Norms

Do-it-yourself corner for icons in the apartment. Corner shelf for icons - a sincere gift and an element of the interior, created by yourself

Just like several centuries ago, Orthodox houses are decorated Christian icons. Previously, all the icons in the house were kept on the iconostasis, it is also called the red corner or the goddess. In modern apartments and houses, they try to place the iconostasis in such a way that it is in harmony with the room and the interior in it.

So that there is a place for icons special and beautiful, you can make corner shelves for icons with your own hands, this makes it possible to translate any idea into reality and put a piece of your own into the work souls.

With the help of modern materials and wood, you can make corner shelf for every taste. Such a shelf can be decorated in completely different ways, semi-antique or with carvings. In an icon shop or in a furniture store, you can buy any shelf for icons, but if you really want something original and unique, then of course you need to make it yourself.

How to make a corner shelf

Priests they say that the temple should always be open so that everyone who needs it can come to it. For believers, their housing is their own small temple, where there are many shrines and they take pride of place in the house.

What can be made shelf:

Plywood;
Wood;
From plastic;
From metal.

Icon shelves can be single-tiered and multi-tiered. Icons for the iconostasis can be attached to the wall or placed on shelves. We will consider the option of manufacturing a wooden shelf, since this material is alive and has a certain energy.

Required Tools

To make a three-tier shelf for icons, you need to prepare a tool, as well as purchase a quality material:

Ruler;
Pencil;
Jigsaw;
Milling manual machine;
Sandpaper;
screws or nails;
screwdriver or hammer;
Glue for a tree.

Stages of work

In order for the shelf to turn out beautiful and to last for a long time, you need to do everything in a clear sequence, observing manufacturing technology.

It is necessary to take measurements of the future shelf, to do this, measure the length, depth and width in the corner intended for the iconostasis. Making the shelf tall 70 cm, on three sections.
On a piece of paper it is necessary to draw a 3-tier shelf, after which it will be possible to make its drawing in detail.
Further it is necessary with a pencil transfer the drawing to wood or plywood. If the material is dark in color, then the pencil will not be noticeable, in which case it is better to use a construction knife. For convenience, the drawing all the details need to be numbered, then do the same with the already cut components.
With a jigsaw cut components future iconostasis.
If possible, a manual milling machine can go around all the edges then they will look much better more beautiful.
To avoid bumps and rolling pins, you need sandpaper sand the entire surface, but only in the direction of the fibers, then they will be smooth and beautiful.
Nails or screws all parts twist between themselves. To make it more reliable, wood glue is also used.
Shelf if desired stained And varnish.
Attach a corner shelf to the wall for icons, you can use large screws, or with the help of loops that are attached to the back wall of the shelf.

Good to know! For the reliability of the design, it is necessary to glue the shelf parts with a special universal PVA glue for wood, and additionally twist them with screws.

Most often, a shelf for icons is made in three rows, and there is one main row - it is called deisis. In order for the iconostasis to be correct and to protect your home and yourself, it is necessary to place the icons in a certain sequences:

Deisis - top row, in the middle of which they put an icon Jesus, on the left side you need to put an icon Holy Mother of God, and on the right icon John the Baptist. Further to the left is archangel Michael, and on the right Gabriel, also icons Petra And Paul.
Holiday icons should be placed in a row in the middle. Icons of the famous and biggest holidays of Christians, ideally they should be twelve.
On the bottom shelf iconostasis can be a variety of icons. The lower shelf is usually called the local row, and favorite icons of the inhabitants of the house are placed on it.

Why is it worth making a corner shelf for icons?

Many centuries ago, icons were placed in huts in red corners. Such a corner was considered the most important place in the dwelling, and none of the guests dared to approach it without the permission of the owners of the house. This corner in the house is also considered as an analogue of the altar, and it must be treated with respect. big in awe.

The corner for the icons must be placed on the very prominent place, and as soon as a person enters the room, he should see him. It is recommended to make a corner with icons in each room, but this is not necessary. There are some recommendations which should be followed when choosing a place for icons:

1. Shelf cannot be placed around or front of the TV.
2. Hanging icons on the wall is not worth it because they have to have a dedicated space.
3. Shelf needs to be done at such a height not to hit her head, and at the same time so that you can see all the icons without looking up - at the level of your gaze.

Advice! The height of the shelves should match the size of your icons, and maybe even a little more.

If you really decide on one's own to make a corner shelf for icons, then you should go to church and ask for a blessing, then your work will turn out not only beautiful, but the shelf will also carry a special energy in your home. Worth getting to work exclusively in a good mood and with prayers, as well as for cross-stitching.

Next video see photo selection of shelves for icons:

A feature of the do-it-yourself icon shelf is that it should not be wall-mounted, but angular, since the icons are supposed to be placed in the eastern corner of the brightest and largest room.

You can make a shelf for icons from a board, chipboard, thick plywood. You can also use old wooden shelves, window sills, or countertops for this purpose, such as the desk top that your son or daughter once studied at.

And you can buy a suitable board at a hardware store.

Single-tier rack from a purchased board

Tools and materials:

a board made of pine, cherry or walnut 3 cm thick;
dowels - 4 pcs.;
wood saw;
pencil;
ruler;
sandpaper;
wood paint;
wood varnish;
brackets or brackets for mounting;
4 landscape sheets;
tape or sticky notes.

Determine the size of the corner shelf you need (for example, the width is 420 mm, and the sides are 300 mm each), mark the canvas of the future icon shelf with a pencil and a ruler and cut out a rectangular triangle 420x300x300 mm with a hacksaw. Treat the rough edge of the shelf with sandpaper, paint the triangular wooden blank itself and varnish it on wood.

Determine the height at which the rack will be installed. To do this, measure down 50 - 80 cm from the ceiling.

The shelf should be mounted high enough, since according to the canons of the Orthodox Church, icons should rise above the rest of the secular objects in the house.

Having determined the place for fastening, mark 4 points for the holes with a pencil: 2 points each in different directions from the corner. Roll 4 bags from the album sheets for drawing (as for seeds) and use adhesive tape or adhesive sheets to attach them under the marked points for the holes. This is necessary so that during the drilling of the walls with a drill, construction debris falls into bags, and not onto the floor. Using a drill, drill holes and drive dowels into them, hang brackets or brackets on them, mount the corner shelf.

You can also make a shelf for icons with your own hands from fiberboard (fibreboard), which is made by a woodworking plant by pressing cellulose fibers.

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Triangular hardboard shelves

Tools and materials:

fiberboard sheet;
jigsaw;
sandpaper;
pencil;
ruler;
veneer treated with glue;
veneer thermal tape for the edge;
hot iron;
4 metal hinges, equipped with self-tapping screws;
drill;
4 dowels.

On a sheet of fiberboard, draw a rectangular triangle measuring 380x280x280 using a ruler and a pencil. Cut out with a jigsaw. Sand the edges with sandpaper, especially carefully on the edge of the wide side.

Take a sheet of veneer. It is more convenient to buy veneer already treated with glue and covered with a film on top. If you purchased an unglued veneer, then you additionally need to purchase a special hot melt adhesive. On a veneer sheet, draw a right-angled triangle of the same dimensions as the fiberboard triangle, that is, 380x280x280 mm. Cut it out with a sharp knife. Remove the film from the veneer triangle and use a hot iron to glue the veneer onto the fiberboard triangle.

In the same way, using a hot iron, stick veneer thermal tape on the edge of the wide side of the triangle.

Masters who masterfully use a jigsaw can cut a patterned frill from veneer instead of thermal tape and stick it on the edge of the wide side of the shelf.

Attach 2 loops on each side to the legs of the resulting triangular rack using self-tapping screws.

On the corner wall, mark out a place for the shelf and use a drill to drill 2 holes on each side of the corner. Drive in the dowels and hang your shelf on them.

Since ancient times, people have tried to make their home more comfortable, and the main thing in the house of an Orthodox person was the presence, first of all, of icons and a special place for them. This place was called either the red corner or they said that it was a goddess. At present, Orthodox people are also striving not only to acquire icons for their nest, but also to create a special place for them. Therefore, a do-it-yourself shelf for icons becomes simply a necessary invention for such a house.

Shelves for the Orthodox canon can differ markedly from each other. It all depends on the location of such products. In fact, it is customary to place icons in a corner that will be directed to the east. Shelves can be multi-tiered and simple in one tier. Also, the shelf will look either angular or just straight, depending on the place where it is planned to be mounted. Shelves also have a noticeable difference in terms of design, often there may be some carving on its back wall. The carving can depict both the outlines of the holy apostles, and some vegetation and even birds.

It is important to know that the shelf should contain only icons and everything that can relate to religion. It is not customary to place all sorts of extraneous objects next to the icons, which do not even play a role in religion. Any do-it-yourself corner shelf for icons requires, first of all, a detailed consideration of the variant of the shelf itself, and only after that it is already possible to prepare materials that will be useful in the work and directly the tools for its manufacture.

Basically, such shelves are usually made strictly of wood. Moreover, the tree here can be of a wide variety of species and species:

To be able to avoid unplanned downtime, it is worth considering in advance what exactly may be needed in the work at each of its stages. Everything, of course, will depend on the chosen shelf, but these simple tools should always be at hand:

brackets;
dowels;
loops;
ruler;
pencil;
wood saw;
lathe;
drill;
jigsaw;
cutter;
various kinds of paints (black, gold, silver);
sandpaper;
special glue, which is strictly suitable for high-quality attachment to wood;
parts of small materials (LDF, MDF, chipboard);
the thickness of the board of any breed is from about 1.5 to 3.0 cm.

Each do-it-yourself corner shelf for icons requires not only its creation itself, but it is also important to pay special attention to the very decoration of such a home-made product. You can certainly buy ready-made options in the store, but it’s so nice to make something on your own, all the more creatively arrange and turn out to be just a designer thing. With experience working with such wooden surfaces, you can safely make all kinds of carved slats, and balusters, and even candlesticks. It is customary to design a crowning shelf for icons using the carving technique, you can also use various church domes or a crucifix. If you want something unusual, but not so much experience with such things has turned out, or you don’t have a clue at all how you can create such wonderful things, craftsmen from various companies are in a hurry to help you. There are already numerous variants of such attractive shelves on the market. There are many custom options available for you to choose from. Also, you can simply create an ordinary shelf, and all the missing elements with which you can safely decorate it can simply be found in a store or even purchased in a church shop.

wood carving

In order to be able to carve, it is worth paying special attention to the type of wood, not everyone is suitable for such art. More often, the softest wood species are selected, such are:

juniper;
aspen;
pine;
birch.

Tools that can come in handy for woodcarving specifically are special tool kits for cutters. The very process of work consists of several stages:

We prepared the board and transferred the drawing, the contours of the convex elements to it. You can use a special paper sketch and transfer paper directly to help.

An electric jigsaw is useful in order to skillfully cut a crucifix, which is already intended for a shelf with icons.

With the help of incisors, it is worth making out exactly concave elements. It is important that the thread itself is usually carried out in layers. Using a thin cutter, you can safely process thin internal corners of the product.

Only after the cutting is completed, you can apply an abrasive mesh and clean the product.

If bas-reliefs are used for the shelf, then it is worth attaching them to each other only with the help of a special MDF sheet on the back of the product. Here are the steps involved in such a simple procedure:

it is worth attaching individual elements to the panel and then simply circle their general outlines;
make a cut, but not strictly along the contour, but with some margin, approximately 5 mm;
after attaching such segments of the bas-relief to the MDF sheet using special glue;
we take out a cutter or a jigsaw and only with the help of this tool we carefully cut the necessary surpluses, remnants;
carefully now it is worth polishing the ends of such an attractive decorative element.

A lathe is needed only if balusters will be used to create a shelf as decoration and decoration of the product. After the finished parts, it is always worth carefully grinding.

Simulation process

When there is simply no strength and there is no opportunity to create wood carving, you can safely replace such art with a simple imitation. This effect can be achieved precisely by burning out a special ornament, and only after that it is possible to carry out a special opening of its individual fragments.

Here is what you may need for such an action:

initially it is worth slowly copying the desired outline from the drawing onto the surface for the upper part of the icons;
use a burning tool to carefully trace the outlines of such an image;
after the desired contour has been applied, you can safely cover the selected areas with enamel and a brush, it is more convenient to use a brush with a diameter of 1 mm "these are special artistic brushes." You should not paint over the contours of the images with paint;
you can also varnish a specially prepared decorative element.

More often, a do-it-yourself shelf for icons has the following components:

sides;
racks;
shelves;
side panels.

Often such shelves differ not only in design moves, but also in size, although the principle of their creation is practically the same.

Prepared the drawing, let's get down to business.

Here is what is useful in order to create such a variant of the product for icons:

transfer the sketch size exactly to MDF or chipboard and then simply cut out the templates. It’s not worth using plywood as templates here, because after you cut it out, it’s worth doing special processing for it;
form each part of the shelf using a jigsaw;
The edges are then simply carefully processed using a cutter and sanded using abrasive paper;
assemble the mono product only when all parts have been processed and all irregularities have been corrected;
cover the product, when it is ready, with special varnish coatings.

For an example of creating a corner version of the shelves, we took as an example a shelf created only from fiberboard material.

Here's how to create it:

Apply a right-angled triangle of a special size to a sheet of fiberboard, the recommended dimensions for this option of shelves are 280/280/380;
Pick up a special device called a jigsaw and carefully cut out such an element;
The edges should be securely processed using sandpaper;
Now you need to turn to the veneer sheet for help, it would be better if such a product is already processed with glue and with a special film;
We now apply similar triangles to such a sheet and simply cut it out with a sharp knife;
The protective film can now be removed and the veneer can be evenly glued to the chipboard parts using a hot iron;
The end should also be treated with such a tape;
The sides should now receive two loops each and they are fixed strictly with self-tapping screws;
After the finished product can be securely fixed to the wall.

The icon shelf is an ideal place to store the faces of saints and other paraphernalia of the Orthodox faith. With its help, you can compactly arrange images, candles, lamps and prayer books, allocating a separate place for these items that will not interfere with the household and take up the missing space. There are different shelves for icons, they differ from each other in configuration, size, capacity and material from which they are made.

Do you need an iconostasis at home?

Of course, believers need it, because they probably have images of various saints, but it is not always possible to allocate a worthy place for such relics. Icons most often stand in sideboards, on shelves with books, or are completely hidden in a closet. The shelf for icons is not something new and unprecedented for parishioners of churches. Our great-grandfathers also equipped a small prayer space in their homes. The icons were placed in the corners, decorated with embroidered towels, bouquets of dry ears and flowers.

In the access zone of any member of the family, there were always small shrines, on which they placed miniature images and a bible, prayer books, candles or bottles of water consecrated in the church. There is nothing strange in this, because in the old days people prayed every morning and evening, and it was important for them to have a separate cozy corner for this, where they could concentrate entirely on communion with God. This special place was a shelf for icons: angular, straight or kiot. Nowadays, more and more people are converting, so these light traditions have become popular again.

What are shelves for icons?

There are two fundamental differences between the deities. They can be straight or angled. A straight shelf for icons is hung on a flat wall, it takes up quite a lot of space, and this must be taken into account when choosing a location for it. Corner, as the name implies, is attached at the junction of the walls. This makes the shelf as compact as possible, but at the same time very roomy.

Iconostases also differ in the number of tiers. Shelves can consist not only of one plank - they are two-, three- and even four-tiered. The height between the “floors” is usually different, which makes it possible to place faces of different sizes on the shrine. The icon shelf is usually made of several types of wood: the body is made of alder or linden, and the sculptures are made of oak and ash. The color of the iconostasis directly depends on the type of material from which it is made, as well as on its outer covering.

Where can I get a goddess?

Families whose members managed to keep the custom of visiting churches on holidays and weekends probably left not only various ancient church attributes, but also ancient shelves for icons. A photo of one of them is presented a little higher. This deity was made by real craftsmen several hundred years ago and clearly demonstrates the religious and cultural heritage of our ancestors. Now these are no longer produced, they can only be bought from someone. But modern masters also make real masterpieces, which are in no way inferior to their ancient counterparts in quality and aesthetics.

The easiest way to buy a goddess is in specialized stores located at churches. There you can also purchase various ritual accessories made according to all Orthodox canons. The corner shelf for icons among believers is most in demand because of its compactness, although other types of them also find a worthy place in the homes of parishioners.

There is another option - making a deity according to individual parameters. Such work can be done by a person who is well versed in carpentry. The end result depends on his skill and ability, as well as on the availability of special tools for woodworking.

Self-manufacturing - is it possible?

In fact, a shelf for icons can be anything. This is not necessarily a multi-tiered product with carvings, bas-reliefs and turned balusters. As a goddess, it is quite acceptable to use the simplest wooden hinged shelf, which almost any man can cut out on his own.

Such a product consists of guides that are attached with dowels and screws to the wall, and directly to the shelf itself. Guides are two strips with grooves, connected by an angle. They can be cut with a circular saw - this is the fastest and most convenient way. But if there is no such mechanism at hand, an ordinary hand file will fit. The junction of the planks with grooves is made either smooth, then the parts are cut at the right angle using a miter box, or studded.

The very same corner shelf for icons can be made of glued boards, MDF or chipboard with a thickness of 12 to 20 mm. Experts recommend cutting it out not by eye, strictly maintaining a right angle in the bow of the canvas, but by making preliminary measurements, since the walls in houses do not always converge at an angle of 90 degrees. When the required dimensions are determined, they must be transferred to the workpiece and cut out the shelf with a jigsaw, after which it can be inserted into the guides.

How to decorate a shelf?

The corner shelf for icons often contains a variety of decorative elements and additions. If the master can make them, then his product will turn not just into a convenient and practical place for storing religious paraphernalia, but will become its worthy frame.

The most logical and simple design option for a shelf is carving. Craftsmen use a variety of religious symbols for cutting:

crosses;
letter designations;
floral ornaments;
geometric drawings.

Another method of decoration is the finishing of blanks with metal plates, on which patterns are applied using a special embossing technique (basma). It is very problematic to make such a decor on your own. Most often, the basis for basma is a straight shelf for icons. Corner iconostases are also decorated in this way, but selectively and only in small fragments.

Differences of corner shelves, their sizes

There are several variants of such iconostases. They differ in height, design and additional attributes. A standard corner shelf for icons has a width of 63 cm and a depth of 33 cm. The height directly depends on the number of tiers in the product and its decor.

Usually the goddesses are open to the eye, but there are models equipped with small ones. They can store miniature items, such as pectoral crosses or small icons inlaid with precious metals. There are also completely closed iconostases, the shelves of which are hidden behind hinged doors.

The right place to retire

Where is the best place to place a deity? A straight shelf for icons will not fit into every interior, because it will catch the eye of everyone in the room. If there is not a lot of space in the house and its owner does not have the opportunity to allocate a separate room for prayers, it is better to opt for a corner iconostasis. You can hang it in the bedroom, in the living room and even in the kitchen, because people often pray before eating. The shelf itself is attached high enough, but not under the very ceiling, but so that you can easily take something from it.