What is the best (and easiest) way to create water in my miniature Christmas village?

Question

Each year I struggle with how to represent rivers, streams and even an ocean or bay in the Department 56 Dickens' Village display under my tree. I've gone without any water before, but it makes the bridges, lighthouse and lock keeper look rather odd and out of place...

Everything so far sounds great, but I'm looking for something quick and not-so-permanent because I disassemble my village after each Christmas, and when I re-assemble it the next year it's always slightly different.

I've tried the blue plastic wrap in the past, but I find the color isn't quit right... it's a bit too pastel.

Answer 1

Yours is a question that has been a long part of model railroading. My suggestion would be to go to your local model train store, or a hobby shop that focuses on model trains and/or dioramas. A company called Woodland Scenics makes two types of "water" for use in model railroad layouts. One is "Realistic Water" that you can pour straight from the bottle. The other is "E-Z Water" that is actually pellets that you heat in a saucepan and then pour.

Woodland Scenics website is http://www.woodlandscenics.com - click on "landscaping" and then "water".

http://www.aglasshalffull.org/article-model-water.html is a website that compares 10 different ways to model water, including the E-Z water mentioned above.

If you do go to the train store, you might also end up with a train set to run around your village.... :)

Answer 2

Gamma gave some interesting sites, but one of them has some things that are incorrect* and another is the products put out by one company. They may be fine for your though.

You may also want to look on this page at my site where various ways to create fake water are discussed:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/other_materials.htm
(...click on the category called MAKING FAUX WATER...)

That page also discusses the differences between the types of materials and resins that can be used, and some brand names for each... otherwise it can get kind of confusing as to which do what, and which are just different brands of the same thing, etc.)


HTH, and hope your village looks fantastic (and watery!),

Diane B.

*for example, a propane torch is *not* needed to clear the bubbles that often form in resins... they usually pop by themselves, but it's carbon dioxide that does the trick so just a lighted match or even your breath (through a straw) will work ... also Envirotex Lite is an "epoxy" resin and it's the one that needs to be poured only 1/8" at a time --not the "polyester" or "casting" resin he specifies, which can be poured more deeply


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Answer 3

Mirrors for lakes, blue plastic wrap for rivers.