Let's Craft: Princess Mononoke Forest Spirit Miniature
Hi there! Today, we're building a miniature based on the forest spirits, a.k.a. Kodama from Princess Mononoke.
This project has been in my ideas folder for literal years, and I always kind of flipped past it, because I thought it'd take too long and not turn out the way I wished. Well, recently things have been very tough for me, and Ghibli movies are a great source of comfort.
To extend this, I for lack of a better word „allowed“ myself to build this.
Yes, I had more important, scheduled projects on my list. Yes, I should have spent my time pushing the new additions to the channel. But there comes a point in life where you have to pursue what makes your heart feel good to make it heal at least a little bit and make it through hard times. This is what this project is.
I had a vague sketch for the box, but ultimately just went with what felt good. At some point I had put measurements into my sketch, but even before I started building I knew that I had to forget about those.
You see, the TXT miniature is around 35cm per side, which is massive and makes it all the harder to find anything to cover it with and protect it from dust and damage. So, this peoject would have to be smaller, a thing that becomes easier with every miniature I make. I'm a tiny bit proud of that.
Get it, tiny bit proud of miniatures … yeah.
Anyway, I encountered no major problems with this built, as planned :D
That's all I got for this week, I hope you enjoyed this video and I also hope to see you back on the channel for the next project. Until then, check out my Instagram (at)official_luna_rogers for updates, random stories and cat pics.
As always, there's a list of everything important down below this cut, and for the first time I'm proud to present some actual links. Yes, they're affiliate links, so you're supporting me by clicking them :D
I got links for the US and Germany (DE), so pls pick accordingly.
***
materials:
2mm grey board (US: https://amzn.to/3yXWsDm DE: https://amzn.to/35pkIkU)
4mm cardboard (from a shipping box, also optional if you have spare 2mm grey board)
masking tape / painter's tape
packing paper (you can substitute newspaper but will need a bit more of that and twist tighter)
cardboard clay (find out how to make this in a separate video on the channel!)
PVA glue (US: https://amzn.to/3iOcUB4 DE: https://amzn.to/3rfZD6D )
grass mat or loose grass (US: https://amzn.to/3hH08DH DE: https://amzn.to/3xIX4N0 )
mini plants and leaves (there's no sets, I got mine from the sale section of decor stores and cut them small)
green moss (US: https://amzn.to/2UggZ7t DE: https://amzn.to/3B0cjTP )
glow in the dark polymer clay (US: https://amzn.to/36AfSSr DE: https://amzn.to/3hC7SXv )
(one of those blocks gets you about 30 kodama)
bird sand (or substitute spackle, decorative sand or polymer clay)
tools:
craft knife
ruler and/or angled ruler
hot glue gun (US: https://amzn.to/2SxOsJH DE: https://amzn.to/3vspPLG)
tweezers
plastic tools to sculpt clay (US: https://amzn.to/36JJIUB DE: https://amzn.to/36EKQZG )
paint brushes
measurements:
grey board pieces:
2 pieces - 20 cm x 30 cm (base and back)
1 piece – 20 cm x 20 cm (left side piece)
Kodama / forest spirits: between 2 cm and 2,5 cm height, about 1 cm width each