all the other elements as embroidery. The red star can be cut out of felt, the edges can be processed with an even seam and sewn onto a soldier's scarf. Flowers, pennants and other symbolic elements are created using the same principle.
Lace is often used for decoration, which serves as a border for the scarf. It can be either white, continuing the line of the fabric, or black, symbolizing grief. In the middle, you can place the St. George ribbon in the form of a simple straight line. It looks very beautiful folded into a bow, butterfly or flower.
A soldier's scarf can be decorated in any way, according to individual preferences. Each master puts into it a piece of his soul and feelings of gratitude to his departed loved ones who fought for the Motherland, thanks to whom our generation now admires the peaceful sky above our heads.
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