easy-care bonsai

April 11, 2007 @ 8:41 am · Filed under General

And now for something completely different…

Inspired by a segment on artificial bonsai on the TV show How It’s Made that I saw on Discovery channel last week, and Mumblepeg’s lovely crocheted sakura (the “Best Wildcard” winner in the Softie Awards), I was inspired to create my own bonsai sakura (that’s a cherry blossom tree, in case you were wondering).

Click picture for full-size version

I’m not going to show you a full tutorial, but here’s a brief rundown of my methods, in case you feel inspired to try something similar.

The moss and soil is made from foam, cut to shape and painted with green and brown acrylic paints. The branches are formed from 18 and 22 gauge wire, fleshed out with strips of paper towel and then wrapped in brown floral tape.

artificial bonsai branch (wire, paper, floral tape)

The flowers are hand-sculpted from FIMO Soft polymer clay. I poked a length of fine bead wire through the back of each flower before baking, and then used the ends of these wires to attach the flowers to the branches. I used more floral tape to cover the exposed wires.

back of FIMO flower with wires

I planted my sakura in the bonsai pot that had once housed my attempt at a real bonsai: I tended, wired and pruned the little sapling for a couple of years, but it eventually withered and went to bonsai heaven. I’ve kept the pot for five years, waiting for the courage to try growing another bonsai.

I’m hopeful that, with favourable lighting conditions, this sakura will be so happy and content that it will bloom year-round…

FIMO polymer clay sakura flowers

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12 Comments »

andreea said

December 20, 2011 @ 7:56 am

Very nice:) i would like to see how you made that white flower:)

ariel said

November 2, 2011 @ 6:32 pm

yo tengo un sacura mas realista si quieres exibirlo en tu blog, es de plastilina y es un sakura

sony said

May 20, 2009 @ 11:17 pm

thanks for article.. thats good.

peggy said

February 25, 2009 @ 2:39 pm

i want to find or where can I get or to find how to make artifical Bonsai with instruction? i look on internet nothing much there not enough 🙁 help me thanks
peggy

Bonsai Tree Guide said

September 1, 2008 @ 12:13 am

I have had some people ask about some similar ideas and I like this one it seems to be very strait forward and you provide great pictures to help me with the understating. I will attempt to construct one in the following weeks and I let you know how it works out. Thanks again for the details; I will defiantly refer some of my friend to this post.

June said

July 7, 2008 @ 10:25 am

I think Else’s comment may be misleading some of you! The “detailed explanation” is just what appeared in the above post – there are no additional directions! The rest is up to your own creativity 🙂

BARB said

July 6, 2008 @ 1:57 pm

HI, PLEASE EMAIL ME THE INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO MAKE AS ARTIFICIAL BONSAI TREE. MY HUSBAND IS DISABLED AND WANTS TO TRY TO MAKE ONE OF THESE TREES. HE HAS BEEN WORKING ON WIRE TREES BUT THINKS THIS TREE WOULD BE NICER TO MAKE. THANKS, BARB

JON OBERHOLTZER said

April 19, 2008 @ 2:43 pm

HI,
I’M LOOKING FOR FAKE PINE TREE LIMBS TO MAKE A FAKE BONSAI
THAT I SEEN ON HOW ITS MADE, I’VE HAD NO LUCK ON THE INTERNET
AT ALL, DO YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN LOOK AT.

THANK YOU

JON OBERHOLTZER

Robert Ford said

April 8, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

Please send me the detailed instructions for making this artificial bonsai tree.

Thanks
Robert

Else T. said

August 29, 2007 @ 9:21 am

This is brilliant. I’ll have to try this! Thanks for the detailed explanation and photos!

Betty Jose-Brannam said

August 19, 2007 @ 3:02 am

Thank you very much this is very help to me I really appreciate this. I have been looking for help to make these of course the easy way and this is it. Again thank you.