My First Dark Ages Terrain: Anglo-Saxon Tent

Since within a few weeks I should have enough Saga minis to start hitting my gaming table, I thought I'd better get cracking on some Dark Ages terrain.  I've got plenty of walls, hedges, trees, etc...but I will need some distinctively Medieval structures to compliment them!  After browsing the net and noticing the very well done Renedra Anglo-Saxon tent sets...I decided to make my own.  Don't get me wrong, the Renedra set is priced right and well-modeled, but right now I'd rather spend my hobby money on more figures for my warbands. 

For my first attempt I am pretty happy with the result.  Furthermore, the price was right: free!  Well, admittedly I had the materials laying around but even if you had to purchase them the cost would be minimal(and odds are, you already have the needed items on hand).

The basic supplies I used to construct the tent were heavy cardboard(matting board) and bamboo skewers for the structure.   I used skewers for the poles at the ends of the tent, along the top and along the flanks(where they were glued to the card to disguise the smooth structure of the card).  For the tent fabric I used "Viva" Paper Towel which I cut into srips and glued to the structure using Mod Podge(a craft sealer...essentially it is watered down P.V.A./White Glue).  I then brushed the whole tent with a thick coat of Mod Podge for three reasons:
1.to harden the shell so it wouldn't tear or break during use
2.to help the "canvas" of the paper towel form to the stucture
3.to create a surface that would take the paint better
I applied dirt texture(sand/kitty litter) to the base which I painted and flocked. 

The whole project took me about 20-25 minutes to build and around an equal time to paint.  So for under an hour, and at no cost, I have a nice looking Saxon tent for my Saga battlefield.  You could easily use the same technique to make tents of various sizes and for other settings(both historical and fantasy).  In fact, I may make some for my Warmachine battles down the line as well!

If anyone would be interested in a more thorough walkthrough with "work in progress" photos, just say so in the comments section and I will gladly be sure to put a post together next time I make a tent(which should be soon).

Thanks for viewing,
~Gareson