hydroped Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Hi all, I mentioned in my Orchid blog that I've never done any mini landscaping before. So today after buying some dried flowers and leaning them against the Orchid I've decided I really sorta do like how they look but how to attach them to the base? I'm thinking because most of them will be sort of like trees... the way to do it is to drill a holein the base for each tree (the same size as the trunk) and then glue the tree's into the base? Does this sound about right? Are there any tips you might have to offer a new landscaper? Thanks, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I use a hot glue gun and it works really well to hold the taller pieces in place. (a drop of glue on the side attached to the house for the taller pieces works well to keep them from toppling over) I've never drilled a hole in the base for any of them, but the pieces I've used have all been pretty thin. I used a large tree for the samurai house and made a base for it out of florist styrafoam and covered it with a rock wall and moss. But for the smaller pieces, you can just hot glue them to the base and the put ground cover around them with reindeer moss or tufts of grass. I've got a landscaping tutorial for the samurai house here if it would help any. I also landscaped the faerie house here. There's no tutorials for it but you can see where I used some tall ivy for large bushes on the back of the house. Those are just hot glued to the base and glue-tacked to the side of the house. I was looking for the tutorial for Tracy's flower border class but couldn't find it. She had some great step by step pictures for landscaping. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I'm not sure how to attach them seeing as how I haven't even built a dollhouse yet!! I did, however, go to Wal-mart today and as I was breezing through the pet dept. on my way to the craft dept. something caught my eye. Aquarium plants can make pretty believable minis!! Some need to be trimmed a little but it's something to think about when looking for landscaping ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlene Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Hot glue works and Elmers works too but you have to be more patient. The only thing I ever drilled thru the base for was a large haunted tree that was lighted -- drilled thru for the wire. Large trunks can be set into a dab of air-dry clay -- works like a dream to hold them forever. Just work the clay up the trunk and texture & paint it. If you're using artificial floral stems, think you'll find them really easy to attach with a dab of glue. Don't overlook the large floral stems, either -- a lot of the heads of the flowers are made up of tiny individual flowers and you can separate them to set into rows or into pots. A nice round 'top' of a flower makes a nice flowering shrub. And the greenery can be set up into evergreens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 David, I put moss around the perimeter of my Orchid (Mother Goose's Cottage) and then hot glued the 'flowers' into place. The large tree on the side of the house is also hot glued into place at the bottom and a little dab at the top to keep it from falling over. If you have a large tree though, the idea of drilling a small hole and gluing it in the hole sounds good. On my Haunted House (Forestgate Cottage) Brian drilled screws up from the bottom into the tree base to hold the large evergreens in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Hi There David. Here is s a step by step on the Flower Border Class I did. You would do the same thing just on a BIGGER base Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 when I pur trees around the haunted house I glued the trees to a base then glued that to the house base, covering the base with ground cover. It also gives a raised portion around the tree trunk to simulate roots. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 It depends on the tree size for me. I have a couple of very large trees that I'm working into a landscaping scene and I've had Ray actually screw them into a block of wood. He will eventually screw this wood block (and tree) onto my base. In this particular scene I'm incorporating some trees that are 20" high. Normally I either press the tree trunks into styro foam and then glue down (I use a hot glue gun as it really grabs). Depending on how I'm laying out the landscaping I've also used the air dry clay (brown) and it works beautifully. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 . In this particular scene I'm incorporating some trees that are 20" high. Okay, you've got my attention. Landscaping with 20" trees sounds like something I'd really like to see. Actually, I'm pretty sure I'd like to see it as soon as possible. Where's the eye candy???? You can't just drop in here and casually mention 20" trees and then just sail on out of here! I checked the Miniaturists Consitution and that's listed under Article 53, Sub-section G, Category 82: "Willfully and unlawfully teasing fellow mini-ists with vague descriptions of a really cool project without providing appropriate pictures". Pictures! We want pictures!!! If we don't get them soon, we'll make a midnight run to your house and replace all your hot glue sticks with silly putty. (it doesn't stick, but you'll have the bounciest front yard in the neighborhood) Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydroped Posted September 6, 2006 Author Share Posted September 6, 2006 Thanks everyone! I looked at all the blogs and pics, and tutorials and I think for now I'm gong to try Deb's method. I'm not really sure what I'll be doing with this house or how much room I'll have to display for our Feb show (and I definitely want to display this one at the show ) so I'm thinking that having landscaping that can be added or removed would be a good thing - there may not be room for the building and the base on the display table - plus being my first landscaping job I'm not sure that I want to glue much landscaping directly to the house.. though vines would be awesome if I can find some. So last night I started in building some retaining walls that the plants will go in I've got two made - they need to be painted and then the plants will start going in :wub: This is so exciting - it Really looks different with the landscaping stuff even just propped around it :wub: Wow heheh it really does take my eyes away from all the little mistakes I've made Thanks!! David :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Okay, you've got my attention. Landscaping with 20" trees sounds like something I'd really like to see. Actually, I'm pretty sure I'd like to see it as soon as possible. Where's the eye candy???? You can't just drop in here and casually mention 20" trees and then just sail on out of here! I checked the Miniaturists Consitution and that's listed under Article 53, Sub-section G, Category 82: "Willfully and unlawfully teasing fellow mini-ists with vague descriptions of a really cool project without providing appropriate pictures". Pictures! We want pictures!!! If we don't get them soon, we'll make a midnight run to your house and replace all your hot glue sticks with silly putty. (it doesn't stick, but you'll have the bounciest front yard in the neighborhood) Deb I'll have to comply ... but can't do it till next week. This week I'm working full time (hmmm I'm at my desk typing on the Greenleaf forum ..... and (looking behind her at the sound of a dog collar jingling).... here's Archie (he's a white scottish terrier who belongs to the Mayor's E.A.). Archie often comes to work with his owner (roommate). He loves coming over to the Councillors' wing of City Hall. Most of us greet and give him lots of attention when he arrives. It's fairly quiet here this week .... no council or committee meetings. My brother (the one who takes care of my parents) is on vacation in Victoria this week, so I have to go over to see them during lunch hours and evenings. They're used to Nick stopping in twice a day. But I'll take photos soon. The story of me getting these trees is kind of funny. I had a tree in front of my Beacon Hill (about 7"), but Ray kept commenting that he didn't like the tree. He said it wasn't to scale ... too short. So I ordered some really big trees. Ray said he'll now keep his mouth closed about scale. He doesn't want them in front of the Beacon Hill. He thinks they'll be too overwhelming. I'm still cogitating on this one. Mostly I want to use them for a much larger landscaping scene I'm working on. No photos until I get much further along. It's a farmyard. First, I want to finish the Orchid. I'm so near to completion, but I've got a lot less free time now that my dad can't drive. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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