needs big honking trees - large enough to stop the Bugs!
First, I needed to determine how tall this tree should be. Given that the tree was destined for Starship Troopers, I wanted something large. In this case, a tree 6" tall would fit my requirements.
Mark the stem 7.5" down from the 'top' of the foliage.
Using the wire cutters, cut the stem at the point you marked.
Using the hobby knife, strip the plastic off the stem, exposing the wire core. There should be several wires - the more the better.
Using the pliers, bend each wire out so it is 90 degrees perpendicular to the stem. The different wires should be bent so that they point out in a circle around the stem. Make an effort to keep the wires bent at the same point. This makes 'leveling' the tree easier when attaching it to the base.
Often the plastic of the tree trunk is already colored an appropriate shade of green or brown. If not, this is a good opportunity to paint the trunk a color you prefer. Don't paint with too dark a shade, as these trees will produce a lot of shade on the game table.