Creepy Trees (Simpler Design)

Simpler Creepy Trees

Materials Used
Pieces of board cut to squares we used 3​0cm (approximately) squared pieces of laminex 
90 degree angle brackets & screws
Polypipe (joiners & glue if you need them)
Fencing wire (I used 18gage I think)
Air conditioner insulation pipe (black foam piping)
Material with stretch (enough to cover round the base & up to the top of the pipe)
Creepy Cloth or cloth you can tatter to look creepy (organza & sheer curtain material will work too)
Electrical tape (black or dark blue)
Wire cutters, sharp knife, scissors, screwdriver, drill 

     We made the first one at 2 metres tall which is too tall for us shorties.  I recommend 160cm tall though that is a good height however you can make them as tall or short as you want and some can be made into stumps if you like.
     Glue the pipe together if you don't have one length and fix it to the base using screws and metal brackets.  Then use the drill with a drilling bit in it to drill holes through the top for the branches.  Drill all the way through from one side to the other.
     Unwind the wire and straighten it as much as possible, carefully thread the wires through the hollow middle of the foam piping.  Loop over the end of the wire, clamp it down and gently pull it back into the foam pipe.  Leave enough wire at the end to go all the way through the top of the tree from one side to the other.  Do as many or as few branches as wanted.
     Tread the wire end through the pipe at the top from one side to the other and bend the excess down.  Once all the branches are in use the electrical tap to stick the ends down and stop them moving.
     For small branches repeat the wire/foam pipe leaving a small piece at the end.  Push them into the branches use tape to secure them.  Use the electrical tape to cover the ends.  Then bend branches to desired positions.
     Use material from top of tree down under the base and back up to the top and tie the corners diagonally across from each other to secure it.  If wanted cut small indentations in the top to help secure the material.
     Use enough material to create a stretched look and so it is tight.  Cut the creepy cloth to desired lengths and drape over branches.
     

Creepy Trees


​2D Creepy Trees

Materials Used
3mm or 6mm x 1800 x 950mm MDF
Pencil
Papermache Clay
Jigsaw (to cut out the trees)
U Saddles
20mm Polypipe
​Screws
Paint - any colour you want your creepy trees to be I use black, grey, yellow and green

  • ​Draw out your design onto the MDF and use a jig saw to cut it out.
  • Use papermache clay to create a 3D raised face building up the layers and allowing them to dry completely.  I did this for eyes, nose, mouth and eyebrows.
  • Once it's all dry paint the base coat.
  • Then paint the raised papermache clay areas with a lighter version of the base coat.
  • Use dry brushing to paint on detail and a fine brush to paint on lines for bark.
  • Paint the inside of the eyes and the mouth black.
  • Wait for this to dry then paint in the eye detail and teeth if you want your tree to have these.
  • ​Once that's all dry and if you have made arms to go on them as I did use U saddles and screws to hold the polypipe on the back.
  • Then position the arms into the polypipe.
  • You can also attache more polypipe toward the bottom if you want to stand it with stakes.  I am not sure I am going to do this or if I am just going to stand them up against the house.
Creepy Trees - 3D

Materials Used
3 Bins Various Diameters - I used ones from Bunnings, pulling things off shelves and upending them on top of each other to get ones that fit well and had good height
Liquid Nails
Expanding Foam - I used four large cans per tree
Paint - Grey, Black, Green & Yellow
Fencing Wire
Pool Noodles
Masking Tape
​Craft Knife
​

  • I would have loved to got a hold of some formtube to make 3D trees however in Australia that is just too hard to get.
  • So I used three plastic rubbish bins from Bunnings for each tree and liquid nails to glue them together by staking them on top of each other upside down.  This made trees about 5 feet tall.
  • Once they are glued together and allowed to set overnight it's time to use the expanding foam.
  • These trees took 4 cans of expanding foam each. Lay the bins down and use something to steady them to stop them rolling away and start to run lines of the foam up and down the sides.  Allow each side to set hard before moving them and continuing.
  • Continue this until all sides are covered in expanding foam.  Then stand them up and cover the top.
  • Once they have set lay them down again and use more expanding foam to detail the faces.
  • Let this set and harden as well.
  • Once they are set and hardened it is time to paint.  I did this with a brush and it took forever but I had the paint.
  • It would be faster to use spray cans but it would use allot and it would have to be done outside.
  • Base your base colour, then use other colour to dry brush on the detail.
  • If you are putting the monster hands and arms on cut out the foam to the plastic then drill holes in each side
  • Position the arms and if necessary trim down the dowel until you are happy with the way they sit.
  • As I need these to be detachable for storage I did not glue them in place however you can do this if you want.