Wistful Wisteria

After seeing so many new wonderful blog posts, I thought I would get around to showing you my latest work. Ever since I saw a wonderful wisteria flower kit at Miniatura some years ago, I have wanted to have one climbing up the walls of one of my dolls houses. I didn't have the money to pay out for the kit, at approx £20.00 I felt I would rather have ago at making one from my own supplies and put the money to something I have my eye on in the forthcoming Autumn Miniatura. 

I have seen some diagrams of how to make wisteria and this is my interpretation of one. I'm not really knowledgeable about plants and I wasn't sure if wisteria is a tree or a vine, but looking on the Internet I think it can be both. My variety is more tree-like than vine-like.

I started off with cutting plastic coated wire, I bought a whole roll of it from the garden section in Wilkinsons for £1.00 and I cut about 6 long lengths and twisted them all together to make the trunk and when I got to the height I wanted I then used two of the wires each to make three branches. I then covered the trunk and branches with green floristry tape and painted it a brown tree colour.

I was really pleased with the result of the floristry tape over the twisted wire as it gave the tree a vine-like effect.

I then used some very fine green wire, bent in half and once covered in tacky glue I dipped them into a pot of pale lilac Flower Soft. I'm not sure if you can tell in the pictures above, but the first one is just pale lilac and the second picture it shows how I did a second coat of slightly darker purple Flower Soft. 

My washing lines of wisteria flowers, waiting to dry.

Please excuse the bit of blanket you can see to the right of my house, that is where my youngest cat Fluffy like to sleep during the day. 

I filled the plant pot with air drying clay and used dried tea leaves to simulate dirt on the top. It's a tip I found out from Kris Compas

http://1inchminisbykris.blogspot.co.uk/ and it is really effective.

I used my hot glue gun to attach the plant pot and branches to the front of my French house. I feel it looks a bit bare on the left-hand side so I may make some window boxes. 

I still have to fill the attic and I'm busy having fun making all sorts of different items for it. I will show you what I have done soon, I just need to finish off a few things first.

Until the next time

Take care 

Jayne x