Anyone ever build a palm tree? My latest project is building 4 coconut palms for this year's Vacation Bible School, in July. They will go in front of 3 large glass block windows, which will need beach ocean and sky. The theme this year is "Shipwrecked" - rescue from a desert island. I picked up a dozen coconut drinking cups at the dollar tree. Today I bought some 4" & 3" perforated drain pipe, and some quick dry cement. I had a couple small plastic planters in the shape of a barrel & leprechaun treasure pot, that I will use for the base. I will use two plastic posts from a kid's badminton set and two wooden sign posts that I made, to support the base & tree. Maybe top the containers with real coconuts? I hope I don't get stuck, on this Desert Island Project!
Sounds like a fun project. Good luck, Joe. You will get good at it by the time you get to the 4th one.
Hey Joe - Keith Richards got hit by a falling coconut, he survived and is still going strong ! Second thought - maybe wear a hard hat - just in case
@Joe Riley The party stores always have a super Hawaiian/Beach aisle that you can find cheap fold out paper deals. Really like what you are doing!!
I am not always up to doing show & tell, and @Nancy Hart has set the bar in that area. But I will try to explain my plans, and add a few pictures. This picture shows the room and three windows, taken from a previous, Western themed VBS "Son West" & the town of Dirt Clod. I also made a chuck wagon and was Cookie. The windows are 8" glass block with a sill. These show cacti and the Sun, using only 8" squares of colored paper. I plan to have the trees on the floor, with the tops anchored by wire to the ceiling tile frame at the wall. I will cut the 10 ft pieces of 4" perforated drain pipe into 2 pieces (2- 5', and a 4' & 6' piece). this will allow for trees of different heights. The containers will have an opening in the bottom to match the size of the post. They will slide over the post and be attached to the base. The 4" piece of pipe will slide over the post, into the bottom of the container, and cement will be added to give it more weight. The 3" piece of plastic pipe will go into the upper end of the 4" pipe, and is 3' long, but compressed, and able to expand to 8'. I will only use as much as needed to be close to ceiling. Leaves of two colors will cover top and "coconuts" will be wired together and hanging below leaves. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Woke up this morning with a few ideas. Using Pool Noodles to support the tree trunk from the inside. I also have to go and measure the floor to ceiling height and decide if I want to use the floor or window sill to place the trees. I might consider using gravel to weight the containers instead of cement. It would make it easier to assemble and disassemble, and less permanent. I have found that I enjoy these VBS projects and that they take on a life of their own. It is always worth the effort!