Zauberwald for Moominvalley

This week has been principally spent working on Moomins, and I'm not working up-front on blog now (I hope only exceptionally), the posts are made one or two days before they go live. As has already been said - it's a project FROM scratch, for the objective was to have something to craft each day during this vacation week. And since the most easy-to-work-with material is package cardboard, so that's what we take ALL THE TIME. Plus we can quickly start anew if for some reason it doesn't pan out. It has been a busy week. Not everything worked as expected, and some elements will be replaced next week. The vacation will be over then, but we still can work a bit afternoon - we have a dozen of days to get it done.

This part is the Moominvalley - which actually doesn't have many trees, except of some firs, and with firs we started. Here are step-by-step pics in case you would be curious how to make them. All the usual suspects - cardboard, layers, white paint. For the upright position we put a wooden stick and I sawed a small piece from a big piece of branch I still have around here (and of which I made the airplane).

After we made those firs and put them near Moomin house it turned out they looked bulky, misplaced, and too cardboard-heavy as a whole, so we weren't finished with them yet.

During one of our walks we grabbed some dry plants and sticks - to imitate and bring some natural vegetation in the scene. Those finds were EASY to fix - a wooden disc, drilled holes, some glue.  

Be sure you check the balance and your piece doesn't tilt. 

After your "tree" stands up and doesn't wobble, glue it. Grabbing those was a matter of minute (all you need is the right size and proportions), making the wooden supports and drilling took about five minutes, arranging and glueing another five and up they go into the scenery! They will actually be present in many scenes - they fit both mountain walk and return to the valley.

I may consider spray painting them in...white? Dark asphalt grey? Bold pink? Have to think about it.

It was a good idea to add those guys made of natural materials, they make the cardboard firs look complete, different and complementing, being put together, the bulkiness has gone and we have a nice Zauberwald in mixed technique.

UPDATE: another element which I had to add was flowers (tulips) - just to break the monotony in height. They'll gonna get some pops of color.