How I make 15mm / 28mm trees for my games

These trees can be made cheaply and quickly, and they look realistic. They can be somewhat fragile and care should be taken in transport and storage. I have had some friends ask me how I make my trees, so anyway, here goes:

 I round up some nice twigs from my yard! Trim off the parts you don't need, and saw off the end so that you have a flat surface. Look for twigs that
are "Y" shaped and are in scale for 15mm / 28mm. Most trees will work
for either scale, but large 28mm trees don't fit in well with 15mm figs! I generally mnake trees that
will work with either way, but I have made some large trees just for my 28mm games.

Insert a tack or large flathead nail into the base. You can ad a touch of glue when you do this.
This provides much needed support.

Push the tack into the base of the tree. This will provide
stability.

Glue the tree to the base. I generally use card or small pieces of balsa. I make single tree bases as well as
groups of trees.

A whole forrest of trees drying. I use the paint bottles to
help support the trees while they dry and I will let them dry overnight. I use
wood carpenter's glue. These trees are so easy to make, that I make them in large
batches. I would say make 12 or so your first time and then make them in batches of 24+.

Once dry, I spread glue on the entire base and cover
with some sand to add texture. You might get some warping with card bases. If that happens I
either trim the base and/or ad some weight to the base (like a stone).

Dry brush a few lighter shades of brown over the sand and
glue on a few rocks, sticks, etc.

The finished product! I add a little green flocking to
the base and then the foliage. I buy the foliage at
a model railroad store. Just look for something that
looks natual and can be glued to the tree tops.