Making a fake tree

The secret to making a truly convincing fake tree is in the bark. It does not matter how shapely or nicely branched your cardboard or concrete construction is, if the bark texture is not right, the finished result will be disappointing.

Using a four feet by eight feet (4 x 8 ft) sheet of double wall cardboard. Divide it in half longwise. Now there should be two separate pieces two feet by eight feet (2 x 8 ft). Measure and mark 6, 12, and 18 inches so there are four equal widths and draw a

Life size paper bag tree made from 15ft paper bag. Inspired by the popular paper bag fall tree craft.

Stop looking at Tanya, the tree's the subject here! A segment on Home and Family last week became a fun creative challenge for me. One of our show's "family" regulars, Tanya Memme, was to DIY tapping a maple tree for sap that then you can later turn into syrup. Tapping a maple tree is actually easy to do, finding a maple tree to tap for a TV show set in Los Angeles is not. Our Universal Studios location did not have one, and finding a mature tree to bring on set from elsewhere was impossible…

completed faux tree

The 10 foot tree build began with the trunk. I was able to get most of what I needed from my local OSH Hardware. I decided it would be 7 feet high, leaving room for another 3 feet or so of branches. I used 12 inch wide concrete form tubes. The ones in stock were only 4 feet high so I needed two (cutting one down to 3 feet high). I glued and screwed four 1x2 furring strips inside the first tube. These act as ribs reinforcing the trunk and also became where I added shelf brackets securing it…

Learn how to make a stunning DIY faux fall tree that looks real, no one will know it's not! With just a few supplies you will be on your way.

How to make a small fairy house tree out of cardboard and spray foam; Faeries gardens inspiration DIY; Fairy doors and windows

The tree creation epic continues with branch making. I wanted the five branches of the tree to be sturdy, but also as light as possible. I used 1" PVC pipes as a "bone" for each branch. They needed to be bent into the right shape. First, I traced the previously made foam core branch pattern/mock up onto a wood board. Starting at the thinnest part of the branch outline, I placed one end of PVC pipe between two large nails. I softened the PVC with a heat gun and began to bend it, conforming to…

Large Scale Trees: 1) Using a four feet by eight feet (4 x 8 feet) sheet of double wall cardboard, divide it in half longwise. Now there should be two separate pieces two feet by eight feet (2 x 8 feet). 2) Measure and mark 6, 12, and 18 inches so there are