Make your own Gnome Tree House

🍄 GNOME TREE HOUSE 🍄

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Creative Paperclay® 

Cardboard Paper Towel Tube

Corrugated Cardboard

Toothpicks

Glue

Xacto knife

Thin Slices of Styrofoam

Block of Styrofoam for Base

Dowel or Straw for Chimney

Paint / Brush / Water

Always keep the area wet when you are adding Paperclay to dry Paperclay.

I sand off rough spots as I go. You can also sculpt with a wet paintbrush.

Cut cardboard tube about 5.5 inches tall. Flatten tube

and draw roofline, window and door. Cut out and make two

cardboard circles the diameter of inside of tube. My tube

is 1.5 inches. 

Glue cardboard circles inside tube for Tree House floors

and to add strength to the tube.

Cut styrofoam in strips as thin as you can get. Then glue

them vertically to tube. They can vary in width. Cut along 

roofline, window and door. This will create

the texture for tree bark.

 

Cover styrofoam with  Creative Paperclay to create bark.

Round off the top edge of 4 inch stryrofoam base.

Glue tree to 4 inch base. Create roots with styrofoam

and cover everything with Creative Paperclay 

Cut 2 pieces of cardboard 2.5 inches wide by

3 inches long. Add thin strip of cardboard to bottom

edge of roof. Glue pieces together. Fill in along 

corrugated cardboard edge with

Creative Paperclay. Cut door and shutters

to fit opening in tree.

Glue roof to tree. Add triangle of cardboard at the

front of roof peak. Add door and shutters. Add steps made with styrofoam

covered with Creative Paperclay and paint gray. Give everything 

a coat of brown paint, make base a bit lighter. Then

use dry brush technique to add color.

Sculpt Gnomes with Creative Paperclay. Paint

before attaching to tree house.

Create mushrooms. Make a half circle with Creative

Paperclay and push toothpick into bottom.

Paint mushrooms and chimney and glue. Add surface details you like.

GOOD LUCK with Your Project!

                      R. Michael Palan