Cheap and Easy Streams and Ponds

[Melnibonean]

I made some streams using vinyl floor tiles and brown coloured caulk. They came out looking pretty nice and I now have about 12' or streams that can be added to my existing vinyl tile rivers. These are really quick and easy to make and they look pretty nice.

There's more detailed info on my blog at: http://this28mmlife.blogspot.com/2021/06/row-row-row-your-boat.html

[Daeothar]

They do look good!

Most people make the mistake of tinting their rivers and streams the brightest azure blue, which I always find very unconvincing. In fact, aside from some ocean scenic views when on vacation, I've never seen surface water coloured (brightly) blue. And that one time the water was white, at a Turkish thermal bath site does not count

Your brown streams however, look spot on! Yes, I know how that sounds in a single scentence, but still; great work

[CookAndrewB]

Those look very nice! Now I know what to do with those leftover tiles I have in the basement! Hello, weekend project!!!

[snitcythedog]

Effective. 

[Bloggard]

they've come out a treat.

[Melnibonean]

Thanks for the positive comments folks.

Most people make the mistake of tinting their rivers and streams the brightest azure blue, which I always find very unconvincing. In fact, aside from some ocean scenic views when on vacation, I've never seen surface water coloured (brightly) blue. And that one time the water was white, at a Turkish thermal bath site does not count

Your brown streams however, look spot on! Yes, I know how that sounds in a single scentence, but still; great work

Also, the more glossy the surface the better it reflects other colours and light in the room.

[Smokeyrone]

Great work!

Vinyl flooring is the best basing material.

I get it for 80 cents for a 12x12, 2 bucks for 8x36

[syrinx0]

They look good.

[BZ]

Great idea, the built-in surface effect is an enormous time saver! From now on, I will look out for such vinyl tiles.

[SteveBurt]

I made streams years ago using a suggestion in the original Fire & Fury rulebook. Thin sheets of acrylic (thin enough to cut with scissors), cut with rounded ends, then painted on the underside with greens & browns. You overlap these to make streams; very simple and easy to do and looks good on the table.

[SotF]

I made streams years ago using a suggestion in the original Fire & Fury rulebook. Thin sheets of acrylic (thin enough to cut with scissors), cut with rounded ends, then painted on the underside with greens & browns. You overlap these to make streams; very simple and easy to do and looks good on the table.

A better option for that kind of thing is to look for the overhead projector transparency sheets/film/paper. Get the clear ones, because they work quite well and you can run them through a color printer rather than using paint. Just grab a heavy duty folder to store the pieces in and keep them from getting messed up between uses...and they work rather well up slopes and conforming to terrain.

[pistolpete]

A better option for that kind of thing is to look for the overhead projector transparency sheets/film/paper. Get the clear ones, because they work quite well and you can run them through a color printer rather than using paint. Just grab a heavy duty folder to store the pieces in and keep them from getting messed up between uses...and they work rather well up slopes and conforming to terrain.

Is overhead transparency even a thing these days?

[SotF]

Is overhead transparency even a thing these days?

Yeah, overhead projectors are still a thing.

A lot of it depends upon the specifics of the situation...schools tend to be the largest users now, mainly for classes that don't want to deal with the higher tech side of things. Or older buildings where there still isn't much internet/connection options. A couple buildings where I work tend to use them for meetings because they don't want to deal with the mess of getting wifi put in for several sections where you can't get signals through the walls