How to Make a Miniature Mountain

Use pictures of mountains as inspiration for your miniature mountain craft.

Making a miniature mountain makes for an entertaining rainy day craft or adds visual appeal to a school report or project. An edible mountain makes a creative centerpiece for a birthday party. Building a mountain, even a miniature mountain, may seem like a daunting task, but common household materials make it easy.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic cup
• Piece of cardboard
• Newspaper
• Masking tape
• Hot glue gun
• White glue
• Water
• Modeling clay
• 6 cups of rice cereal
• 10 oz. of marshmallows
• 3 tbsp. of butter
• Two 9-inch by 9-inch pans
• 2 egg whites
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. of lemon juice

Instructions

Paper Mache Mountain

1. Attach an upside down plastic cup to the middle of a piece of cardboard using masking tape or a hot glue gun.

2. Form loose balls from pieces of newspaper and tape them around the plastic cup, using masking tape, to form the basic shape of the mountain.

3. Mix ½ cup white glue with 1/2 cup water to create a paper mache paste. Tear multiple strips from newspaper to use with the paper mache.

4. Dip each strip in the glue mixture. Gently run your finger down each strip to remove excess glue, then place the strip on the mountain. Continue until the strips form two or three layers on the mountain.

5. Paint the mountain with poster paint or other craft paint once it has dried.

6. Shape rocks and trees from gray, brown and green modeling clay and hot glue them to the mountain.

Rice Cereal Treats Mountain

1. Make two 9-inch by 9-inch pans of rice cereal treats and cut each pan into nine equal-sized pieces. To make the treats, melt 10 oz. of marshmallows with 3 tbsp. of butter for three minutes in a microwave safe bowl. Stir in 6 cups of rice cereal and use a spatula to spread in the pans, then let cool before cutting.

2. Stack the rice cereal treats to make a basic mountain shape.

3. Spray a pair of gloves with non-stick cooking spray and put them on. The non-stick spray keeps them from sticking to the rice cereal treats.

4. Press the rice cereal treats stack to continue to form the mountain shape and help the treats stick together.

5. Mix two egg whites with 3 cups of powdered sugar and 2 tsp. of lemon juice to make a basic frosting. Add food coloring to make the frosting gray or brown.

6. Spread the frosting with a spatula to cover the mountain.

7. Add decorations such as rocks and trees with store-bought tubes of decorating icing or gel icing.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the mountain white or spread on white frosting to create a snow-covered mountain.

• Use chocolate rice cereal to make the rice cereal treats to make the mountain brown and skip Steps 5 and 6.

References

• Oracle Thinkquest: Create Your Own Volcano
• Kellog's Rice Krispies: The Original Treats Recipe
• Joy of Baking; Sugar Cookies; Stephanie Jaworski