For years my forester's background had yearned for better looking model trees. I needed a technique that would provide my models with inexpensive, but realistic foliage. Finally, my creative thinking, spurred by the construction of anew wargames table that needed fence rows, woodlots and even a few bits of wilderness, developed this method for making "yarn trees". It provides screening, cover, landmarks, and a thoroughly satisfying "diorama effect" at a modest cost for materials. 25MM FIGURES AND YARN TREES MATERIALS AND TOOLS Knitting worsted weight yarn (Orlon-Acrylic/Nylon) 230 yards in a package, you will need 10 to 16 yards pertree; pipe cleaners, - Susan Bates 5in-One plastic pom-pom makers (plastic rings sold in knitting stores). You could also make rings outof wood orcardboard, butthe cutting between the (ings will be more difficult; small sharp scissors, round dowels or tubes for "core holders", wooden bases made from lattice wood (1/4"xl 1/4"), a drill to make 1/8" holes in the bases. METHOD Select a set of plastic rings dependling on the size tree or bush you need. I found that the largest size (2 1/4 inch with a hole 1 1/4 inch) was easier to wind with yarn, but using the smaller size rings will give you a variety of pom-poms. These are combined with pipe cleaner trunks to make trees of various sizes for a natural woodland appearance. A. Measure out 8 to 10 loops or yarn (chin to outstretched arm and back to chin). Hold the yard loops carefully while you cut free from the hank of yarn. Smooth the strands (16-20) down into a "rope" of loops about 2 to 21/2 feet long. Don't worry if they are not all even. B. Take the yarn in your left hand and hold the rings so that the "groove" of the beveled edges is between them, then insert about 4 to 5 inches of the "head" of the yarn rope (See Fig. 1) through the hole bringing it over the top and through until you have wound about three loops to the right (Fig. 2). C. Bring the "tail" over to the right and wind over the last loop of the head. This binds it so that it will not unwind while you finish winding the yarn around the rings (Fig. 3). Winding 16 strands or so each time makes the tree making go faster. When you have finished, hold the "doughnut" of yarn while you insert a "core" (Fig. 4). D. This can be any firm round dowel, tube, (I found a whiteout bottle is almost exactly right for this size). This core holds the yam together after you cut it until you can tie it off. E. Take your small sharp scissors and cut around the outer ring of the doughnut. Keep the scissors in the groove formed between the disks (Fig. 4). F. Cut a piece of yam about 12-18 inches long and double it. Wrap it into the groove and make a left-over-right overhand knot and pull snugly tight. Remove the core and tighten the rest of the way, but leave the plastic discs on (Fig. 5). G. Now make the trunk. Use one pipe cleaner for a short trunk or twist two together end for end for a taller trunk. (Shorter trees grow in the open or on the edge of a woodland). Tallert rees in the center of a woods have their leaves at the top of the canopy.) You will want both kinds for the "diorama effect" (Fig. 8). H. Bend the pipe cleaner into a u-shape and put it around the yarn tree next to the tie-off yarn and twist the ends a couple of times. Remove plastic disks. Twist the remainder of the pipe cleaner ends even together to form the trunk (Fig. 6). If they don't come out even, trim with side cutter pliers or tin snips (pipe cleaner wires will ruin your good scissors). Flex the trunks to look less rigid. I. Pick off the loose bits of yarn. Roll the ball in your hands to fluff it up. Trim off any long odds and ends, but don't shear it too formally. J. Make a base(s) for your trees from scraps of wood. Paint the bases green or earth color or even white for a winter terrain. For more realistic effects, sprinkle coarse sawdust, birdcage gravel or crumbs of broken cork into white glue on the base. Color with washes of paint. Arrange for landscape. K. Bore holes about 1/8 inch diameter for a two pipe cleaner trunk. Larger if you decide to "fatten up" the trunks by winding on more pipe cleaners. You can put several trees in a clump or use single specimen trees. just stick them into the holes or put them in with a few drops of white glue (Fig. 7). SUGGESTIONS 1. Buy several shades of yarn. Mix a few loops of light green with dark or even highlight with some yellow. Mix some dark green with a springtime light green or use yellow, orange and russet for a fall effect. 2. I found that I can make one single ball tree in about 5 to 7 minutes. Two or more balls linked using a two-pipe cleaner trunk and reinforced with more for a heavier trunk give bigger "landmark" trees. A small yarn ball with loose ends with a tall trunk gives a sort of palm tree. 3. For bushes and brush make some balls in the smaller sizes, tie them off without the pipe cleaner trunk and then glue them down onto the bases. Flatten them with a weight into a blob of white glue until it dries. Use these bases for impassible woods or just a better "diorama effect". You find such brushy areas on the edge of a woodland with more open areas in the center where the high canopy "shades out" weaker plants. 4. For better looking tree trunks (white trunk birches are nice, but we do need variety), pre-paint the pipe cleaners in quantity. I use a half of a quart milk carton, cut lengthwise to make a tank. Squirt in some black acrylic paint and then some burnt umber acrylic paint and mix up a wash in the tank. You can do 80 pipe cleaners at a time. Let them soak for a while and then drain on newspaper. The paint will soak in unevenly giving a more natural effect than either white or colored pipe cleaners. 5. Trunks can be given a variety of treatments: draw horizontal marks with a black marker on white pipe cleaners for birch; wrap trunks with masking tape, adhesive tape, tissue paper or brown paper sack crushed, smoothed out and soaked with white glue; and paint with washes of gray for beech, darker grays and browns, burnt sienna or burnt umber. Acrylics "straight from the tube" can be textured with a toothbrush or a tooth pick for a nice effect on specimen trees. Tree trunks tend on the whole more to grays then brown. Look around at the street and park trees when you get a chance. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. IX No. 6 Back to Courier List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1991 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com