A tree story .. from lowly bud to mighty Fir

In Canada today is Thanksgiving. So what's a model railroader to due on a holiday? If your me get more work done on the layout. Today by any bonus if you know the BC climate was also sunny! So the order of the day was making trees. My daughter the other J in J&J decided that she would take a photo essay of the tree making process and I could add that to my blog.  So what follows is is a mostly pictorial look at a tree technique I have learnt from my fellow club members.

Raw material,  dried, bug sprayed Spirea flowers. Abundant ditch weeds in our neck of the woods.

Other materials,  Glue medium - wall paper paste, Spin jar - old 2 liter pop bottle with top cut off, Sifting trays - two tin foil trays from dollar store, Foliage - mixed fine ground foam.

Step one - select bud strip leaves and excess to desired shape is acquired, leave stem long.

Step two - Trim top if necessary.

Step three - give tree body a good dunking in the glue, I mix mine till it resembles skim milk. Let excess run off before spin cycle.

Step Four - place Tree in spin jar and spin / shake off excess glue.

Step five - sift ground foam all over tree to cover.

Step Six - place tree in tray, I use blue foam sheets about 8x4"x 1" thick.

Step 7 - After finishing tray put out in sun to dry about 15 min.

Step 8 - spray finished tree with hair spray. I get cheapest pump bottles hair spray from large chain drug store.

Let the trees dry for a day in a warm location, like a garage as the hair spray will make it smell like a bingo parlor on welfare day.  Last shot is the result of 1.5 hours work.