How to make a jungle treehouse for stage Part 2

This is a continuation of the Treehouse


I cut out 3 sections nearly 8 foot long for the large tree branches.  In the middle one I cut out a section so it would fit on the 2x4s coming out of the trunk.
(I should have made the 2x4s longer which would have been more stable.)

I stacked and glued the 3 pieces together with gorilla glue.

Then rounded off the edges and carved some bark. I put these arms on and they stuck straight out. It didn't look right. So then I cut out an angled section in the middle and reglued them back together.

This was a little better. 

(I forgot to take pictures of this part)

I took a sheet of 2-inch thick styrofoam and first drew out some random leaves. 

Then, using a wire brush, I carved into those lines. 

Once I had some deep gouges in the styrofoam, I sanded the edges, which rounded the leaves.

I painted the leaves, making sure to cover all of the white styrofoam. Then, I came in with a slightly darker green for the deeper parts.

I cut some random tree shapes and rounded the edges with sandpaper as well. Then I attached the trees to the back using a little bit of Great Stuf Foam and some 3 inch drywall screws.

Now for the treehouse.

How to make a jungle treehouse for stage Part 3

Making a VBS jungle treehouse part 3

I took two sheets of 4 x 8 foot by 2-inch thick white styrofoam and cut them in half. Then I measured and cut out a triangle to form the front of the treehouse. I did the same for the back. I cut a door hole in the front one.

Then, using a wire brush, I carved gouges into strips to simulate bamboo. 

I even carved the little holes in the top of the door.

I made short sides of the house to match. 

I took some long strips, about 2 inches square by 8 feet long, and rounded the edges off. Then cut a few of those rounded pieces the same height to serve as railing posts. These I attached with some drywall screws from the top of the railing into the post. I carefully squeezed Great Stuf foam in an X pattern to simulate vines or rope tying everything together.

I made the roof by taking another piece of styrofoam, cutting it in half, and making one side jagged. 

I attached all of these pieces together using drywall screws to see what it looked like.

There was a gap in the top of the roof, so I used another railing piece for the top. 

I took everything apart and painted it. 

For the bamboo I just used a darker brown color and made lines. Then drybrushed these lines up and down to simulate the bamboo rings.

I forgot to show the windows which I carved and added the Great Stuf rope.

Here it is mostly finished

Then I sat the treehouse on the top of the tree to test fit it. It looked pretty good.

I made some more leave bunches to go on the ends. 

The leaf ends were a tad heavy, so they ended up getting some fishing line support from the ceiling. 

I also made some vines using the technique on this post. 

I put a small white piece of material across the front door and windows so I didn't have to paint the inside of the treehouse.

If you make your own version, I would love to see it.

Jeff

Welcome to the Backyard

Just an update on a few things I have done recently.  This was for a nursery called The Backyard.

The Grinch snowman

At work I was given the task of making something to represent our department.

It had to be over 5 foot tall and be roughly snowman shaped. 

Since I work in a library (relatively new job) I decided on the Grinch.

Once again I was given exactly $0.00 as a maximum budget, 

and I had to have it finished in one day, so considering the

Project Triangle…

It would not be my best work.

I started off with some legs.  Made from 2x4s

My wife cleans a doctor's office and they regularly throw out styrofoam coolers that have transported refrigerated medicine. (No they don't transport organs or anything like that.)
I got three of them that were roughly the same size.

Using my heat knife I cut two holes in one of the cooler lids.  Just big enough for the 2x4s to fit into.
I then glued the legs with Gorilla Glue.

I put the cooler back on the lid and we have the starting of the body.

I drew out a rough Grinch face and sanded it down a little to give it some depth.

I needed to make his nose so I used my Drill Press Lathe method. (described here)

I shaped him a small pointed nose.

He needed the tuft of hair, so I used my hot wire cutter and cut that out of 1/2 inch pink foam.

I made a hole in the top of his head for the tuft to go into.  And glued it in with Gorilla Glue.

I forgot to take pictures before he was painted so here are a few before he was assembled.

A blurry shot of one of his arms.

A coat of green paint. 

Waiting to dry and be moved to his new home.

The Grinch arrives at his new home.

I think he is happy about it.

How I make a pattern for styrofoam cut outs. Or Bumblebee pattern

In Some of the coral I made for VBS I had a question if I drew stuff free hand or had a pattern.  The answer is both.  Some things I do without a pattern, but if I have to make a shape that is the same on both sides, I make a pattern.

In this one I needed to make a bumble bee.  So I started off with a roll of thick brown paper.  I believe they sell this stuff at Home Depot in a roll.

I drew half of the bumble bee on a piece of this paper.  Then I cut out the half I had drawn.  Then I folded it in half and drew and cut out the other side.

Then I opened it up to see if it was going to fit with what I was needing.
It did.  So I wanted to see it with some stripes.



So I added stripes.

Now for the wing.  I drew a rough shape...

Then cut out just the part I had drawn.    You can see that the other part is square.

I folded it in half lengthwise and cut it again.

Here it is after it was cut.

The wing is too big where it touches the bee.


So fold and recut.



Then after about a few hours worth of work...