Prop Tree Trunk and Stump Quick and Cheap

I was in the need for a prop rainforest and I wanted to emulate the rainforest cafe idea using “trees” inside to make it look more authentic. These trees were made with low cost, low effort, and minimal tools in mind. I wanted to add extra durability to them, so I also added an epoxy resin coating to finish it, but this is not necessary if you don’t think people will bump, kick, poke, scratch, etc the prop.

Drill

Deck screws 2 inch

Deck screw bit

Chamfer bit and drill bit to make sure wood doesn’t split

2x2x8 wood pieces, at least 2

1/4 wood of any kind for base

Flexible polyvinyl (backsplash board - make sure its flexible) from Home Depot

staple gun

Staples

about 2 cans spray insulation

(different sprays will have different effects for the final product, generally, the cheaper the spray, the more it will liquify, use different kinds in combination to create some really cool texture effects)

Spray bottle filled with water

Spray paint cans, I used a blend of brown, black, green, and a reddish brown

Optional:

Moss from a craft store to fill in the edges

Epoxy resin, be careful, the cheaper resins tend to melt the insulation more and will have the chemical smell linger a LOT longer.

You will need:

2x2x8 pieces of wood for the side support

cut the pieces into 48" lengths or desired height

I wanted a 12" diameter trunk, so I used 12" 2x2 pieces in the middle, but you can increase this amount to whatever you are trying to accomplish. going smaller is difficult, the backsplash board doesn't want to bend that hard and it might crease the backsplash.

use a chamfer/ drill bit to prevent splitting the wood (I used cheap wood, so it was really likely to split.)

1. attach the two long lengths of wood to the backsplash board using an industrial staple gun (like from home depot)
2. test fit the wrap and make sure it looks nice when complete ( the diameter of the trunk is how you like it.
3. align the short lengths of wood to be at the top and bottom of the frame and firmly hold onto a table or floor
4. use the chamfer bit to drill through the top and bottom of the long lengths of wood STARTING from the backsplash side and going into the short length of wood.
5. use the 2" deck screws to assemble

you will need:

• spray can insulation
• spray water bottle
• prop trees

this will get a little messy, prepare accordingly.

1. set up your trees. if they are built in multiple parts, attach all the parts together using clamps or screws as if it was a single tree unit. this will give a more seamless look to the trunk.
2. spray the backsplash board liberally before starting, water helps cure the spray on insulation quickly

Application:

1. start at the top and use the spray can to make a single line going down. try to be as seamless as possible
2. after each 2-3 lines, spray the insulation with water, more sprays than less.
3. you can create whorls in the wood by making a small circle and having the lines move around the circle as they go down.
4. different insulations will create different effects, the yellowish looking insulation turned a lot harder than the white insulation and gave it a more textured look.

after it is dry, carefully cut apart the sections and lay them flat on a surface that can get messy, (prepare to throw the surface away after)

I used a combination of black, dark brown, light brown, and a small amount of gold for the colors. starting with the darkest and going to lightest. the paint will probably react with the insulation and cause the insulation to dissolve a little, this is normal and fine.

repaint as needed to fill in all of the spots.

you can also add sphagnum moss to your trees for an even more realistic effect.

I tried a clear coat epoxy resin and a fiberglass epoxy resin

clear coat resin:

• expensive
• low VOC
• strong reflection (extra shiny)
• faster dry time
• no residual smell
• puts a hard, thin, shell on top of the tree

fiber glass resin:

• cheaper
• high VOC
• dull/ muted reflection, more realistic to wood
• super slow dry time
• residual smell in the tree that lasted for a couple months
• insulation really dissolves with this kind of resin, leads to some cool effects
• puts a slightly flexible hard shell onto tree

pros and cons to both resins.

with both resins, I mixed it and waited a few minutes for it to cure before I applied it. I was not worried about the look of the resin, more for the durability it provides, because that, I waited for the resin to get a little tacky and applied with a brush. as you apply more resin, parts will start dripping off and collecting. use the brush to grab these areas and reapply to the tree. keep doing this until its mostly done dripping.

I did only coat for each of these trees and they have lasted extremely well for being in close proximity to kids during this time.