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How to Do a Diorama of a Mountain Region With a Shoebox

Learning about individual environments, climates and terrains on Earth is important for understanding how to preserve natural resources. Dioramas have been popular learning tools over the years in classrooms, Sunday schools and summer camps. Assembling a diorama that depicts a mountain region helps to teach about the plant and animal life unique to this environment. Dioramas can be made simply with shoeboxes and found objects. Building a mini-habitat in a shoebox is a suitable activity for almost any age group.

Things You'll Need

Acrylic paints
Scissors
Magazine clippings
Craft glue
Modeling clay
Cotton balls

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the lid from a shoebox. Paint the outside of the box with acrylic paints. Allow the paint to dry.
- 2
  Turn the box on its side. Paint the bottom of the box brown to resemble the ground. Paint the sides of the box green to resemble foliage. Paint the back of the box in shades of blue. Let the paint dry completely.
- 3
  Cut out pictures of flowers, trees and foliage from magazines. Create a collage with the clippings by gluing them to the sides of the shoebox. Use markers to add detail.
- 4
  Break off a piece of brown modeling clay. Knead the clay to soften it. Shape the clay into different shaped mountains. Use the same process with green modeling clay to make trees.
- 5
  Set the clay mountains and trees on the floor of the diorama. Glue cotton balls to the mountaintops to resemble snow peaks. Glue cotton balls to the blue background to resemble clouds.
- 6
  Add miniature animals and people. Make them from clay or pipe cleaners if desired.

Nature