Poor man's hills

[xupgrayddx]

Unfortunately, I am a college student, so the budget dosnt excatly allow for top notch terrain, or even styrene sheets at the moment (i know, it cheap, but hard to find here) so i concocted a method to try to make some good hills out of the cheapest possible materials.

1. Styrofoam (the kind everything is packed in)
2. Vinly spackle / wood filler for texture (what i had laying around)
3. paint (duh)
4. grass. i wish i had some finer flock, but again, not in the budget

The small one was the first one i did, i decided it didnt showcase enough texture, so i did the pathways on the larger one.

These are the finished product, i am very curious to see what you guys think. feedback and suggestions are welcome and encouraged!

[Stormlion1]

Looks good.  O0

[worktroll]

I prefer hexed 3D, but those look great, and I admire anyone who thinks outside the box (pun unintended!)

W.

[Ratboy]

Great job for terrain on a budget.

Go to your local D.I.Y. store or landscape supply and pick up a bag of play sand (around $2 US for 50 pounds). After applying the spackle, sprinkle sand generously over the whole hill. After the spackle is dry, shake off any excess sand, then paint and flock!

[General308]

I think they look good.  I would play on them without thinking twice.  I prefer unhexed terrain

[Thorsdad]

Very nice, but if we see hills build from the packing material from a 60" flat screen TV remember to say it came from your neighbor...otherwise it wouldn't be "budget" terrain.

[xupgrayddx]

hah, true. it was from a gift box of oranges....i think that counts

[Charlie Tango]

Something else for treating your Styrofoam:  Artist's Gesso.  You can get a big tub/bottle of the cheap economy stuff at art stores or craft/hobby stores and it works REALLY well for covering styrofoam.  It gives you a very paintable surface (will even take spray paint like the fleck-stone stuff) You can also mix cheap acrylic paint into the Gesso to give it some color.

[sir_spamalot]

Not bad at all for low budget... take advice from CT, he makes pretty sweet terrain too. :)

[Thorsdad]

A generous coat of any white glue does the same trick as gesso,  doesn't dry as quick but makes it even more on the cheap if you buy off brand white glue.

[Charlie Tango]

A generous coat of any white glue does the same trick as gesso,  doesn't dry as quick but makes it even more on the cheap if you buy off brand white glue.

My 32oz bottle of economy Gesso was $5.99 regular price at Hobby Lobby.  With a 40% single-item coupon that's well under $4.  Plus with the Gesso you can mix in Acrylic paint to tint it very easily; tinting the Gesso makes it where you can then paint over it once it's dry in one coat, instead of multiple coats to hide all the white spots...