Easy! Cheap! Modular Pine Trees for Tabletop Games! SIMPLE!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Thanks DICE BARD for sponsoring this build! www.dicebard.com Enter Promo Code: BLACKMAGICCRAFT To receive FREE expedited shipping anywhere in the world!

[@lyla951217]

You could probably use a wire brush to tear apart the scouring pad fibers to make the trees a bit bushier and less blocky looking.

[@joshirvan3008]

I’ve been crafting for years. I’m an art teacher and have been looking for an easy way to do pine trees with kids. Love this😊👍 🌲

[@VicSicily]

Finally somebody who said 'easy' tree's providing easy tree!

[@jaysonstewart3537]

Not sure how I missed this video. These trees are exactly what I need. Easy to build, durable and all things considered, quite attractive for skewers and scoring pads!

[@DaCooyon]

I've used this technique you have shown here for years. Simple and cost effective. If I may add to the process you have here. 1. Make cuts in the rounds going from the outside of the round toward the center. Don't cut all the way to the center as you need to keep the center intact so you can slide the dowel though it. The purpose of these cuts is to create a more individual look to branches and less of the round disk look, you will be able to raise and lower this branches similar to what you would do with an artificial Christmas tree. You can even create more variety in the branches by cutting some slits as small wedges. This will break up the disk shape even more and give a more random look. Feel free to experiment with the amount of cuts you make. I like a fair bit as it gives more branches and falls between the look you have shown and the commercial trees made in the bottle brush style. 2. My main choice of flock for tabletop is the foam based flock like you used. However, on these trees you can use a DIY sawdust based flock. If you don't know how to make it... you can find more than enough videos on it. The sawdust flock can look more like pine needles. My green sawdust flock looks like ultra tiny blades of grass and not a powdery or crumbled foam look. It's Great for these pine trees. I use Regular flock for the hills and the grassy areas. Having two textures to look at provides a better visual contrast and appeal in my opinion. These two additions to the process you have here are easy to try out. Hope you find the tips useful.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Hey, to speak to point no 1, my prototypes actually did this. I found that it did look a bit better, but I felt the extra effort wasn't worth it as the results were only mildly improved. I was also concerned that it would remove a lot of the durability. There are a lot of ways to do this that look nicer (coconut fibre, furnace filter) but all are more delicate. I wanted something drunk people could just grab without crushing. Doing the cut's may still hold up to that type of handling, so it's worth trying for anyone making a set to see what they like better.

[@BarringtonDrive]

@@BlackMagicCraftOfficial I love the 'drunk people need to handle this' logic!

[@TheGuidermichael]

Love this look. Very "storybook" looking, and great for background scenery. I agree about the ultra realistic terrain! These look tough, like they can handle the wear and tear of actual play.

[@Seiaeka]

Is it weird that I'm amused by the fact that your newspaper said "Spruce up your outdoor space" when applying the turf? Please tell me that was a happy accident. XD

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Total fluke!

[@AgeofTheNorth]

I also made a woodland battlemat from this materials. Works wonders with trees, because you can just stick them into the mat! You can also create hills & slopes by putting stuff under the mat.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

How did you get this material big enough for a mat?

[@AgeofTheNorth]

I sewed it together with a tough thread, only 2 connection points per side so it doesn't get too stiff if you want to fold it and put it your bag, for example.

[@DisorientatedNumbers]

Hey! As a quick note! If you took a wire brush to the scouring pads after glueing them on and letting them dry, you could actually create the typical coniferous tree look you're going for here!

[@incognitoatunknown2702]

Everyone of your videos brings me a little bit closer to trying a build of my own for the first time. These trees just might be the tipping point. They are dead simple and look great.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Just do it!

[@Deakonavory2002]

I have to admit, at the beginning I was a little skeptical, but these trees turned out AWESOME and I might be making some for myself int eh future! As usual, great job and thank you!

[@13thBear]

Wow, those came out really nice! They make great scatter terrain and represent a forest really well as you demonstrated near the end of your video. Thumbs up!

[@richardhoneycutt4937]

back when I did n-trak ( 1/160 ) model railroading, this is basically the method we used except we used natural fiber furnace filters instead of scrubby pads. We made flocking from pine based kitty litter or stable bedding soaked in dyed water, then dried and sifted. Tan spray paint was what we used for adhesive. Then a quick spray of darker color from the bottom and a light mist of a lighter color on the top. Because of the smaller scale, we used banboo skewers instead of dowels.

[@colourful_soldiers]

Very clever method of making cost-effective trees in large quantities that actually look pretty good. Well done.

[@WASD20]

These are amazing, Jeremy. Well done!

[@Metanaut1]

I made a set of these, you can easily make 30 awesome trees for your board, from $dollar store supplies, and its cheaper than anything you could buy, great video.

[@GameGearMaster]

These look really great! I also like to drybrush on a green highlight to my flocking. Could add even more dimension to these trees.

[@WylochsArmory]

Thx for the glue and sealant recommends. Been experimenting with several brands lately, this is a great help.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Secretly I've been slowly switching to the Krylon for everything, even foam stuff. Just not ready to announce that until I do more testing.

[@bioman1hazard607]

This is the most brilliant thing I've seen

[@marshacimadevilla9890]

I am into trains not gaming but I get so many useful tips from this sight!

[@poqreslux]

I'm starting to craft for a new campaign with a northern/Scandinavian setting, and let me tell ya, this solves my problem of "I'm gonna need a lot of trees" very well!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea, these are perfect for that, it's pretty much why I ended up making them, my new game is taking place far in the north.

[@charlescothran4946]

I think that I would add slivers of wood (cut from coffee stirrers) to a few of the trunk bases to add a little more dimension. Also, hot glue could be used to add a few roots here and there. Overall, I LOVE this idea (& this Video)!!!

[@rujonesin1]

Try protecting the trunk with a straw to save time if you're doing these in bulk.

[@guava8158]

i love the comic look of the trees. Exactly what i was looking for! Thank you!

[@luxiscarbonus]

Yet another Black Magic Craft video saved in my Favorites...

[@brandstaff2]

Great vid , Jeremy! Speed build of sorts I think ;). One thought occurred as I watched...for those nimble friends or foes who might climb said trees, consider using a notched tongue depresser to stand figures on. Place it between the pads so it rests on the pad below it. Cut it down to appropriate size and paint green to match the tree. Use glue and flocking if you want to get fancy. Voila, your ranger now has a vantage to rain arrows from! Happy crafting all!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

People seem to be pretty obsessed with the idea of being able to place minis in the trees, but personally I don't think it's really needed. I'm happy to just TOTM that sort of stuff. BUT if you enjoy it, I'm sure there are some ways you could alter these to be able to do so.

[@Bachini]

Dude... you've got talent.

[@WaniArman]

I love your idea of using the foam as the tree. This is brilliant. I've been thinking of making tree by using simple material.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Doesn't get much simpler!

[@empireroleplaying9613]

Quick suggestion, instead of the matte spray to lock in the flock, use the cheapest hair spray you can find and saturate it. It locks it in place, keeps the soft feel of the flock and your also ready to go out to the clubs. I used Aqua Net in a pink can. It was way cheaper than using matte spray

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea you can use hairspray as a cheap option. The reason I use the clear coat is because I don't want the foliage staying soft, I want it to turn as hard as possible. That's a personal preference though.

[@seanseamands]

The trees have that old school N64 look 🤘 I dig it

[@thatoneguy3415]

Just remember guys they look fine without the flock and stuff. If ur cheap and have barely any money they look good with just that lol maybe paint the trees leaves like uh dark green lol idk I’m gonna do this but with less steps and cheaper ways, thanks tho my man! Your to tutorials are fun to watch

[@jaseks6020]

Just got back from Hobby lobby. My first forest combat in my first campaign will have trees.!!!! Oh yea!

[@angelchauguardado8059]

Beautiful Job. Congratulations

[@Magickbear1]

I use bottle brushes from the dollar store cut to shap cut the metal wire to the trunk length that I require then flocking and some clay for the trunk

[@lgwhittaker1]

Wicked! I was always looking for an easy way to make trees for table top gaming. Great video!

[@jeffhreid]

Love the animated “Disney “ look of those trees! Super creative

[@Juniper_berries]

These are super cool trees! Thanks!

[@CubaRican226]

These look great. Can't wait to try it out

[@RollforDamageRFD]

For as super simplistic as these are they look freaking fantastic. Very well executed! I can see making dozens of these.

[@bengamingames5002]

Wow, that is amazing! Totally going to make some!

[@Stargate404]

You can lock down flocking using a combination of PVA, water, and a couple drops of detergent to break surface tension

[@jktechwriter]

Those really turned out nice. I like the rocky edges.

[@ronrobisch337]

Just made my first batch of trees this way. I found the skewering step to be a bit of a pain, especially for the smaller diameter scouring pads. So after a while it occurred to me to use a hold puncher for punching holes in leather belts or straps. This hole punch didn't completely punch out the holes in the pad, but it did make the skewering a LOT easier.

[@ashenwalls3558]

Oh wow, these are really kinda cute! They're like little cartoon trees! Great build. :)

[@myoung4997]

Your videos are so inspiring - thanks for all the great ideas!

[@briandhaze5906]

Nice! I'm using driftwood and memory foam. I can place my wood elf waywatchers up in the foam. I'm going to try what you did here.

[@mtgemperor]

Awesome work, big man! Now all that is left is desert environments. Can't wait for those vids!

[@neonrunner2622]

3:44 "Drying rack" hey? Looks more like a punji stick trap :O

[@JeffDrennen]

I've seen someone use a very similar building technique but instead of using scouring pads he used a green filter pad that you put in your air handler in your basement and he feathered out the ends and then flocked them got good results I can't remember the guy's channel here on KZbin to save my life

[@matthewscharf8163]

www.beastsofwar.com/terrain/terrainscaping-awesome-tabletop-trees/

[@matthewscharf8163]

Jeffrey Gruntz www.beastsofwar.com/terrain/terrainscaping-awesome-tabletop-trees/

[@MrWhite5150Duke]

Wow! What a fantastic result!

[@VikingFyre]

Where was this 2 years ago when I was desperately trying to make my own trees!? Lol great craft Jeremy! Will absolutely try this

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

My attempts at crafting a time machine have been a failure so far. Sorry.

[@VikingFyre]

Don’t lie, I know Canada is literally minutes ahead of us thanks to secret moose powered quantum accelerators and poutine.

[@nightstands]

I used a very similar method, but instead of scouring pads, I used pieces from a coconut husk basket. It gives a great look at a dirt cheap price.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea, that is the nicer model railroad technique I mentioned in the video that Luke Towan does. Looks way better, but is FAR more delicate. I was trying to get something really solid that you couldn't easily crush. It's a trade off, give up some of the delicate realism to make them far more durable. The cocunut fibre (or furnace filter) is the much nicer way if you're after something more realistic for sure.

[@sillysongs19]

These are amazing!! I think I have an idea to use something like this for even deciduous trees

[@MastertheGamerpg]

These have inspired an idea for trees for me. Great stuff man! Your work is top notch. Keep up the nice work.

[@davisiimdavisiim1295]

I will be building these very very soon, THANK YOU!

[@MaxDMCrafting]

..."which you should"... ahahahah lol Great, GREAT tutorial! Finally a quick and simple way for table-trees!!! I have a lot of work for finish my game set, but I promise I will post every BMC-style creation on TCG! Thanks J!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Look forward to seeing them!

[@AlexBabcock-hw9iz]

They really did come out pretty nice, and such a quick cheap build easy to do a whole forest at a time. Passes the DPT Drunk Players Test. Going to become as well known as a UL sticker one day.

[@dannymcpurple1143]

Like this craft a lot. Awesome gaming style terrain. But my favorite part was seeing a small spray bottle used to wash larger pieces. Definitely plan to try that out myself. Seems like a good technique.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

The $0.25 "airbrush" :) Can't do anything nice with it, but it gets big pieces covered fast!

[@tomkelley2649]

Looks great! Maybe put some red-brown flock under the trees to look like fallen pine needles.

[@IanRonneilNavarro]

Very, very nice! I'll be able to use this for wargaming, too. Sharing on Pinoy Wargamer Terrain Builders.

[@brewguy81]

Great video! Thanks for the inspiration! Definitely building a set of these soon!

[@litlclutch]

Those look pretty awesome, I love it.

[@coleyounger8655]

Awesome trees, i did something similar a while ago, but i made them smaller scale with 3 inch nails as the trunks. I just based each one on a washer and covered it with sand and flock. One big difference i did is i left the "branches" loose so they could still slide up and down the trunk, and it lets me trap the base of a mini between the branches if my player climbs a tree. Had to leave the flock off the scouring pads for that though.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Cool!

[@ramgladore]

I can't wait to get into a bigger apartment so I got a place to make these things.

[@DeWaldripont]

Cool trees they remind me of topiary! For a far more realistic look try an organic furnace filter instead of scouring pads they hold up to fairly rough handling and have a very branch like structure. The filters are about an inch in thickness but they peel apart fairly easy so you can make a huge amount of trees out of one filter. The filters make excellent hedges as well as briars and thorn bushes too. Keep these excellent videos coming!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea, coconut fibre and furnace filter are the standard railroad technique. I was trying to get away from that. They both look amazing but are way more fragile than these. I can grab the foliage on these with force and will not crush or dent them. Personally I like that these don't look TOO realistic, goes better with the rest of my stuff which all has a bit of a comic vibe to it.

[@michaelboggess8955]

These look really great! Thanks!

[@lw4327]

Love this tutorial

[@Runehammer1]

Look out! A GIANT HAND!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

The hand of DOOOOOOOM

[@AFarmerCalledChicken]

Might use this for my 1 : 12 scale miniatures this Christmas since I haven't had any luck finding trees the perfect height.

[@stephenrenwick8781]

Looking great. Another option is to use hanging basket liner (coconut fibre) and follow the same procedure.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea, that is the material used by Luke Towan (which I referenced), I wanted something more durable than that, and that didn't require spray painting. It's a great option, but I wanted to do a video on something new.

[@stephenrenwick8781]

Black Magic Craft it was in no way a criticism, the scoured ones look great 👍

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

The coconut ones definitely look nicer though. It’s a trade off.

[@stephenrenwick8781]

Black Magic Craft totally agree.

[@joaopaulooliveirakaluf6065]

I Just love your channel man

[@Based_Lord_Humongous]

I was a bit skeptical of this build, as I like my stuff for Flames of War to look realistic. But these actually ended up looking great and seem pretty durable!

[@1of2shoes]

Great trees.

[@jr44dc]

great video!! really need to try this...but also want to try to add some snow effects on it also. I got this idea for a bolt action table\terrain, still learning how to play so i go time to research and practice lol

[@357Dejavu]

I tried some of the model railroad ones before and they all most look too real (they made my tarrain look "off") and the scale looked a bit weird. I think these trees will work well! Thank you!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

THIS! That's the thing, if something looks TOO realistic it stands out from the rest of my stuff. I like that all my pieces look a little cartoony/comic book in style.

[@dmjofus2120]

Did you think about using screws to secure them to the bases and add a little weight? (Not sure if there would be reasonable sized screws to go into the dowels)

[@frankling.robertsiii6811]

I’ve watch this video before… Somehow I forgot that I had seen it; however, I need to make some trees for Frostgrave, and I will be giving this a shot this weekend. I was just wondering, if you have maybe some hindsight ideas that you may have used to improve on this technique?

[@candiwalkowski7480]

Nice. Kinda reminds me of the trees in Epistory.

[@justcallrizq4589]

This might actually be ur hardest how to!

[@alistairbain6149]

Loved it! Liked and Subbed 👍🏼

[@billhorst-kotter5184]

I wonder if you can change the scouring pads to make different type of trees.

[@stuartfarrell6729]

going to use the other cheap tree method you have done the cheap Christmas tree with the snow on them but will but use the dowels to make trunks ri base the wire into and use a bit of tp to add texture to the dowels thus making them bare on the bottom

[@Relatista38]

I have never realized that you out the amazon link of the products you use, and I thank you for that, as newbie on the hobby and in a country where english is not the native language (so product name and dispositiones varies), your list helps a lot, also it is good to know what exactly I am going to need for doing exactly what you are doing, but the point of making it exactly as you... that's on everyone xD You must make a video for different kind of bushes, since the very small basic ones (like the army painter/citadel ones), to some larges ones, I am working on one that playes can hide in it :3

[@mainHERO88]

Can you PLEASE post a video that shows your terrain in action?? You have the best terrain pn Youtune and I would love to see how you put it all together! If you have a video where you do this, can you point me to it? Thanks!

[@chrisallen5335]

This and all the other videos here are FANTASTIC! What about other types of trees? Like the birch trees on your shelves. Any tutorials on how to make those??

[@AlexBabcock-hw9iz]

Might try Luke Towans channel he does model railroad stuff but has done a butt ton on different trees.

[@LockSteady]

This is a fantastic video, awesome job dude

[@dementiagaming851]

My owlbear miniature finally has a home

[@ryandavidsonNZ]

Mate would be great to see something like this but for desert terrains, like maybe a cactus. Also same technique but used to make round bushes etc.

[@CYDeviant]

The cheerleader effect really kicked in after you based them and stood them together.

[@andreasrasmussen195]

Amazing work buddy!

[@woodbean3031]

Quick Thought: You could slide a straw over the dowel to protect the painted tree trunks from the adhesive/flocking rather than taping on the toilet tissue. (McDonald's & Starbucks are typically good sources for large diameter straws.)

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

True, but it would likely slide around. Personally I'd rather use some compostable material for something like this than plastic straws.

[@littilittiti1272]

great. using real wood makes it even better. tty small haselnut sticks

[@Mr-Hare]

These are great!! How tall did the trees end up being?

[@allenfrost6828]

Does anyoine have any suggestions for basing these for grid play??

[@amayaelessar]

Wonderful trees and loving your unique style 🌲🌲🌲🌲 "sheesh kebab trees" 😂

[@coinalmanac]

thanks for your vids

[@sandrahafner8057]

Hi! Love your videos! Very informative. I am redoing my Christmas village. I inherited some trees (which I am restoring using your video. Amazing!) from a store that closed down. Unfortunately, none of them have bases. Unless I am asking for what I want in the wrong way, I have been unable to locate any videos that show me how to make my own. I've looked at purchasing some premade ones from a miniature store, but those only work for the larger trees. I can't seem to find any small or medium sizes. Not a fan, but I considered some pine wood coasters, but I can't find smaller ones of that either. Any ideas?

[@AneenaSevla]

What colors of turf did you use in this application? So pretty.

[@brettsteele7386]

Awesome idea