Scale tree, very very cheap and easy.

[Guest]

Just another quickie from me helping to save cash and have a bit more fun with creating something with your own personal touch.

I'm all out of cash at the mo due to 6 kids needing their Xmas money and the 'dog' needing surgery (not effin' cheap) so can't warrant buying any kits at the mo and am spending my time adding to the MASH dio.

Anyhow for this topic you'll need

A trip to a tree

an old kitchen sponge

some cheap glue

some spare brown and green paint

a length of garden twine

some wire and a pin.

Total cost ...... pennies!

Get twig from tree and cut to shape and size, stick a headless pin in the bottom (this will help the tree to stay upright on the diorama whilst the glues drying, or if you use balsa bases like me then you can stick it anywhere and move around as needed till it looks right)

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I try to have a few in stock

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Get some short lengths of twine and twist some wire round the middle, splay out the ends of the twine to form twigs, spray (or brush) adhesive on the twine and add the scatter by sprinkling it over the tacky surface.

the scatter is made by ripping up just the sponge from an old kitchen scourer, popping it into a suitable container with some water and using a blender or similar to chop it up into little bits, you can add paint to the water to colour it then or you can paint/spray it later when dried as i have done here

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A second way is to just splay out one end of the twine and glue/sprinkle/paint as above.

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Heres a few before and after being painted, i used a red oxide as a base (not spraying too fully) and then a light green over the top to give the impression of autumn colouration

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A close up of the blended sponge effect and paint

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To attach them to the twig i drill holes for the wire to fit into and glue into place.

for the twine version i split the wood and then place the twine 'stem' (after being cut to size) into the split and glue it together.

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The finished job

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Hope this is of use and help to some of you

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[eddiesolo]

Top tips again Colin, I used a bathroom sponge for a coral effect, very effective and as you say pennies instead of pounds.

Si

[Guest]

Thanks Si ..

and the tree in situ.....

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[Guest]

Fantastic tutorial Colin. Will remember this tip mate!

[monica]

great tips Colin , thank you ,always interested in making tress will need some for my 1.35

with the 2 German Cossack,s was thinking a mix off shrubs and pine tree,s any tips on making pines please ?

cheers

Moni

[Guest]

The variegated colouring brings it all together.

[Guest]

tips on making pines please ?

I would imagine you could use the technique I used in my diorama tutorial using twisted wire and use stiffer bristles, then trim them to a pine shape before adding the scatter leaf effect.... I could have a go tomorrow and see if it works.. .. You could improve the idea to suit what you're looking for.

[monica]

hi as Steve said the colors do bring it all together , that would be good if you could have a bit off a play around

as maybe just using 2x wire with green shredded twin in greens with a touch off lite brown ? and just twist them together ?

and have from big to small up the high off the tree truck

[Ian M]

A good tip there Colin.

As for fir trees I fine the dead flower hears from a butterfly bush, (budlia something or other) Are rather good.

They have to be clipped off any way so I keep a few and hang them up-side-down to dry. You can normally find them in lots of different sizes too. The smallest I have seen was around four cm and the largest about 35cm. So lots of scale options.

When dry I roll them first in some white glue, then in some 'grass' fibres. Job done.

Another good source for "trees" are box wood hedges...Buxbom...Fine and loads of branches with a good bark texture.

Ian M

[Guest]

Some good 'natural' alternatives there Ian, thanks for the input mate

that would be good if you could have a bit off a play around

Well ive had a play and i came up with this for a simple cheap pine tree .........

Made a long "twist" with some paintbrush bristles, then cut to size ..shaping them to the general shape of a pine

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covered then in a dark green scatter to give the impression of depth, then a light and mid green mixture to highlight the ends of the branches.

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used a dried stem off some sort of single stem thistle thing, anything with a hole through it would do, and threaded the wire through for strength

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End result

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[Guest]

Great tip

what's the wife say about using her blender for the sponge?

Martin

[Guest]

Yeah!!

You nailed again Colin!!

[Guest]

Great tipwhat's the wife say about using her blender for the sponge?

Martin

No worries about that Martin, she's not allowed in MY kitchen, I do all the cooking

[monica]

wow Colin,

they came up very nicely, as Polux said you nailed,it

and thank you for showing how to make them, guess i will be taking a trip to the $2.00 shop

and pickup some things and give it a try,

[Guest]

Very nice, thanks for sharing.