How to Make Miniature Bottle Brush Trees

Miniature bottle brush trees are easy to make and can be used to create a forest for a model train set or a Christmas tree in a dollhouse or village. Although simple to make, they look surprisingly realistic and are much more inexpensive than purchasing miniature trees.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bottle brush
• Wire cutters
• Scissors
• Brown or forest green spray paint
• Coarse ground foam of desired tree color
• Miniature pot
• Floral foam

1. Use wire cutters to cut the bottle brush to the height you want for the tree. Leave room at the bottom to insert the "trunk" of the tree into the floral foam.

2. Cut a chunk of the floral foam. Insert the bottom of the tree into the floral foam. Place the foam into a miniature pot or other container of your choice.

3. Trim the brush with scissors so that its shape resembles a tree. You can thin out the "branches" if the brush is too bushy.

4. Spray paint the brush. Use a heavy coat of paint. Do this outside if at all possible. If you have to do it inside, cover the work area with plastic.

5. Sprinkle ground foam on the tree while it is still wet. Let dry completely.

Tips & Warnings

• To create a snowy effect, spray the bottle brush trees with flocking.

Resources

• Another way to make a bottle brush tree