While commercial snow-covered trees are easy to come by during the holiday season, here’s an option for you to make your own.
I was able to make a lot of snowy trees for our Polar Express layout quickly by using the method shown here. You need just three things: cheap hairspray, a bag or two of green pine trees in different sizes, and a shaker bottle of Woodland Scenics No. SN140 Soft Flake Snow. You probably already have the tools you need for this project, including a pair of self-closing tweezers, protective gloves, and a garbage can.
As shown in the photographs, this is a straightforward three-step process. First, place a tree in the tweezers, then coat all sides of it with hairspray over a garbage can. (You’ll be using a lot of hairspray, so you may want to do this outdoors.)
Second, while the hairspray is still wet, sprinkle the Soft Flake Snow over the top of the tree. You’ll probably want to do this over a garbage can as well.
Finally, set the tree aside to let it dry for a bit and then plant it into the layout. Since we built much of the scenery using foam, it was easy to insert the wire tree trunks into the layout.
An inexpensive can of hairspray, a bottle of Woodland Scenics No. SN140 Soft Flake Snow, and some model pine trees are all you need.
See the track plan for our Polar Express layout.
Watch a video of the project.
Read a product review of Lionel’s Polar Express train set.
