Creating (really cheap) good looking shrubs! (1 Viewer)

[mikemiller1955]

This is from the silk plant department at Hobby Lobby.

MSRP...$7.99...always......and I mean always.....on sale for 50% off.

You can find this stuff at Wal Mart...Dollar Stores...anywhere.

You get some "bang for your buck" with these.

I bought 3 different styles...
but I'll just be showing this one...
I put a K&C figure next to it...so you can see how big it is...

All you need is:
plastic straw...
super glue...
nail clippers...
matte spray (I like Krylon...$4.00 at Wal Mart)

Pluck off a chord of the foilage...
then remove the smaller pieces...
trim them down so they have a long stalk at the base...
like I did with the ones on the bottom of the picture...
I used a nail clipper...but a small pair of scissors works okay...
I use about 8 stalks for each shrub...
you can mix and match different foliage to create your shrub...

Cut about a 1 inch piece of the plastic straw....

Insert the desired amount of foliage in the straw...
put a couple of drops of super glue in the straw end...

Spray with the matte spray....let dry 5 minutes...

I painted the straws green...
but you really don't have to (they appear glossy now cause they are wet)....
they don't show anway....

Make a hole in your styrofoam...styroprene...or whatever your diorama base is...and insert...

These are literally at the cost of pennies per shrub.

The ones I chose are kind of tropical...but can be used in a variety of ways and in a variety of dioramas...you can buy the silk flowers more suitable to flat terrain, jungles, forests...etc...

You get the idea...you're only limited by your imagination.

These are so easy to make...you can do 20-30 in an hour. The more you do..the better you will get.

 

[wadepat]

Hi Michael,

Thank you for providing this step by step method of creating shrubs! Your method is simple, economical, and easy to accomplish. The best payoff, however, is the end result of your method is attractive and effective. I appreciate the information very much!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[mikemiller1955]

You're welcome Pat....if it saves you a few dollars maybe you can buy another set of figures.

Here is a group of them together.

I think they would look really good around a river or marshy area.

 

[The Lt.]

Nicely done Michael and as we talked about it's easy and cost effective way of creating shrubs and I'm sure you can change the colors of the shrubs providing a different look and appeal.

 

[mestell]

Michael, what a fabulous and easy to do idea for making wonderful looking shrubs/bushes. Great step-by-step explaination. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Mike

 

[thebritfarmer]

What a great idea Mike !!! and thanks for sharing the step by step with us. I think I have something similar squirreled away. Have to give this a go.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Thanks Joe, Mike and Scott...

I have not tried this foilage yet...

but I think it will make a really realistic shrub, tree or brush...

again this is only $3 a bunch...

and the scale and color is great.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Used as a shrub...

I can see a lot of applications for this and it seems suitable for any era diorama...

the scale seems perfect on this particular one...

they have so many to choose from and you can't beat the cost and the variety...

 

[Jagdpanther]

Michael,

They look really good. I will have to get some of this and try it myself.

 

[Mardasson]

Michael,

Thanks for the tips !
They look really great.

Some months ago I tried to locate in the nearby stores some artificial stuff I could also use to create trees and plants but without success.

Now that I've seen the exceptionnal result you were able to achieve, I'll search again...

Michel

 

[Russell]

Thanks Mike. You're getting me in the diorama mood .

 

[mikemiller1955]

Thank you...

Pat
Joe
Mike
Scott
Titus
Michel
and Russell.

I'm sure a good painter can do wonders with the shrubs to add some different tones.