Making Mini Tree Table Decor With a 20$ 3D PEN!

So I sat down on my table, thinking what I should make for this contest, and then my eyes laid upon the 20$ 3D pen I bought a while back. I was wanting to use it for quite a while, and I knew I should make something with it


After some planning, I came with an idea to make mini trees, just to keep next to my collection of cars. This was a relatively easier project compared to my other ones, so this shouldn't be very hard to make.

Anyways, enough of talking, here is how to make mini trees with any 3D pen for a nice tabletop decoration!

What you'll need:-

Tools

-3D pen (I set the temperature at around 185°C)

-Tweezers/Nose pliers

-Pen/Pencil

-Gloves (protect your fingers!)

Materials

-Filament (I used both ABS and PLA, but I suggest PLA)

-Masking tape

-Aluminium foil

-time and patience :))

Optional:-

-Scissor/Cutter (to cut off excess plastic)

-Lighter (To remove the filament strings from final result)

Disclaimer(??)-

SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE WEAR GLOVES THE 3D PEN IS VERY HOT

(ALSO LIGHTER PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES DURING THE MAKING OF THIS PROJECT)

I started by making a small circle, filled it in, then slowly printed on, in a circular motion, making a mini stump. I then shaped it a bit with my hand (while wearing gloves), and make it about 1cm tall.

For this part, I used some aluminium foil to make a little mountain shape, as shown in the picture above. I then covered it with masking tape, so that the filament would stick on the actual part made with the foil.

Start by making a line across, then forming a 'plus' on the foil shape support thingy. Then, fill in each quarter, slowly making your way around, filling each quarter, eventually filling it entirely.

After giving the filament a minute or so to cool down, take a pair of tweezers or nose pliers and stat to pull out the foil piece GENTLY, if you would want to reuse it for another tree, like I did. Make sure to remove the piece from each side before pulling it directly to prevent damaging the 3d print, then start to pull out the piece. I was able to make 2 tree caps before I had to tear out the foil piece.


(f in chat for foil piece)

Make a 'plus' sign at the bottom of the leaf part. Where these two lines intersect, add some filament and quickly attach it onto the stump, so that the heated filament can join the stump to the leaves.

This step is optional, but to give the trees some more character, I decided to make a small island, where they would not get lost easily, due to their tiny size.

I drew a rough sketch of an island onto the masking tape I stuck onto my cutting board, drew an outline with filament, and started filling up inside the borders.

This step is also optional if you are making the island.

I made a small pile of filament, which I stuck onto the island base, and then added some more filament to give it a spiral shape. Looked like some island straight out of a fantasy game!

The last step to complete this tiny build, is to stick the trees onto the island. I ended up using a lighter, where I heated the base, and then stuck it on. If you want, superglue can also be used, or you can do it with filament, which is the easiest method to use.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this project, it was quick and easy, and did not take me more than an hour to make. If you have some filament laying around, and any 3d pen, I am sure you can make this, for your home or work desk.

Have fun making this project!