Making a Wire Bonsai Tree!!

For this video I try my hand at making my first wire Bonsai Tree. I used 2 different color wire for the tree trunk and branches. A teal blue color for the leaves of my wire Bonsai Tree. I think it came beautifully and will look amazing on a shelf or stand.
Video edited with iMovie for iPhone.
Music used from iMovie
Pearl- by Mark Mothersbaugh
Quandry- by Mark Allen
Simple is Good- by Mathew Compton
Why- by Freckleland
Materials used:
18 gauge aluminum wire
Colors- teal, silver, bronze/tan

[@vablackbelt]

Love the contrasting colors came out beautiful

[@forgingaheadinart]

@vablackbelt thank you!! It’s my wife’s favorite out of all of them so far!!

[@ediblebydesign]

Thank you so much ! Your ideas are amazing ! I’m going to try a tree myself , with your instructions I feel I CAN & Will do one !❤

[@forgingaheadinart]

That is great!! Have fun with it!!

[@darkmattercrafts2139]

What a beautiful tree. Stellar work!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you my friend!!

[@danielbiggsy6144]

Amazing work and you make it look so easy I’m going to give it ago thanks ❤

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I hope you do!! It is a fun project and something nice to look at after you are done!! Happy Twisting!!

[@royalmaster203]

good looking tree, thanks for your time and tips.

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you, and you are welcome!!

[@rhondahanish1080]

I am super happy a came across your video. I have to say this is the best tutorial I have seen. Thank you I so much for sharing this. Your instructions are phenomenal. I'm new to wire working, this has given me inspiration to try this. Again I thank you.

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you for your kind words!! It makes me happy you like it and that the video inspires you. Stay tuned as I have more videos like this planned!!

[@diblust53]

Love that tool! I took finishing nails, cut the tips off, and duct taped them to a tongue depressor/craft stick. I really appreciate you taking the time to describe everything

[@forgingaheadinart]

That tool is a time saver!! I am also making one out of finish nails. Going for a smaller size to the tool I already made. Thanks, I try to describe what I am doing.

[@Rousa2]

your video on how to make wire bonsai trees motivate me to continue to make better wire trees. Thank you.

[@forgingaheadinart]

I am so happy to hear that!!! Motivating or inspiring people is the best part of making videos!! You made my day brighter, right when it needed it. Thank you!!

[@laura2364]

I watch a lot of videos to try to make a pretty bonsai, yours is great!! you detail what you do so well and seeing you do it so simply makes me feel like I might get there eventually. Your work is magnificent, thank you very much for sharing it, it’s sublime!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you !! Your kind words lifted my spirits. I am glad you like the video and it is a help for you. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.

[@tufting_worl]

Thanks for sharing this mesmerizing video! It is inspirational :)

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! It makes me happy to hear that!!

[@cerisekappes580]

One of the best looking wire bonsai trees I’ve seen! Beautiful!!!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! That means a lot to me!!

[@cerisekappes580]

@@forgingaheadinart you are very welcome! 😊

[@joelabernethy5367]

You're an amazing artist, I'm sure you hear a lot.. but I sincerely mean it. I know talent when I see it,.. love your stuff..

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I appreciate your kind words more than you know. I try hard and do my best. I happy you like my work. Thank you again, it made my night!!

[@CindyLew66]

I have watched a lot of tutorials on how to make a wire bonsai and yours is the best.. you describe what you're doing... no one else does that and believe me, it helps a lot. Now i just need to figure out that tool you made, it's genius!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you, this means a lot to me. I am glad you liked the video and happy it helps you!! As for that little tool, it’s just 2 pieces of a hard steel wire about 2mm in diameter. Small piece of thin wood to separate them, wrapped in athletic tape as tight as you can. I have another video soon where I use round jewelers pliers. More detail and finesse oriented. Have a great day!!

[@bcvids9]

@@forgingaheadinart I came to say the same thing! And that tool is brilliant!

[@svetalis2125]

​@@forgingaheadinartскажите,какой рамер проволоки?

[@BPEMETO]

Nice! Thanks for the video!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you for watching!!

[@rosemariebrewer5000]

Gorgeous love it Rx

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!!

[@tubonsaiencasajoseximenez2541]

Desde (tu bonsai en casa) buen trabajo felicidades desde ESPAÑA

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you, I am happy you liked it!!

[@LoisLane-nv1xh]

❤❤❤ Magnífico amei.

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!!

[@rhondaross6965]

Thank you for the information on the tool. I used small cheap drill bits to make mine.

[@forgingaheadinart]

That’s genius, then you know the exact diameter of them!!! Way to go!!

[@rhondaross6965]

@@forgingaheadinart Thanks, When I made my second one I use the heavy plastic that florist paddle wire comes on and cut it to the length I wanted. I put a toothpick between my drill bits for the spacing.

[@glou2955]

You wanted to give it a try. I like that. I want to see what else you want to try because I now want to try this. You now have a new follower.

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you for following!!! There are so many styles of bonsai tree that I will be having plenty of videos for them!! I want to try them all!!!

[@glou2955]

@@forgingaheadinart and hopefully along the way I can learn a thing or two from you as well. I stopped doing art years ago and want to start again and being something of a visual learner it’s good to watch others do it and your wire art thumbnail piqued my interest. So thanks for uploading.

[@jimbennett2940]

Great video - really gives me ideas on how to make mine. Wondering if the super glue & cotton idea would work trying to attach the tree to a piece of wood with bark...?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I think the cotton ball and super glue combo would work well on wood.

[@liliangel3551]

Thank you!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Your welcome!!

[@user-if3ko8tk1d]

great video, I’d like to ask how many wires all the branches had to make sure I don’t mess anything up. The first branch had 16 wires, right? How many wires do the rest of the branches have? thank you!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I am glad you liked the video. The branch groups are. 16, 14, 8,8,4,4,6 going from the bottom up. The more trees I have made the more things have evolved and I tried different things. If you watch my videos as they are numbered I change things from time to time. Great thing about wire trees is there is no wrong way. What feels right can be different for everyone. I also do a better job of putting in the videos more info about the number of wire pieces and gauge.

[@sharbi4]

Just finished one after watching your video(several times lol)used autumn colors for leaf parts, I think it came out great! however… where did you find the rock base for it?! I can’t find the right size one anywhere.

[@forgingaheadinart]

I find my rocks around my yard. Usually when I am digging a hole for some reason or another. Never fails, need to dig a hole and find a rock. Another option would be to make a rock from some kind of foam and paint it.

[@sharbi4]

Thank you, I’ll start digging lol

[@basketttjejen]

Hi. love the bonsai tree. i am a perfectionist how many troughs do you have on each branch from the lowest to the highest and how many times you turn the blue on each side. do you turn in different directions or the same

[@forgingaheadinart]

For this Bonsai Tree the trunk is a total of 60 wires, with 60 wire ends for branch tips. First main branch was 16 wires, split to 8 wire branches, split again to 4 wire branches. Then split to 2, then grouped in bunches of 4.

[@forgingaheadinart]

Each branch off main trunk was split off in even numbers, split down by halves until groups of 2. Then grouped by their even amounts. The top had 2 splits of 4, one to each side, then very middle had 6 to make the crown.

[@forgingaheadinart]

For the blue “leaf parts” I twisted same way each time for each loop, then just rolled up to form like a snail shell design. I hope this all helps break it down for you.

[@nick_556]

Absolutely stunning piece man!! Do you know the name of the tool you used for the leaves is called by chance?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you very much!! I do not know what the homemade tool is called. It’s good for speed but limited versatility. I also use round jewelers pliers which gives more versatility due to tapered ends for varied loop sizes.

[@beyondthepandora3604]

What gauge/size wire are you using for the trunk of the tree?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Beyond the Panda, thank you for your question. For this tree I used 18gauge wire. I also used 18gauge wire for the leaf parts. I am currently trying 16gauge wire for the trunk of a tree that I am finishing up soon.

[@richardbutler9692]

Fantastic tutorial! Where do you purchase the colored wire?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I purchase my wire on Amazon. I search for Mandala Crafts!! They have great prices and color selections!!

[@RileyLau]

where did you get the petal twister , or did you make it yourself?

[@forgingaheadinart]

I did make it myself. The rods are 1mm diameter, space between them is 1mm also. Thank you for watching. Any other questions don’t hesitate to ask. Happy twisting!!

[@davidblankenship2503]

Great video. Do you have one for a pine tree

[@forgingaheadinart]

I do not have a video of a pine tree. When you say pine tree, do you mean the colors? Have a specific type of pine tree in mind?

[@kirstenvaughan8744]

Are both the trunk and leaves 18 gauge wire? Loved the video. Thanks!

[@forgingaheadinart]

Yes the wire for both the trunk and the leaves is 18 gauge aluminum wire. Being my first wire tree video I did not do some things I do now like putting wire sizes and stuff in there. It has been a learning process. I am glad you liked the video!!

[@grim789]

How many yards of wire did this take? Like the trunk and how much for leaves. Some online tutorials say like 100 meters which seems like a lot but idk. Fantastic content man got a sub! 😁

[@forgingaheadinart]

grim789 for this tree the trunk pieces are 12 inches each, total of 60 feet or 20 yards as there are 60 pieces for the trunk. The leaf parts are 24inches each for a total of 30 pieces. You could also do 60 pieces 12 inches long also, which I have done in other videos. Thanks for the sub and your kind words.

[@RutabegaFarmer]

I don't anyone appreciates how LONG this takes

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I appreciate that!!

[@KP-jg5zl]

What a beautiful tree. Can you tell me what gauge wire used? Thanks so much, Karen.

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I used 18gauge wire for the tree trunk and the leaf parts both. Again, Thank You Karen!!

[@KP-jg5zl]

@@forgingaheadinart Do you ever teach?

[@forgingaheadinart]

@@KP-jg5zl I have thought about teaching. My videos are more or less sharing of my adventure of trying new mediums. With that said I also tried to structure the videos like tutorials too. So if someone finds some instruction in what I am doing I am glad I could help in some way.

[@CaptainsCollection]

Where do you buy the bulk coils of wire?

[@forgingaheadinart]

I buy my wire on Amazon. You can also get it from Mandala Crafts as they are the ones I get from through Amazon.

[@stevenbaxter8452]

Awesome video! Where do you buy your colored wire from?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I buy my wire on Amazon as that is the lowest prices I can find. I use colored aluminum wire from Mandala Crafts. I guess you could just order from the source and skip Amazon. I had not thought of that until now. I use 18 gauge wire for the majority of my trees. Sometimes 20gauge for the leaf parts.

[@janetcrompton2109]

Is that tool hand made if so how and what is it made with please

[@forgingaheadinart]

Hello, sorry for the slow response. Yes it is home made. I used 2 steel wires each being 2mm or just a little over 1/8in thick. I put a square piece of wood the same thickness between them. Then I wrapped tightly with some athletic tape to make the handle. Not pretty but it works. I hope this helps.

[@deenp3761]

how long did it take to make in real time ?

[@forgingaheadinart]

From cutting the wire to finished on the stone base 6-8 hours. I do not work on them start to finish in one sitting so it’s difficult to give an exact number.

[@albertweastell6514]

now retired I am looking at ways to keep busy and use my artistic skills to, as you have here, make beautiful wire Bonsai trees. Could you please tell me where you source your wire from? Thanks, Albert

[@forgingaheadinart]

I get my wire on Amazon. If you search on Amazon for Mandala Crafts, they have a great color selection . Great prices too!! Thanks for watching!! Happy retirement!!

[@albertweastell6514]

Thanks for the tip there is a lot of choice, thanks ;)

[@forgingaheadinart]

@@albertweastell6514 your welcome!!

[@basman2610]

Hermoso video. Me gustaría saber cómo se hace la herramienta para las hojas. Saludos!

[@forgingaheadinart]

He tenido suficiente gente comentando que creo que haré un video mostrando eso. gracias por tu comentario.

[@basman2610]

Después de ver otra vez tu video, lo intente con dos trozos de alambre de 2,5mm y con cinta de enmascarar y funciona bastante bien. Le di varias vueltas de cinta a uno de los trozos hasta llegar al espesor del alambre de aluminio y después envolví todo el conjunto para que quedara algo parecido a tu herramienta

[@forgingaheadinart]

@@basman2610 ¡¡eso es genial!! Me alegro de que hayas podido hacerte con uno. Me gusta la idea de envolver con cinta adhesiva para llegar al tamaño del cable. Podría hacer otra herramienta de esa manera. Quiero poder hacer bucles de tamaños más pequeños. También estoy usando el traductor de Google para escribir. Escribí tus mensajes y luego tecleé para poder ver lo que dijiste. luego invirtió el proceso para responderle.

[@JG-bl4qs]

This is so cool I’m about to try it

[@forgingaheadinart]

That’s awesome!! Would love to see pics of your project!!

[@JG-bl4qs]

@@forgingaheadinart looking online for some cool wire now 🤙

[@forgingaheadinart]

@@JG-bl4qs I get mine on Amazon, I get 100ft rolls. Local craft stores do not carry big enough rolls IMO.

[@martino8114]

I wish I could find a system of making a sketch of the design before you make it and use that sketch to dirive a formula for calculating the lengths and quantity of pieces needed for the design, taking into consideration will it be all one color or more

[@forgingaheadinart]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZO3nX58rtWHrsU In this video I did do a little sketch. My method has evolved a little since this video. I start with a spool of wire that is 75 or 100 feet. I make sure I cut even number of pieces for each color. Trunk and leaves. The design is usually a style that I try to stick to without being exact. Except for the above linked video. Hope this helps

[@kkrushed.c2805]

how thick is the wire you are using?

[@forgingaheadinart]

The wire I used was 18 gauge, for the trunk and leaf parts.

[@eri4512]

What kind of wire are using?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Hello, I use colored aluminum wire in 18gauge.

[@Hahaha-or8jc]

where i can buy that wire? please tell.

[@forgingaheadinart]

I purchased it on Amazon. I also got some from Walmart craft section. Other craft stores like Michaels and hobby lobby might carry it too.

[@callitaderbyshire4115]

Simple, but effective! I think I can do it too 😉💪

[@forgingaheadinart]

That’s awesome!! Good luck and enjoy!! Beware it kinda gets addictive, just the color combination alone can get away from you. Let alone the different style trees too!! You will do fine I am sure 😉👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@callitaderbyshire4115]

@@forgingaheadinart Thanks! I am at the stage of collecting stones that I like, lol... I just pick them, clean and sometimes lacquer to see how nice they become. I assume you are buying the "leaves" stones from Ebay or similar?

[@forgingaheadinart]

@@callitaderbyshire4115 the “leaves” for all of my trees are just wire. With the exception of the wisteria tree that had glass beads added for more sparkle.

[@noecruz9629]

What size wire do u use????

[@forgingaheadinart]

Noe Cruz for this tree I used 18gauge wire. I have also used 20gauge wire for the leaf parts with other trees. I am currently making a tree trunk with 16gauge to see that looks. So it varies, but I think 18gauge is most commonly used.

[@anthonycastano2907]

What is the mm or Guage of that wire ?

[@forgingaheadinart]

The tree trunk and leaf parts are all 18gauge wire.

[@danieldombai7267]

Hi! What diameter of wire do you use?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Hello!! I use 18 gauge wire for the tree trunk and the leaf parts.

[@nibiruplanetx5404]

Walter White of the wire bonsai

[@forgingaheadinart]

🤣🤣

[@jessicahalsey4189]

baking soda and super glue also helps

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! That is a good tip!!

[@EmbraceTheChakra]

lovely idea, wish you zoomed in the curling of the wire and did that a bit slower, for newbies like me, beautiful tree though

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I do have other videos where is did zoom in and also do it slower. In a little while I link one here in another reply to your comment.

[@forgingaheadinart]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5rUeqduesedgtEsi=1v13H503E8psjesq Here is the link to another video, I start the video with a demonstration of how to twist the leaf parts.

[@limamackenzie4150]

I love these trees. I have tried my hand at a couple so far. They sure dont look like yours. I have to say they are definitely harder then they look. Could you please tell me how you get your wire so straight?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Thank you!! I bet your trees are amazing!! After I cut the lengths I need I hold the ends with one hand and slide my other hand to the other end. Multiple times if needed, all the while putting just enough pressure like I am trying to stretch the wires. Hope this helped!!

[@guillermoarce7863]

Lo .bello .sería q q lo traduscan en español sigracias

[@forgingaheadinart]

Sorry, I am looking into figuring out how to set multiple languages for the captions. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!! Lo siento, estoy buscando cómo configurar varios idiomas para los subtítulos. Gracias por traer esto a mi atención.

[@danaelemire9227]

Where do you take your tool?

[@forgingaheadinart]

I made my tool myself. With two pieces of wire about 2mm each and with a wooden stick about the same in between them. Then wrapped in athletic type tape.

[@danaelemire9227]

@@forgingaheadinart thank you

[@danaelemire9227]

@@forgingaheadinart what do we nid toi do 1 bonsai

[@forgingaheadinart]

@@danaelemire9227 I use 2 colors, aluminum wire 18gauge. Most of my trees I use 70-75 feet of each color. Cut in 12in or 30cm lengths.

[@alyzonflor153]

Podrías poner subtitulos en español por favor gracias

[@tanyabarnett8984]

What size wire?

[@forgingaheadinart]

For this tree I used 18gauge aluminum wire. Also for this tree I used 60cm or 24in approximate length pieces for the leaf parts, you can also just do 30cm or 12in approximate too. Which is the way I did every tree after this one. The trunk pieces were all 30cm or 12in lengths.

[@DjokoFaca]

hi, how thick is the wire?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Hello!! The wire I used was 18gauge aluminum wire.

[@DjokoFaca]

@@forgingaheadinart Thank you. I hope I manage to build this Bonsai Tree as beautifully as you do. My Wife will be very happy..

[@forgingaheadinart]

@@DjokoFaca thank you very much. I have other videos with different style trees and revised technique for the leaf parts.

[@marcus1034]

Metric or "standard" measurements.... you mean imperial or freedomunits?

[@forgingaheadinart]

Yes. If I spoke incorrectly I apologize. (Edit segment) upon further thinking I do not recall ever hearing “imperial or freedom units” being used in school. So clearly I was instructed wrong. I also usually ended up with the ruler with half the numbers worn off so there is that too.

[@Parso06]

omg johnny sins *squirts*

[@amirulashraf5136]

What the wire size?

[@forgingaheadinart]

I used 18 gauge aluminum wire.