Extra Crispy | 01 Feb 2015 11:04 a.m. PST |
I'm looking for a source for cheap alien vegetation. I want a LOT of trees/shrubs/fungi so I can cover a lot of my 6x10 table. Aquarium plants work for single "trees" but get very pricey when you need 70-100 of them. Prefer things that are table ready but would consider something I could spray or do something quick to. Suggestions? |
Pictors Studio | 01 Feb 2015 11:17 a.m. PST |
There are various seed pods you can get bulk at craft stores. Just glue them to a base and spray them greenish, dry brush and voila! Another thing is avocado seeds from the big avocados. Gourds also make weird looking plant things. |
Cardinal Ximenez | 01 Feb 2015 11:22 a.m. PST |
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Fenwolk | 01 Feb 2015 11:23 a.m. PST |
Florists Moss could be useful, you can buy all over the place. |
Talisman | 01 Feb 2015 11:47 a.m. PST |
Big box craft stores (you know who you are) have any number of plastic plants that make acceptable plants when disassembled into their component parts. Some of the seed pods are also very useful. I mount mine on the pre-cut thin wooden laminated ovals and circles. Finished product is quite alien. We have also made a box full of various mushrooms with oven cured polymer clay (you know the brands carried by the big box craft stores). My minimal sculpting skill has made a very acceptable fungal forest that works for 15mm, 20mm and 32mm games. We have even been known to cruse the craft section of Wallymart with an eye for conversion material. |
leidang | 01 Feb 2015 12:42 p.m. PST |
For aquarium plants look for the ones that are a large clump, for the back of the tank. I picked up some a while ago that were about $10 USD for a clump the size of a half a football. Gave me enough when I separated them to about cover a table. Another idea is the caps off of large acorns. My wife picked me up a whole bag of them from the local dog park. Once I put a trunk up under them and paint them I think I'll get some pretty cool looking alien trees. |
chuck05 | 01 Feb 2015 1:32 p.m. PST |
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RavenscraftCybernetics | 01 Feb 2015 1:44 p.m. PST |
is there a "pottery barn" in chicago? |
Extra Crispy | 01 Feb 2015 1:58 p.m. PST |
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ColCampbell | 01 Feb 2015 2:09 p.m. PST |
Mark, Partially chewed pine cones with just the tips left will work for alien "trees." Look around for discounted plastic vegetation on places such as Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Pottery Barn, Dollar tree, etc., especially in unusual colors. Once disassembled, as Talisman stated above, they make good vegetation pieces. Jim |
Mako11 | 01 Feb 2015 2:15 p.m. PST |
I really liked those multi-colored trees someone made from fake berries/grapes, shown here a while back. They looked superb! |
TNE2300 | 01 Feb 2015 4:10 p.m. PST |
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PatrickWR | 01 Feb 2015 6:49 p.m. PST |
That SuperMoss stuff from chuck05's ebay link looks ideal! |
Allen57 | 01 Feb 2015 8:07 p.m. PST |
On page 7 of Angel Barracks KR16 rules download is simple piece of alien vegetation made from a couple twigs and some of his deema seed plants which Michael sells on his website. They make what IMHO is a realistic form of vegetation as opposed to some of the more gaudy stuff made from the materials referenced above. |
Cacique Caribe | 02 Feb 2015 4:49 a.m. PST |
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boy wundyr x | 02 Feb 2015 8:21 a.m. PST |
Dollar stores also have balls and mats of plastic vegetation that can be popped apart, and either used as is (for green vegetation) after re-mounting, or spray painted as desired. If you just want to re-colour one part of the plant, if you wash them well first you can paint with a mix of the desired colour and white gesso; the gesso sticks to that waxy plastic they're made of. There is also a type of palm tree sold by the Chinese model railroad companies on ebay that looks really alien, it's squat and spikey. These guys: auction Though these guys look weird too: auction |
Zematus | 02 Feb 2015 2:29 p.m. PST |
I made some alien vegetation using 'beaded garland' or 'berry garland' found in the seasonal floral department of the local craft store. By cutting off various lengths, I made tall tree-like sprouts, and also low coils for 'shrubs'. Depending on the season you can find lots of different bulb color combinations. Some similar examples: link link |
tnjrp | 02 Feb 2015 10:55 p.m. PST |
I've looked at bead garland style stuff too. Also have seed pods and deco-moss vegetation in the works (to be frank, almost all of my miniature projects are "in the works" and if I'm being completely honest, I don't think most of them are ever going to be finished). I have however also shelled out money to relatively cheap aquarium decorations lately, but they aren't in the "cover a 6x10 table affordably" category even when imported from China or bought from shop closure sales. On the plus side, they need little to no work to pass for sciffyish miniature terrain. |