To Make Scale Miniature Cattails or Bullrushes You Will Need:
- Paper Covered Wire - in a gauge suitable for the scale you are modeling. For dolls house scale #26 to #24 wire is fine, for model railroads #28, #30 or finer is preferable. Paper covered wire is easier to use, but you can use painted wire if paper wire is unavailable.
- Lightweight Paper - for leaves. You want a paper that will curl on its own, marker paper, tracing paper or airmail weight. If you prefer, you can create leaves by using natural or green dyed raffia strands, or a suitably colored paper wrapping tape.
- Paint - for stems and leaves. If you use craft paints, the most common color for leaves and stems (which usually matches paper covered wire) is Hauser Medium Green. For this project you may need a brown suitable for cattails as well as a medium green and a yellow green, depending on which season you want to represent.
- PVA Glue white glue - to form the base for the cattail you will need a fairly thick form of glue (let a thinner one set for a while before you use it if you only have one type)
- Sharp Fine Pointed Scissors
- Stiff Bristled Paint Brush - to create texture on the leaves when you apply paint
Material for the Cattails - Bullrushes or Cattails can be made from a variety of materials.
- Commercial Flocking - The photo on the preceeding page shows cattails made using commercial flocking available from scrapbook or model shops. Stampendous make Fun Flock in a wide range of blendable colors.
- Dry florists arranging foam - crushed to a fine powder and then painted when dry
- Homemade flocking - made by trimming a brown piece of velour or velvet ribbon or fabric, or by shaving fiber from a colored pipe cleaner.
- Fine sand - painted.
