These are the finished articles. I haven’t yet decided how I’ll base them, so I’ve just popped them on cocktail sticks for the photographs.
Start with a bundle of Coir. I’ve made my stooks around 3 cm long, on the basis that historic crops stood taller before we bred out the height to create the modern varieties. They might be a bit tall – no reason why you can’t trim them at the base. Tie the bundle 1 cm from the top using a length of Coir on which some PVA or wood glue has been smeared and draw it tightly – I then loop it round to tie again, but once would probably do.
Take a few offcuts of coir and glue a few long strands into the top. When dry, trim them back so that you’re left with a few longer strands protruding a few mm from the top. Splay the top and bottom as much as you can so that both ends are wider and the strands are slightly separated.
Dunk the top end into the Glue.
Use a cocktail stick or similar to spread the glue a few millimetres down the stems – don’t use too much.
Dunk the glued end into fine dry sand – I use playpit sand.
Finally paint using a watered down mix of white and yellow to the shade of your choice.
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