Miniature modell for TrillionTrees

As XTool-makers, we often work with materials that come from nature: wood, plywood, paper, cardboard, cork, leather, and many more. Especially in small and big woodworking projects, like laser cutting or real house building, nature gives us the resources that make our projects possible.

That is why I wanted this miniature model to be more than just a nice object. If we use nature’s resources for making, we should also find ways to give something back.

I chose TrillionTrees because the forests provide habitats, store carbon, protect ecosystems, and give us many of the materials we love to work with. Supporting forest protection and restoration felt like the perfect match for this project.

This is my entry for the 1% Maker Challenge. My goal is to show that even a small maker project can create real impact.

I will also share this project on Instagram. For every like on that post, I will donate 1 Euro to TrillionTrees. The QR code leads to this page:

Grow a tree, restore a forest - Trillion Trees

You can find the Instagram post here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZyHWsjicHr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I would love to challenge everyone who recreates this project in their own town, village, school, workshop, makerspace, or community to do something similar:

Build it. Share it. Inspire others. Give something back.

A single project may seem small. A single like may seem small. A single tree may seem small.
But many small actions can grow into something much bigger!

Let’s make it matter — and let’s help something grow.

The idea was to design a miniature landscape that is easy to laser cut, simple to adapt, and suitable for public places where many people can see it.

This project is meant to work especially well in buildings such as town halls, schools, libraries, community centers, churches, museums, makerspaces, or other public spaces. The more people see the model, the more people can learn about TrillionTrees, scan the link, share the idea, and support the donation challenge.

I created the CAD design in SketchUp, as I do in some of my other projects. First, I built the model in 3D to check the proportions, material thickness, and connections.

The design should be:

• easy to cut,
• stable after assembly,
• clearly recognizable as a miniature model,
• suitable for public display,
• connected to trees and nature,
• adaptable in size,
• and simple enough for others to rebuild.

Before assembly, I coloured the trees and the river.

For these parts I used spray paint. This is fast, even, and works well for many small parts. Use several thin coats instead of one thick coat, so details and connection points stay clean.

For the river just paint the bottom part according to the attached picture.

Let all painted parts dry completely before assembly.

Now the model can be assembled step by step.

Some parts are very small, so tweezers can be helpful for placing details, aligning parts, and inserting delicate elements.

I created a short GIF for each assembly step, so you can see how everything comes together.

Step 6.1: Assembly of the Small House

First, I assembled the small house. Start with the walls and then add the roof. Check the alignment before pressing or gluing everything in place.

Step 6.2: Assembly of the Bridge

Next, I assembled the bridge. It connects the landscape visually and frames the river area.

Make sure it sits straight and all parts line up before fixing it permanently.

Step 6.3: Assembly of the Excavator

Then I assembled the Excavator. This part has several small details, so tweezers are especially useful here.

Step 6.4: Assembly of the Big House

The big house works similarly, but has more parts.

Start with the main structure, then add the roof and details. Check that the house stands straight and the edges are clean.

Step 6.5: Final Assembly 1 — Layering the Landscape

For the first final assembly step, I placed the landscape layers on top of each other without fixing them yet.

This helps check the full composition before gluing and makes it easier to see where the houses, trees, bridge, excavator, and other elements will later be placed.

Step 6.6: Final Assembly 2 — Placing the Houses, Trees and Details

Once I was happy with the layered base and glued it together, I started placing the individual elements: the houses, trees, bridge, and excavator.

For the houses, I included an image that shows where the small and medium houses can be placed. The parts are marked as follows:

• A = small house — used 3 times
• B = medium house / normal house — used 2 times
• C = barn

The small houses marked with A have fixed suggested positions. The medium houses B and the barn C can be placed more freely, depending on the look you prefer.

After that, I added the bridge, the excavator, and the trees step by step. Tweezers can be very helpful here, especially for placing the smaller trees and fine details accurately.