For years, my approach to painting and terrain building was driven by one simple goal: finish it.
Base coat. Wash. Drybrush. Done.
It wasn’t because I didn’t appreciate beautifully painted miniatures or carefully crafted scenery. It was because there was always another project waiting, another deadline, another kit to design or video to make. Spending extra time on something often felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford.
Coming back to the hobby now has been very different.
Rediscovering an Old Favourite
Like many tabletop gamers, I’d accumulated a healthy collection of Aldi Christmas trees over the years. Every Christmas they appear in stores, hobbyists buy them by the trolley load, and before long they’re appearing in forests across countless gaming tables.
They’re far from perfect straight out of the box, though.
The trunks are almost non-existent, the bases aren’t particularly useful, and they definitely benefit from a little extra work. Fortunately, they’re also inexpensive enough that you don’t mind experimenting.
I started by trimming away the lower branches before adding some texture to the trunks. My first attempt involved hot glue—a trick I’ve used before—but it quickly became obvious there was a better approach.
Sometimes the Better Option Is the Slower One
I found a tiny leftover tube of Knead-It epoxy putty tucked away in my painting supplies and began sculpting thicker trunks and roots.
It worked well.
Perhaps a little too well.
The putty cured quickly and produced solid trunks, but it also reminded me why I’d stopped using it for larger projects. It smelled terrible, had a short working time, and encouraged me to rush before it hardened.
Instead, I reached for some simple air-dry clay.
Technically, it was the slower option.
In reality, it made the whole process far more enjoyable.
There’s No Prize for Finishing First
With the air-dry clay wrapped around each trunk, I could simply sit back, roll little roots, blend them into the base, add more clay where it was needed and gradually build each tree.
There was no pressure.
No timer.
No race against curing epoxy.
Just a handful of trees, an evening free, and a couple of episodes of Hornblower playing in the background.
It reminded me that not every hobby session needs to produce a finished model.
Sometimes the enjoyment comes from simply making progress.
Better Results Through Patience
The same lesson carried over into painting.
I’d recently spent more time than usual painting a handful of Wild West miniatures, taking the time to layer highlights instead of rushing to the finish line. The difference in the final result was obvious.
So why wouldn’t I approach terrain the same way?
Rather than trying to finish every tree in one sitting, I let the clay dry naturally. I could flock the foliage while the trunks cured, paint them the following day, and enjoy each step instead of trying to force everything into a single evening.
Oddly enough, slowing down actually made me more productive.
A Forest Begins One Tree at a Time
There’s still plenty to build for the Wild West table.
Hills.
Animal pens.
Rocky outcrops.
Fences.
All the little details that bring a tabletop world to life.
But instead of looking at everything that still needs doing, I’m finding myself enjoying each individual piece.
One tree.
One root.
One evening in the workshop.
It’s a much nicer way to build a world.