Home Made Trees - Take II 12/25 Update

I like 'em. Send me a forest .....

They look okay.  Rather tropical.  They would not work on my layout (the Rockies) but they'd work on a gulf coast or southern California layout.

I agree with Lee....they look nice and have a "coastal" look to them.  I think they will look even nicer as you fill in areas with more of these trees making them more dense.

 

Alan

Ron

Put the effort into Scenic Express Super Trees. You get to create your own and drive down the cost, especially when you master shaping and making smaller trees from the scraps. Also I noticed the Pine/Firs  in the background hinting at a more north eastern display. The Super trees would compliment then much better. Also if you want to use more natural back yard materials I would recommend, Astilbe, Sedum and very common weed called Golden Rod, when dried they make great trees

Steve

I'm with Alan & Lee on this one.

Thanks for the feedback gents.  The "yard master" made a rare appearance in the basement last night and she said they looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

 

She suggested Sedum just as L.I. Train did.  We have some of that, so I will give it a try.  Either way, it's been fun experimenting with natural stuff from the back yard.

 

Ron 

Yes, Sedum looks a bit more realistic perhaps, but even there, most of the trees made from it, unless carefully selected and trimmed, look a bit too "top heavy."  I gave up long ago gtrying to make my own trees: it's just not something I am good at and making good ones seems to be more trouble than it is worth.  Sedum is the best I've seen for making them from natural materials, I will say.  

I've never tried making trees in bulk, but I really enjoy doing one now and then. If you keep your eyes out during walks in the woods, natural armatures for scale trees will jump out at you on a regular basis.  Here's one that came my way:

 

 

 

 

The whole thing probably took 10 minutes.  

 

This particular tree made me realize how difficult it can be to place scale-size large trees.  Realism has its limits!

Tropical indeed. These trees look like a natural for my neck of the woods. I have been collecting ideas for making trees for a Florida-themed layout and will definitely add this to my collections of ideas. Thanks for sharing Ron!

My eye is telling me that trees don't have single stem branches from the start at the trunk to its end.  For fun, if you don't mind the effort, you may want to try slightly bigger stick limbs out from the trunk and then using your finish material as the individual branches with leaves.  I think it would work, and I also think it would be a bit of work as well.  All in good fun.  Good luck.

Thumbs up, for your custom made trees. 

I agree - it is a great looking tree (I also agree big trees are not as easy to locate well on a layout as you might think).

 

But this will still not convince me to try again making trees.  some lessons you just need to take to heart.  I don't make trees - I'm going to stick with that.  Mine don't look that good. 

You can make trees for me anytime when they look like this.

 

 

 

 

All the trees in this scene were made from scratch

 

Not bad at all.  Your trees closely resemble something here in Mi. called Phragmites or tall reed and they are very invasive and plentiful here.  If intermixed with different trees made from Sedum, and Golden Rod plus some homemade pines from Scotchbrite pads as well as making some trees using twigs from real trees and putting Lichen on it.  Variety is something I like to do with my trees and intermix as many as possible.

I usually spray paint my trees with various shades of green then immediately hang them upside down in a piece of Styrofoam so they dry taller and straight.

enclosing pic's of forest and trees ready for planting.

I went to cut some greens and berry's for my wife.  She likes to use them when burning her Bayberry candle today.

 

I walked past the Crepe Myrtle and thought the branches would make some great tree armatures.   Below is my 1st try using Woodland Scenic's clump foliage.  So I cheated a little bit.  They are not 100% natural.

 

 

 

Now that's a tree! fantastic looking, brown trunk and branches and Woodland Scenics or whatever for foliage.  I guess In Mi. I now have to go look for some Crepe Myrtle. Thanks,  and that is why I enjoy the forum.  You learn something new all the time here. Build a ton of em and plant them up front on the layout.  Again Fantastic, cheap and easy to build.

The trees look nice, but I spend all of my time scratch building and finishing the layout. Since I do not have much time to make trees so I buy them from Deshants RR express or the many Chinese direct shippers on eBay. You can buy good 4"-5"trees for $1 -$2 each shipped in lots of 12. I would not recommend the Grand Central Gems trees as they are very narrow in width and show white glue clumps at the top end. If you are looking for great looking, realistic, premium trees then Jim at Scenic express is the man.