About the unique healing properties of birch bark has been known since ancient times – our ancestors-the Slavs widely used features of this wood for the manufacture of baskets and birch bark containers.
Products, milk, honey stored in containers made of birch bark, a long time remained fresh due to the content in birch bark betulin and natural components of silver.
Insoles, made from birch bark, have the waterproof and heat-saving properties, effectively treat fungal diseases, relieve tired feet, reduce pain in the joints, benefits the skin of the feet, eliminating the dryness and heals the cracks.
For the manufacture of birch bark insoles perfect the bark from fallen trees will not have to harm the nature and the process of separating the bark from the trunk will be somewhat easier than with a growing tree.
On a selected flat area of birch trunk with a sharp knife make two deep cross-cuts, then make longitudinal incisions, carefully separating the layer of bark.
If harvesting occurs in the winter, it is necessary to act doubly careful, because in the cold the bark becomes very brittle and breaks easily.
The bark was washed with water, clean off the outer layer consisting of white thin strips, leaving for work layer of bark thickness of 3-4 mm. the Bark splits quite easily, if you catch the edge of a knife. Irregularities if necessary smooth with sandpaper.
Strain the bark to align plentifully moisten with hot water and put under a press until dry. After the workpiece straighten and dry out, start manufacturing of insoles.
As a template using any existing insoles from shoes. The template is placed on the bark along the grain, i.e. parallel black streaks on the bark; encircle with a marker and cut with scissors.
To make a warm insoles in field conditions, it is recommended to leave the bark thicker or glue resin of coniferous trees two layers of birch bark.
In shoes birch insole put the inner side of the cortex, which was adjacent to the trunk. For use in winter shoes, it is recommended additional insulation textile insoles on top of birch bark.
If in the early days of birch insoles seem unusually hard, do not be afraid of this feeling and abandon wearing them, because pretty quickly the bark takes the form of the foot and feels soft and comfortable.
