Trees - Before and After

[MasonJar]

Here are a few of those dollar store trees you can get for Christmas town scenes. If you'd like to change them, here's how I did it:

Hack away at them with some scissors to remove some of the branches, and give them a less "groomed" look, and cut away all the "snow". Paint with dollar store craft paint. Bend to slightly irregular shape. I tried adding ground foam to one of them, but was not pleased with the result.

Comments, questions, advice?

Andrew

 

[Fred_M]

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/338-309 Got a box of 100 for $20. That's 20 cents each. They look good to me. Are 1 1/2 to 3 inches tall. DASH

 

[MasonJar]

Good source for the smaller trees dash. Mine were 3/$1. (All prices $CAN ).

The bigger of the two trees is about 5 inches tall (2/$1) and the biggest tree (not pictured - 1/$1) is about 7 inches high.

Andrew

 

[Arlaghan]

Andrew, that works for me!

Though, the 'before' snow covered ones don't look bad. I wonder if you could "nature" them up to look like your 'after' trees for a neat winter scene? If they are cheap, you can have two sets of trees and swap them out during the year.

 

[Bill Pontin]

Hi Mason Jar,
Hope you don't mind me adding to your cost effective method of adding a pine tree forest to your layout. I tried everything to come up with a realistic look for my new N Trak module and finally came up with combining Woodland scenic pines and the Heki.

 

[Bill Pontin]

The Woodland scenic trees make great trunks only. The heavy globs of foliage they provide is the pits. I take and cut one off at random length to provide a little flat.

 

[Bill Pontin]

Tried drilling the hole for the Heki tree but could not hold them to drill the hole, came up with an alternate method. Drilled out a tip to my sodering iron and inserted a pin. When the pin is hot it goes into the plastic Woodland Scenic stump real easy.

 

[Bill Pontin]

The Heki trees 100 for $16 - $18.00 depending on LHS. (same trees less the mail order kind at +20% and shipping costs) Using a needle nose pair of pliers, open the wire twist and remove enough of the bristles to expose a wire end.

 

[Bill Pontin]

close the wire twist and bend or cut off one point, straighten the other and instert it into the melted hole of the Woodland Scenic stump

 

[Bill Pontin]

I found that cutting a few bristles here and there like Mason Jar suggested it gives a better random shape

 

[Bill Pontin]

Using Woodland Scenics ground foam, several shades of green grass, (The finer stuff for "N" scale, probably the heavier stuff for the other scale). Spray up the bristles with an adhesive spray and add a very dark green. Spray down the tree brsitles with the adhesive and add a lighter green foam. Clean up the trunk and paint. I also add some old roofing vent material I have to simulate the dead twigs below the green.

 

[Wyomingite]

Bill,

You done one heck of a job with those trees. I have a bunch of those woodland trunks on hand and agree about the foliage they produce. Thanks for showing how you made them as I know what I'll be doing with all those trunks. Beautiful trees to say the very least. Mason Jar I think you did a very nice job with the dollar store trees. Ron :thumb: :thumb:

 

[CN1]

Thanks for the tips guys:thumb:

MasonJar where did you get your trees?

Bill Pontin are your trees available in Canadian LHS too?

Thanks again guys

 

[MasonJar]

My trees are from the dollar store (local variety is "Dollarama" - used to be Biway... remember those?).

I don't know if they are just a seasonal thing, or available year round. Haven't been back since Christmas.

A quick search at Walthers gives this:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?quick=heki+trees

with the Heki trees Bill mentions at the top of the list. I would assume that all Walthers stuff is available to Canada (although not necessarily in stock at your local shop).

Andrew