Imperial Creative Engineering > Resources and References
Materials for Dioramas: Finding crates, parts and miscellaneous stuff...
Darth More:
On this topic we'd like to show you which materials we use for our projects and where to find them.
You can also see what I found on AliExpress by clicking here.
List of Contents:
Page 1:
-Fantastic Plants and Where to Find Them... - Reply #1
-- Which materials do I use? - Artificial Plants with examples - Re-post from my Diorama topic
- More plants: Endor & Felucia - Reply #5 & Reply #7
- NiubNiub's Universe: Frank Diorio shows you which plants he uses in his Diorama Workshop - Reply #10
- JDeck shares some candy barrels and why you want to check your local dollar stores, too! - Reply #14
--Resources for random parts & accessories such as crates, boxes, generators, antennas, machines etc.
Page 2:
- Lipstick containers make some nice lanterns or furniture, too! - Reply #19 (continued on Page 3, Reply #30)
- My long hunt for Candy Fizz' Trio Soda Cans in Germany - Reply #23
Page 3:
- Lipstick Containers arrive from China - Reply #30
- Don shares how he makes crates from bottle lids - Reply #33
- How to turn trash into custom gold - Reply #35
-- shampoo bottles can provide some nice furniture for your dios!
-- lighting up your Mos Eisley Cantina tables
- Surpise Dice - way too much plastic foil, but useful parts for 3 bucks! - Reply #40
Page 4:
- JDeck shares his new stenzil for making leaves & foilage for forest or swamp dioramas in seconds - Reply #46
- What you can find out in the woods to make cheap, but most realistic dioramas - Reply #50
- Dollar Store finds #2 & Backdrops for your action figures - Reply #52
- Painting figures with fibre-tip pens? - Reply #55
Page 5:
- Pigments by vallejo - Reply #62 & how I use them for my Utapau diormas - Reply #62
- How-to: A recipe for 1/18 scale Palm Trees - Reply #68
Page 6:
- Source for palm tree leaves and more miniature soda cans to use as barrels and to give your vehicles some cargo - Reply #75
- How perfectly those candy barrels actually fit onto the Imperial Combat Assault Tank! - Reply #83
Endor: Making rafts & boats for your Ewoks - Reply #85 & Reply #87
- DIY superstores, building supplies stores and why they're home for all creative maniacs out there - Reply #88
Page 7:
- Dollar Store report #3 - Reply#91
- 3D printed parts, crates and accessories by Legacy Arts - Reply #92
- JDeck discovers amazing aquaristic parts for your flooring, framework and fences - Reply #97
- JDeck finds scaled grating - Reply #102
Page 8:
- Uncle Milton's Xcavation Crates: Some great goods to load your Imperial Hovertanks with and why you should get them while supplies last! - Reply #106
- Uncle Milton: Cancelled Wave 2 for Xcavation Crates & Skeletons that never reached the market - Reply #116
Page 9:
- JDeck shows you why you'll probably buy Bubble Gum just for the packaging... - Reply #120
- JDeck paints Uncle Milton's Xcavation Crates - Reply #122
- JDeck loads his Imperial Combat Assault Tank with his painted & weathered crates - Reply #129
Page 10:
- Tamer got the orange spray-paint you're looking for to paint prime those crates on Reply #139
- Primer, brushes and sculpting clay: Here's what I found at FantasyWelt plus a general guide of acrylic paints and primers - Reply #145
Page 11:
- JDeck got even more inspiration by watching some Warhammer videos on YouTube - Reply #152
- JDeck show you why you don't want to throw away your empty spray bottles ever again and why your wife will probably hate you for that - Reply #156
Page 12:
- JDeck found some metal paint that will make your beskar armor and silver droids look so much better - Reply #165
- JDeck goes hunting for gold: Your golden droids will like that AK INTERACTIVE TRUE METAL GOLD! Reply #172
"These ARE the plants you're looking for!"
So let's talk about artificial plants! Why? Because I think it's worth it! You might have noticed that it can be quite hard to find suitable material like (artificial) plants for your dioramas. That's why I would like to talk about this here!
During my time as exchange student in Michigan my host mother took me to Hobby Lobby a couple times. I can only remember this store as source of artificial plants. Most of them were not suitable for model building though, but more for decoration purposes. The second disadvantage was that Hobby Lobby or similar craft stores are not located in every city in the U.S. - for all of you living in the U.S. you might have better sources for model building supplies (like dollar stores maybe?).
Just let me know in the comments!
I also went to a model train store that didn't have much and was quite expesnive. Here in Germany it is pretty much the same thing:
Craft stores and model building stores have become pretty rare. But if you find one here it's likely that you also find some good stuff for your projects!
I've been "collecting" artificial plants for almost a decade by now and gained some experience on this topic. I would like to share my latest experience with you guys so that all of you can profit from it regardless where you live!
In November 2016 I found a good source for artificial plants online!
There are many stores on eBay that actually sell artificial plants in all scales! After ordering some items from two of these stores I can almost say for sure that they all belong to one and the same seller or company! The two stores I made experiece with are sfcdirect and schmuckshop88 (which is focused only on the German/European market). So in any case I recommend to you to go with sfcdirect because they send worldwide and are cheapest.
All in all I am pretty contented with the plants I got from them. Here is why:
Advantages:
- you can get many for cheap
- most of them are shipped for free or just a low shipping cost (BUT: They do not combine shipping!)
Disadvantages:
- the items are sent from China and take about 3 weeks to Germany (and probably to the USA, too)
- as already mentioned above they do not combine shipping costs
- the communication with one of their several assistants of their customer service is a little difficult sometimes...
- they smell! I highly recommend you to wash them when you receive them!
- Most importantly: Colors vary! The plants sometimes come in a different color than shown on the pictures. You might have to repaint them. Which leads to my last disadvantage:
- Artificial plants (most of them in general) are pretty shiny/glossy. You might have to paint them in a matt color or just a clear varnish
My advice: Compare prices! I got the feeling they try to deceive the customer by selling the same item for different prices. Sort all items on eBay with the tool "show lowest price + shipping first"!!
Here is the link to the Chinese seller on eBay! Just type in "model tree" or "model diorama":
sfcdirect:
http://stores.ebay.com/SfcDirect/_i.html?_dmd=2&_nkw=model+scenery&_sop=2&rt=nc
uptogethertek:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=diorama&epid=16007290133&_ssn=uptogethertek&hash=item2370f2e6a4%3Ag%3ALTcAAOSwubFaceAV&item=152218822308&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0.A0.H1.Xmodel+scenery.TRS0&_nkw=model+scenery&_sacat=0
Intentionally I do not post the direct links to their auctions/offers because they all end after 30 days. Just check out their eBay store.
I know they have a lot of crazy stuff and over 66.000 items, but if you just look for the target words mentioned above you will soon find what you are looking for!
So these are the first three items I got from schmuckshop88: By now sfcdirect sells all items sold by schmuckshop88. Seems they have reacted to my orders...It's not my intention to advertise for them here, but it's a source all of us can profit from!
I put all the plants in plastic bags and labeled each one of them with source, price and where I got them. I will post another topic about this later on...
I would have never expected to even find bamboo in this scale! I was very surprised when I found this and at this point I was sure I just had to share this with you! That's why I post the bamboo first here...so as you can see the tallest one is about 5.25"/14cm high, while the smallest one measures about 3"/8cm. You can buy a mixed set of 100 for about 8,59€/~$8.93.
I also really like these plants because you can use them for many environments like Endor or Kashyyyk. You can get 50 for $4.69+$0.52* - so about $0.10* per piece.
These palm trees are sold as "Cyad trees". The color varies a little bit from the description. You can get 10 for 3,49€/~$3.63* + free shipping! So $0.36* per piece. There are other offers, too. The cheapest I could find is 50 of them for 10,75€/~$11.18* ($0.22* per piece). If you need so many of them visit gudongtoy:
http://www.ebay.de/sch/gudongtoy/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
They are about 2"/4,5cm tall. Keep in mind that these measures include the tip of the plants.
As mentioned above I highly recommend to you to wash them with water and soap before using them for your dioramas! They ship from Shenzhen, Guangdong or Hongkong where the air pollution is really bad. When I took the plants off the bowl I could even see particles of fine dust in the water which had turned grey .
You can get different kinds of these "carpets" to use them seperately or to fill big areas on your diorama! They are arranged in 9x9 so you get 81 pieces for $4.99+$0.52 for shipping - so about $0.07 per piece. Again, please compare prices carefully before purchasing them!
They start from $2.74:
http://stores.ebay.de/SfcDirect/_i.html?_dmd=2&_nkw=81pc&_sop=2&rt=nc
Here is a selection of three types I bought. I will use them for Endor and Kashyyyk dioramas.
You can get a mixed set of 100 of this kind for $9.20+free shipping! You can also order a bag of 100 pieces in one color, which is cheaper. Since I don't need a hundred of one color I paid a little more to have 20 of each. I will use them for dioramas of Felucia, Kashyyyk and Ryloth.
They are actually smaller than I expected, thanks to the long tip! They measurure about:
1.25"/3,5cm - or: 0.75"/2,5cm without the tip. Just wanted to let you know. I don't think this is a diadvantage. The actal plant is just smaller than told in the description.
Here are two kinds of plants I would like to tell you more about:
The one on the left is sold as "Lotus leaf". 50 of them are sold as cheap as $3.89+$0.52 for shipping. BUT: They are actually much lighter than pictured on eBay. I wanted to use them for an upcoming Endor diorama inspired by the new Star Wars Battlefront videogame...so will have to paint them darker. I think they look like the leafes of a water lily, too.
The one on the right looks like a bunch of leafes from a banana palm tree. They measure about 1.25"/3,5cm. They're sold as "50 Traveller's model tree" for $4.74+$0.52 for shipping.
These plants look also very obscure and therefore interesting and perfect for recreating the fascinating worlds of George Lucas' Star Wars!
This one sells as "50 Model Heart Leaf" for $4.49+$0.52 International Shipping - so $0.10 a piece.
These here are alomost my favorite ones for Endor. They sell in two sizes (see picutre's center and right). They sell as "50pcs-Model-Grasses-Train-Railway-Wargame-Scenery-Landscape-HO-Scale-4-5cm" for $4.61+$0.52 for Worldwide Shipping.
How to turn Palm Tress into Fern...
What I also found on sfcdirect are Palm Trees in many different scales. Here is a selection of them:
"20pcs Coconut Palm Tree Scale 1/150" sell for $3.99+free shipping. Height: ~3"/10cm
"20pcs Coconut Palm Tree" sell for $2.77(offer)+$1.25 for Worldwide shipping. Height: ~4.5"/12cm
"14 Multi Scale Model Coconut Palm Tree" sell as cheap as $4.35+$0.52 for Worldwide shipping. Height: from ~2"/3,5cm to ~7"/18cm
Of course you can use them as they are for your environments. What about a diorama of Scarif along with an AT-ACT model kit from Revell?
Check out this one built and excellently weathered by FialaFernbrugg:
http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1625.210
So when I told Christoph about these palm trees and how much I was looking for fern in 3 3/4" scale he came up with the idea of using just the biggest ones by taking them apart.
And I have to admit I am really contended with the result:
By the way this is also a hint at an upcoming project...stay tuned for some action on Endor!
So these are just a few examples of artificial plants you can all buy at the moment on eBay from sfcdirect.
The nice thing about STAR WARS and its diversity of worlds is that you can just use your full imagination! You can utilize all the artificial plants for your dioramas in several scales and to recreate the fantastic environments of STAR WARS! Some are more, some are less useful. It's up to you and what you would like to create in which scale! I think the secret to make your diorama look authentic and natural is to use many different plants. There is a structure but no regular order. Just mix them all together!
I hope I could help and give you some inspiration for upcoming or already existing projects. I wish you a lot of fun and joy for our beloved hobby!
Best regards from Germany!
- Philipp
* All prices are in the current EUR/USD exchange rate (1€=$1.04). Prices and currencies vary. They should just give you an idea of prices in general. Some items may be cheaper or more expensive in your countries. By the way you should come and visit Europe! The Euro is still quite cheap!
Here are some examples of plants from local craft stores:
This one was quite expensive (7,99€/~$8.30*). I found this at a German chain for gifts and decoration supplies called "Nanu-Nana". I took it apart and already used some parts on my "Swamp Speeder Display" - seen on Page 1.
You often find mixed bags. Here is an example of a bunch I got for 3,95€/~$4.11* at my city's biggest decoration store! These bunches contain 60 pieces which makes 7 cents per piece. And they got a MASSIVE selection of diffeterent plants. I check them every few weeks for new/seasonal stuff.
I collected these plants and sorted them after planet/theme. These are meant to be used on Endor dioramas.
I found this one for about $2 in a home good & decoration store:
Aquarium plants: Can be found cheap on eBay, too!
Another source is...IKEA! They also sell artificial plants mostly for decoration purposes of course. This one costs 4,99€/~$5.20*(Germany). This is also quite much for a single piece, but it might pay off if you need trees in scale 1/18 on your dioramas...
* All prices are in the current EUR/USD exchange rate (1€=$1.04). Prices and currencies vary. They should just give you an idea of prices in general. Some items may be cheaper or more expensive in your countries. By the way you should come and visit Europe! The Euro is still quite cheap!
And of course all plants and diorama pieces of proffesional companies for model building like Games Workshop, Army Painter, BUSCH, Noch etc.
And here are some examples of what I made with them so far:
Kashyyyk:
Endor:
You can check out my dioramas by following the hyperlink below:
http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10155.0
Best regards from Germany!
- Philipp
JDeck:
Awesome Guide! I like the Palm tree fern conversion. I may have to do that with my Endor dio when I redo it. Speaking of which, what would you recommend for conifer branches in 1/18 scale? The preserved sea grass i used i think is too small and delicate for that scale. I thought of using artificial cedar garland, but i haven't really tried it.
(Edit) I see you will be using the aquarium plants for conifer branches. That looks like it would work great.
Jaeger45:
The ferns in particular are a great idea! If I haven't mentioned it already, I love your picture frame dioramas.
Tamer:
I remember seeing this before. Great stuff.
talonreap:
What an amazing resource, Philipp! Thanks so much for putting this all together!
I'll definitely take advantage of some of those ebay sellers when I find time to work on some Scarif/Endor/Kashyyyk set ups.
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