Note: I began making the tree and then the process changed when I reached the foliage part, so there are some further alterations later in the process.
For the tree structure, I am following the same process as the ones I did for the Heritage maple and the dogwood, using the tutorial from the DVD Master Miniaturists: Landscaping Primer with Diane Myrick.
I bought a bulk of 22 gauge cloth covered wires that included 240 18″ pieces. I wanted a few small roots to help plant the tree, so I extended some pieces of 18 gauge floral wire below the main trunk of 80 wires. I used 28 gauge wire to tie the main wires together.
I want a relatively full tree, so I might need to add a few more branches. Currently, the height is 18″ from the bottom of the trunk to the top branch tip. There’s Friedrich at the base for size reference.
I added 7 more 22 gauge wires to the skeleton, making a few branches in the middle and on top. I also bent the trunk to make it more natural.
I mixed and applied Durham’s Water Putty to the wire skeleton. I bought a 4-pound container from Home Depot for roughly $8 back when I did the first tree, and there are still a lot of trees left in the container. The Durham’s Water Putty site shows some of the creative things you can do with it.
You can’t put this stuff down the drain, so the cups and brushes you use must be thrown in the trash. But, I did save the cup to reuse for the duration of the project. I’ll just mix new putty on top of the hardened putty left in the cup. No sense in wasting multiple cups. I buy short plastic cups from Dollar Tree. Very economical.
I mixed two heaping tablespoons of the powder with water to create a mix the consistency (and look) of pancake batter. The first coat is thin and incomplete. It’s mainly meant to seal the cloth covering on the wires and harden the joints. I used those super thin 28 gauge wires to avoid having obvious rings around the trunk, and it worked well.
It’s amazing how the putty transforms the wire skeleton. I didn’t apply the putty to the roots since those will be buried in the landscaping.
Once this dries, I’ll touch up the putty and work on the texture.
