Building own hides!

Hey everyone
so for awhile now I've been wanting to try to build my own custom hides. I have watched many videos online but everyone say something different things!
If anyone has built there own do you mind sharing how and what you used?
Thanks Dale

I just cross pieces of driftwood to create some shady areas to hide in. I haven't made hides the way you're thinking of though. I think a lot of folks use a foam piece cut into the shape they want then coat it with mod podge and sanded grout.

Dale1024":1807ykpo said:

Hey everyone
so for awhile now I've been wanting to try to build my own custom hides. I have watched many videos online but everyone say something different things!
If anyone has built there own do you mind sharing how and what you used?
Thanks Dale

Click to expand...

I completed this basking area / hide a couple of weeks ago. The hardest thing I found was getting the Styrofoam cut right and square. First thing I do is measure and draw out a plan, cut the pieces and put it together with toothpicks . After you get it the size you want you can take it apart piece by piece and glue it, I use liquid nails and leave the toothpicks in it till it dries. After that you can glue Styrofoam rocks or whatever you want to do with it. A neat trick is to burn the edges with a candle and they look like real stones. then you can grout I like sanded grout because of the texture but you need to keep it stirred or the sand sinks to the bottom, I use at least 3 nice coats of grout or until you can squeeze the foam and it doesn't give easily.

Then you can paint. I go to Wal-Mart and buy the non toxic acrylic paint for like 78 cents a bottle but they are small bottles, its hard for me because I'm not very creative lol. I use a base coat then a thinner coat of base then another thin coat of whatever you want the final color to be after that you can add finishing touches putting depth to the rocks adding colors to create the look of moss I even use Spanish moss that they sell at hobby lobby .After your happy with the look Mod Podge , a couple of good coats and a coat or two of thinned out podge . Let that cure for at least three days and your gold


Edit: Remember when your cutting your polystyrene to cut about a 1/2 an inch short because the buildup of grout will add size and that will get you to the measurements you want to be at.

Things you will need.
An exacto knife and a good sharp butcher knife
A yard stick or a ruler for cutting and a tape measure for measurements
A couple of cheap paintbrushes for grout and some decent brushes for detail
A caulking gun for liquid nails.... Liquid nails
Polystyrene sheets. I found 2'x36" sheets at Lowes 7.95 for 5 sheets
Grout sanded or unsanded your decision
Acrylic non toxic paint
Mod Podge
A couple of cheap spray bottles for the base coats and the sealer (mod podge)
I like to use a sponge for the moss detail.

Sorry for the long winded answer I hope it helps

Thanks you for your input! it was very helpful and defiantly answered things i was questioning!