How to Make HIGH-QUALITY Grass Flocking (Not Sawdust)

How to make high-quality grass flocking for terrain & miniatures. Cheap & Easy.
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[@BardsCraft]

After making the video I made another batch of a more natural-looking green with brown & yellow mixed in. I tried mixing the paints in water (about 60 paint, 40 water) and it made a huge difference, try that if you want to make your own flock. Using higher quality paints with more pigments also helps.

[@tiny-grimes]

Have you tried dry them in microwave?

[@donquijotedegranada]

or maybe using watercolours

[@tiny-grimes]

@@donquijotedegranada watercolours does not hold the paint well, it will go away after getting wet. plus there are few materials you can work on with watercolours

[@donquijotedegranada]

@@tiny-grimes if you use quality pigmented watercolours on natural fibers you won't have a problem, but I guess cheap dollar store watercolours on synthetic fibers can be messy, I get your point

[@delorescasper2564]

THIS is what I have been looking for. Why didnt i think of that. I thatched a roof with hemp smh

[@midnightriot2454]

At last someone who actually understands what "cheap" means, I've seen people make their own grass and the materials costs more to DIY it than to just buy a tub and I really don't want to do that, it's so expensive where I live. Thank you so much!

[@freezatron]

Agreed, I've seen a few channels advertise "how to build cheap or from trash" only to pull out a £200 tub of resin or a fancy laser cutter or some shit, do these people not understand what it is to be a peasant builder or what ? :)

[@JorgeFlores-nw6zk]

2:22 "i then let it dry on a sheet of baking nevermind" killed me

[@PeterderKnochenbrecher]

I had to clean my screen afterwards :-D

[@TheZapan99]

We all have that problem right now. I tried reusing a sheet that had food on it, worst decision ever.

[@BardsCraft]

The usual :D

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

I also laughed aloud at that remark.

[@LupusSpirit-]

Yes I laughed out loud!!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@00001Nicola]

Finally something who shows a cheap, easy way to how make grass

[@BardsCraft]

Not the first but I decided to make a video of this method

[@patrickkeller2193]

Lukes APS has a ton of tutorials on how he makes the stuff he sells.

[@byrddmann0113]

@@patrickkeller2193 the whole point of this is "self reliance." Why buy stuff when you can make it yourself.

[@patrickkeller2193]

@@byrddmann0113 what part of "he has tutorials" did you not understand? His whole channel was based around making it yourself cheap. He only started selling the stuff, because creating in bulk makes it even cheaper and a lot of people would rather save time than money.

[@byrddmann0113]

Why bother trying to advertise for someone else on Bard's channel. This is his show, don't like go back to that other guy.

[@WakkasLove]

Very smart idea! I liked the final flocking and the way the green wasn't uniform. It seems more natural. As for the "clumped" leftovers from the first, they could be used as bushes, topiaries, false entrances, etc. Where a man-made camoflague would be appropriate.

[@mnmlst1]

I am poor and I have this diorama kept in the closet for over a year because I couldn't figure out a good coverage for my floor. I used saw dust as moss in the roof but it didn't work well on the floor and that is exactly the texture I needed. The waiting for a solution was worth it, since I have the hemp rope and I never imagined using it as flock! Thank you so much!!! My autistic adhd self that have a hard time finishing projects will be forever thankful for you for making this video!! 🙏💚

[@lanceridings8513]

Actually looks better than commercial. gives the look of a realistic field, with some long and short grass, and some brown for the dead grass that would naturally build up in an uncut field.

[@rolandhersom239]

I use a piece of MDF that has been left out in the rain and has started to fall apart. I use a cheap coffee grinder to fluff it up and add the acrylic paint straight from the tube to each batch. When dry I put it through the coffee grinder again to separate it. It can be squirted on with a tapered detergent bottle whilst shaking it up and down and squeezing at the bottom of the downward stroke or by a static grass applicator. Can be sieved to eliminate any coarse bits. Works well.

[@ger5956]

This is very similar to how I’ve made my own in the past, one difference being the paint stage. I’d recommend soaking the hemp twine in thinned paint/ink before cutting, just dip a length of twine into your colour mix, squeeze out excess and hang to dry. Once dried you cut to size and boom, done! 😅

[@Scary-2U]

Genius 👍

[@KRK-zy3yl]

The bright green is perfect, little bitts that weren't covered look like dead grass.

[@mnmlst1]

Yes, it's perfect!! Such an amazing idea!

[@ori6282]

This is strait up genius, I've been struggling for the past month to find an easy way to make flock and you saved my life.

[@noixamyd]

Literally one of the best flocking tutorials. Simple instructions combined with common and easy-to-obtain materials. I'm curious to see how well it stands up with a static applicator!

[@BardsCraft]

I'll try my best to make an applicator

[@4Curses]

Exactly, what I needed. i have hemp rope lying around and only need a little flocking for a project. great tip

[@garypatterson9593]

I grabbed 5kg of "Sawdust Flour" from a kitchen cabinet maker. This is like a powder and is the remnants of machine sanding from CNC machining. From there I use the same method with paints or dye. Works a treat for N-scale. Highly recommend.

[@candicepastor]

I try to be serious by focusing on the actual tutorial but your humor makes me laugh!! 🤣 very helpful tips by the way! Thank you!!

[@BardsCraft]

The humor is only there to distract you from mistakes 😄

[@ReelSpider]

always hard to tell on screen what it will look like on my table, but at least on screen it looks like the best DIY flocking I have seen so far.

[@JesterArkeHoMW]

Hahaha! I could have sworn I was only JUST talking to a certain someone about this a week or so ago... ;) Using cuticle scissors is a great way to get much shorter fibres. Also, throw those larger clumps into a herb grinder! Once they are a little ground up they can make for a good leaf cover for fallen leaves or for heavier tree detailing.

[@BardsCraft]

Was it you who gave me the idea? If so, thanks 🙂

[@JesterArkeHoMW]

It was & no problem :)

[@gettingpolitical]

This is pure genius, I have used saw dust for all my grass, yet will definitely changey method to this. I loved it, I will be using green paint and angelus duller in a 2 to 1 mixture. The duller will tone down the shine and vibrance of color. I love your content, you have a great mind for creation.

[@rking1106]

Thank you for this video. I have a roll of twine that was intended to be used for a thatched roof. I now use old broom bristles for my thatching, so the twine will come in handy for grass now.

[@ОксанаК-з8с]

Спасибо огромное 😅 обыскала весь интернет. Везде советуют делать с поролона, но мне не нравится этот способ. Благодарю Вас 😊 Хорошего настроения 👍

[@inspirationforge4578]

Yet another use for twine - straw/hay bails, piles, flooring, roofing, and now grass/flocking!

[@TeamAmbiguous]

I think you might have just killed the commercial flocking industry. I've never seen anything as good as this before. Well done!

[@aircooledhead]

This idea is awesome! When I went to buy material, I found some already dyed green. For color variation, I dipped some yarn/twine into bleach for a few minutes then let it dry. When cut up, some of the green remains in the core, so it looks like mostly dead grass with just a bit of green. The longer you bleach it, the more you rinse it, the whiter it becomes, so experiment.

[@santiagolozoya4940]

Not a single dislike, that's how much we love you and your oats!

[@BardsCraft]

Haha, that's actually a rare thing to see. 100% likes, even if it doesn't matter

[@denisemiller8474]

Thank you I was looking for something other than saw dust and this works great. If I get to much paint and it makes blobs I go get roots of small desk plants and o use the blobs for the roots glue them to the roots it makes great trees and bushes using several blobs on several branches. And by the way you are so cute . You look like my brother in a good way let me say !!

[@depapa701]

Finally a method I will try. The result looks nice and I have all the resources at home. Thank you

[@BardsCraft]

Good luck!

[@_oldirtyben]

You're a real Entertainer 😁✂️ thx's again for this and the other videos.

[@zipcc]

Just started mini painting, and this is so helpful. All of the other DIY flocking guides i see need a bunch of things you dont have just starting out, but i have twine and scissors.

[@SammieEstal]

This is super easy to follow, and the supplies are easy to find!! So glad your vid popped up on my feed!!

[@MotorGuyzer]

I tried this method with green gardening string and it worked perfectly. Great tip 👍

[@warlockpetersen7810]

Damn Lucas! Looking good! ...The flocking, I'm talking about the flocking.

[@idontdonething]

Look at those pecs! Uh, on the flocking, yeah...

[@StizelSwik]

I'm just now getting this 4 years later! Hope you are well! PERFECT!!! I was looking for just this for my hobbit house roof! Thank you!!!

[@CrankyPantss]

That’s so clever. That looks like a great alternative to buying it. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@anon7255]

this is literally the best way ive ever seen

[@smallthings1984]

Thank you so much. And I almost bought some. I've just created my first diorama and I'm already hooked. Thank you again. Sub.

[@antipopcult]

Coincidentally, I use the same method as you but with dollar-store acrylic yarn. It's already dyed beforehand so I can skip the paint usually. :)

[@byrddmann0113]

I did similar, but mine is colored/dyed twine from Dollar Tree stores.

[@dreadknot69]

@@byrddmann0113 Excellent ideas! I'll check dollar tree next time I'm there.

[@RyanClarky]

Does this method work in a static grass applicator?

[@jaqssmith1666]

@@RyanClarky use nylon. that'll give you the best chance of it working.

[@RyanClarky]

@@jaqssmith1666 Thank you!

[@bean2122]

This is what I was looking for! Thank you!

[@edhorst7212]

Great use of rope for flocking grass & paints watered down. Cost saving projects are best using items on hand we never think to use..

[@w.rustylane5650]

I model on the cheap. I make all my own ground scatter (flocking) out of either sawdust that gets coloured in the electric coffee grinder my wife gave me for modeling, or foam rubber done same way in the coffee grinder. That way you can control the colours and the granularity of your finished product. I also make my own iron oxide (rust) by soaking about 4 pieces of 0000 steel wool in a quart jar with white vinegar. After about a month sitting in the window, I pour the mixture into a large pan (I use my old 11" x 14" stainless steel photo fixer trays when I had a darkroom) or baking dish and wait for the mixture to completely dry (usually about 2 to 3 weeks). Then I take a single edge razor blade and pulverize the contents into a fine powder and store it in little tins. Each batch I've done comes out a little different in colour. Then you use the rust as you would any weathering powder or chalk. It looks real, 'cause it IS real rust! I also colour my own chalk with acrylic paint and food colouring. I never buy weathering powders. Instead, I go to the dollar store and buy women's makeup in the little plastic containers. For $1.00 you can get quite a collection of different colours and they adhere better than weathering powders. For trees, I use the Nandena bush after the little red berries fall off, it leaves a perfect tree trunk (armature). I also have a TON of lichen growing out back on the hill behind my house. When using the Nandena bush tree armatures, you can paint them whatever colour you want--even grey for aspen trees. Cover the armatures with lichen, seafoam or whatever you want, then add your own home-made flocking and you're done. For pine trees, I use florist wire (wrapped) doubled and bits of jute cut in1 to 1 1/2" laid in the wire, then using a drill, twist the wire while holding the other end in a pair of pliers.. I also use barbeque bamboo skewers with pig hair (horse hair) furnace filters (they're already green); have to paint the skewers first. And I never use spray paint since I use my airbrush for all my painting. I can use either acrylic or oil base paints; I usually use one airbrush for acrylic and the other one for oil base paints. Cheers from W Rusty Lane K9POW in eastern Tennessee

[@caitlynwarrington8690]

Great suggestion! I need to make some during our next snow day!

[@TheBullterrierFan]

I always support creative ideas like this, so... great job my friend! I will try it, but i will try to mix acrylics with water in 1:1 or 2:1 ratio, so it would be easier to spread the paint through this grass mix and should be easier and faster for the whole thing to dry.

[@priyankawazir7866]

All the three are killing..ur Face..talent..n sense of humour..😃😃

[@Anthony-bs5ov]

This is great! You're right, static grass inst THAT expensive, but It is when you want to do a large area! And I always love to be able to make my own supplies!

[@RicoDredd1977]

Thank you for the video. I have had good results with this fibre method - I found the unpainted jute fibres are great for hay. Also, many gardening stores supply similar twines already in shades of green, so does not require painting.

[@g0bb304]

This is, by far, the best method I've seen, looks pretty good. Thanks dude, keep the awesome work!

[@paultrout8429]

Thankyou it's very authentic and imaginative, cheap and just what I wanted! Brilliant well done

[@shabithesnail7016]

I'm having a hard time finding grass flocking, your method might be the answer! Thank you!

[@CaptainTripp]

I am going to do this right now!Thankyou very much! Great video, lol, and a good sense of humor 🤣

[@nathanielsizemore3946]

I think it came out quite well. I would not have thought of using hemp twine. Thanks for the help.

[@anaetachandler8699]

This is a awesome method of making flocking as it is cheap enough to make a variety.... Also besides mixing colors to get a more natural color I found using a variety of hemp thickness gives you a really nice look as you would see in nature.... When I mix in paint I always start with a small amount ie a drop or two then go from there until you get the desired consistency... Remember you can always add more but if you add too much it's almost impossible to correct without having to add more twine base and that gets stressful as you are battling time as you make the additional material and meanwhile the first round is drying... As usual a excellent video

[@AA-et1qo]

Ive watched a few videos and I think this one (jute rope) is the best . A little story...ive ordered.online a fake moss.came more of.like a grass like..was expensive too with that 1gram.lol. I should have searched youtube first before.purchasing.lol Thank u for.this video. U are cute btw😍😍😍😅

[@fraxz88]

Looks really good. I dont see much homemade flock that I like or am willing to do. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@idontwanttopickone]

If you add too much paint, try adding water and rubbing it through the civ or on some paper towel. I bet that will rinse off the paint and break up the clumps by watering down the stickiness of the paint. It might just take longer to dry out. Also, save those clump bits, they would work well as seaweed or vegetables on a market stall or larger plants in a garden.

[@rahko_cosplay]

Finally a fellow finn doing miniature stuff in english Torilla tavataan!

[@johnharrison7997]

Brilliant Bard. I love it when I get a notification of your videos. Keep up the good work mate. 👍😁

[@kaptajnsejersen6303]

What a great advice. By the way this sort of rope can be bought in many colors so you don't even have to paint it. If you can't find it in colors you can also try to color the rope before chopping it.

[@Wiktorthemes]

I was just going to buy some grass for my first diorama, but luckily found you video. I'm even luckier, because my gf has tons of this rope, so I don't even have to go to store. Perfect

[@robertschworm6036]

I tried a new technique with poly fiber fill ( Low Loft) type. First build your terra forms from styrahoam objects like mountains or ridges in the landscape. Drape the poly fill over the land forms and pin down . First paint PVA glue onto the suffaces. Press the poly into all the shapes and knooks and craneys. Pin down so it does not float across the forms. Let dry. now paint with earth brown paint. While wet, sprinkle ground foam in various layers to achieve your natural terrain. Looks amazing. The poly fiber look svery realistic and gives a nice ground texture and much lighter than plaster and cleaner. Bob S

[@dancallahan186]

I really appreciate the humor or your videos, that bit with the cooking paper being gone was classic lol Thanks for the tips on flocking

[@rhfrenegade]

Your videos are just awesome. You saved me a massive amount of money with your crafting skills and techniques.

[@robmorris87]

I like it. Got me thinking of what could be cut up that would get the static to stand on end. Micro fibre cloth maybe, but then it wouldn't take paint so well I don't imagine

[@Swainky]

I used to make my own ghillie suits with jute twine which is still a type of veg twine like hemp. so would have similar results but you can take a clothing dye like RITZ dye (here in the US) and pre dye your twine ahead of time. then trim like you did and get really good results that way the dye is much thinner then using paint and would stain the jute/hemp without the clumping.

[@Swainky]

i do have a question on if you have tried to use this with the electro static device to raise the flocking?

[@tillybobs2]

You can buy that twine in green from garden centres so mix the two for more natural without needing pouch paint

[@VikingFyre]

A way to get around adding too much paint is to get a cheap food dehydrator (which you should get anyway since you use herbs, spices and natural materials frequently). The flock will come out clumpy and hard, but it’s brittle and easy to break up. Hell, invest in a coffee grinder to make the flock as fine as possible! It also (kinda) works on some times of wood bark

[@anaetachandler8699]

Agreed 💯 on both food dehydrator and coffee grinder... I used both when I was building gaming boards (4x8) when I did game demos and had to make insane amounts of flocking ( first board I used woodland scenics in the big bulk version ie about $30 a bin (USD) and to get good coverage used four... Board two I used the hemp twine route and then used the dehydrator to dry it out then fed a bunch through the coffee grinder if you have others ie partner who use it for coffee save some stress by getting a inexpensive one and then clearly mark it as for non coffee use. Much easier than having to deal with a pissed off partner who didn't get a cup of coffee because the coffee tasted weird after using a grinder you mixed flock in......

[@anaetachandler8699]

For wood bark get a model with good metal blades... Better yet go buy a inexpensive blender.. I had a Hamilton Beach one I paid ten dollars for at the local thrift shop which ate bark for breakfast...

[@nesra8786]

Absolute wonder! Inspiring solutions for a better world, fictional or otherwise. Make a diorama with it, I sure will use this in my current project!

[@guyrollf8956]

That's a pretty cool idea, you could also use RIT dye it'll absorb right into the twine staining it all the way through.🖖😎👍

[@jagelsdorf1385]

That’s so clever! I was trying to keep the dust from cutting MDF, but it took ages. Also I tried to do sawdust, but I could acquire any, just the wood chips you find at a pet store... This is a lifesaver!

[@Gallowglacht]

I know this is 2 years late - but there is a small chance this might still be relevant. The best pet shop source is kitty litter. The cheap wood pellet type. Pour some in a bowl and pour on some hot water from the kettle. The pellets rapidly expand and break down into sawdust. Sieve out the larger bits and you have plenty of sawdust for flock.

[@dinzakas]

Nice video, just a suggestion - in stead of cutting thread into very small pieces, it would be a good idea to put thread in paint colour water for some time, then take it out, dry it, and finally cut the painted thread into very small pieces.

[@thecraftingbrothers9448]

Great technique!!! I am going to use this in my classroom, I think it will be easier for kids to do rather than sawdust or pencil shavings. Thanks

[@smeeegheeeed1]

Thanks for this video. I found the scissors boring and painful after a while so I used some old electric hair clippers, seem to work great and quick

[@jaspermaij3753]

This is awesome! Just wished you made this video yesterday tho... I now used cut up sponge as flocking lol

[@anonplayer8529]

Old spice dispencers are very handy for storing the material, especially ones that have held dill, and efficiency wise you can always store them in the spice rack. 😇😇😇😇😇😋

[@deisevfarias]

I like him, and I like the video. That grass was definitely perfect 🤍

[@turnerlindab]

Thanks for the video, just did this but I mixed my model paints with isopropyl alcohol which made it dry fast and helped with clumping. Happy with the results

[@joelflowers4702]

In the UK the string is known as jute string, in pound land stores its available in a natural colour or nice realistic light green, I will make some today as part of my lock down craft.

[@WhimsicalArticFox]

New to the hobby of minitures! Thank you! This is will help with future enjoyment and future projects

[@jonaspich24]

Hello There from Brazil! Tks for the videos man!

[@lonelygiant]

I love making flocking, as I can get very picky about the color. I can't wait to try this method.

[@Kvelertaknes]

What a nordic chad lord, instant subscribe.

[@GREYdog10]

I tried taking the whole roll of string and grating or different grains of sand paper for different corse it works quicker than the scissors.

[@Art.0606]

This vid really helped, I just finished a Red Dead Redemption 2 Diorama and the grass is weirdly my favorite part haha, Keep up the great work💯💯🤟👌

[@PatrickSamphire]

Very nice. It looks less shiny than a lot of commercial static grass, which is a good thing.

[@laachbrachid1964]

الله يبارك فيك توفيق من الجزائر 🇩🇿👍🏻

[@rcoutdoors8176]

That's actually a really good idea I have an caseload of twine bought cause it was on sale like a thousand feet of large twine for 20 bucks so maybe if I add just a tich of water it won't clump so much maybe even a drop or two of detergent as I I saw in a sawdust flocking tutorial might help but none the less gonna experiment and see what happens

[@juanpablodelvecchio8492]

it looks great, I recently bought a resin printer , and I do the bases because it 's expensive here ha , the truth is very good , it 's excellent

[@flack2998]

i was thinking of getting a blender and putting leaves or actual grass and blend it…Then i saw this. very convinient

[@sharonbeckett721]

Fantastic! Thank you for showing us how to make a cheap, good as shop bought grass.

[@HausOfZombies]

TYSM! I am in the middle of a project, didn't have any grass and not sure if it's available where I live, so this video helps a great deal and I happen to have everything, so...woohoo! :D

[@Laurpud]

A rotary cutter would make that job easier & faster; I can't wait to try it!

[@aleccap5946]

Looks absolutely great, and obviously you can have a mix of different shade of green

[@footballgoal7661]

Can we color , before cutting ?

[@tiny-grimes]

Another great project to try! You can also use flax tow (i think this is what ropes are made from) much easier to work with, you can paint it first, then cut it.

[@janlambert5128]

Awesome tutorial and great idea! You had me laughing all the way through 😂😂😂 Thank you so much for sharing your idea and your humour with us 🤪

[@belltowersubductions5104]

Speaking as a poor Irish rural dweller, this was very helpful.

[@AxDhan]

this is your best idea so far

[@rodenl.balagtas3090]

I'm glad I saw your channel, bard. This is a big help!!!! Awesome. Thank you. Keep it up.

[@hyp3r-systems838]

Id say this is a REALLY GOOD saw dust alternative, sometimes its a pain to get sawdust, but its usually very easy to get burlap or hemp rope at a dollarstore

[@scotthartley7837]

Cheaper is almost always better your methods bare truly inspiring

[@scotthartley7837]

Are truly sorry there was and added word there

[@3vil3lvis]

You can make round hay bales with clear tape by laying a stripe of tape ~20" long sticky side up. Sticking unpainted jute flock to the tape, rolling it up and then super glueing it. Finish with another layer of super glue and flock anywhere shiney tape shows.

[@JCetto.2612]

WHOA! Lucas you're a genius! I'll be trying this as soon as possible... keep up the great job man!