What you will need:-

Components -

Seafoam – This is the basic building block for your trees. You can purchase them from Antenociti's Workshop, a link to their site can be found on the links page.

Scatter material – This will be used to create the foliage for the trees. We have used Green Scene scatter material; this again can be found at Antenociti's Workshop.

Florists’ wire – We use this to add extra strength and thickness to the trunks and some limbs on the trees. You can pick this up from almost any florist and it comes in several thicknesses and is very cheap.

Modelling clay – Used for the construction of the tree root sections and the bases. Modelling clay can be picked up at any good model or hobby supplier but make sure you get air drying clay though, your tree wont last long in an oven!!!

Plastic sheet – Model and hobby shops are good places to get this and Antenociti's Workshop also provide a good range at very reasonable prices. We used this for the base of the trees.

Static grass – Used to give the base a more realistic appearance than standard flock and applied with PVA. Available from model and hobby stores.

Long grass – Used as with static grass and bought from the same places. Unlike static grass though it is used in larger clumps to look like tufts of longer grass and vegetation.

Coarse Turf – This is used to represent thicker areas of foliage, small bushes etc. You can buy this from the Woodland Scenics range available form good model and hobby stores.

Tools –

Clippers – These are the modeller’s greatest friend and can be used for a whole variety of tasks. Get them from any DIY, model or hobby store.

Craft Knife – Whether it’s a specialist modelling knife or a standard craft knife these need to be sharp and handled with extreme care.

Spray Paints – There is a whole world of spray paints out there. Most will be suitable for modelling. Just make sure that the spray that you choose reflects the job you want it for. Don’t buy gloss spray for undercoating your trees for example. Any good hobby or model shop will provide a good selection of colours and DIY stores can provide a range of more specialist paints.

Glues – It is important when starting a project to have a good selection of glues. The right glue for each specific job will make all the difference. Make sure that you have Super Glue, quick acting and especially good when connecting different materials or gluing metal. PVA, used when basing models as well as larger pieces of a model when using materials such as balsa wood and foam card. Polystyrene cement, this is the must use adhesive when gluing plastics. All these glues can be found at your local model or hobby store and in most cases large DIY stores.

Tweezers – These are excellent when doing precision work, we would recommend a self closing set. These allow the most control and can be bought at good model and hobby stores.

Clamps – We have a large selection of different clamps ranging in size from small, just a few centimetres long, to really big at almost 25cm. These can be vital when looking at objects that require a long time to dry or holding in place to allow you free use of your hands.

Sculpting Tools – There are a huge number of sculpting tools available. Larger tools for sculpting clay etc to small fine tools like those used by miniature sculptors. These can be bought from Model stores and some hobby stores.

Specialist items –

Scatter grip – This stuff is awesome, applies like PVA and remains tacky for a very long time. Buy this from Antenociti's Workshop or really good model shops can provide alternatives.

Flexibark – This provides the bulk and texture for the trunks and limbs of the trees. Ours is from Antenociti's Workshop; I haven’t seen it anywhere else.

Extra items to make life easy –

Work space – Clear a large well lit working area to make your trees etc. A small cluttered area will lead to problems. You need to sort this yourself as buying space can be expensive!

Sieve – Used for controlling the grade of the scatter that you will use for the trees. A standard type used in baking is fine; get it from the local supermarket.

Large bowl/container – Unless you want a table or floor covered in scatter you’d better get your hands on one of these!

Important notice:

Safety is key here. Throughout this guide we will be using modelling tools and glues that can be very dangerous if they are treated with any amount of carelessness or without the right amount of skill. If you have never really tackled anything like this it is better to get some help than have a finger sewn back on! These materials and tools are NOT toys and can be very harmful if used incorrectly.

On to the guide >>>>>