How to Model a Lighthouse

Use a picture of a real lighthouse as inspiration.

Making a model lighthouse is a creative way to express your passion for the ocean. Lighthouses are shoreline guides for ships at sea. Models present creative challenges to artistically-inclined children as a way to expand their imagination. Employing a paper mache technique to your model will give your craft a rough, life-life exterior and surface suitable for absorbing acrylic paint. Display the model lighthouse on household mantles, bedside tables or as art project submissions.

Things You'll Need

• Empty cardboard paper towel roll
• 6-by-6-inch shipping box cardboard base
• Permanent epoxy
• 2-by-8-inch polyethylene plastic sheet
• 2-inch shipping box cardboard circle
• 4-inch shipping box cardboard circle
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brush
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup flour
• Pot
• Medium size bowl
• 1-by-4-inch newspaper strips (multiple)
• 1-by-4-inch paper towel strips (multiple)

Instructions

1. Bond the short end of a cardboard paper towel roll to the center of a 6-by-6-inch shipping box cardboard base with permanent epoxy.

2. Wrap a 2-by-8-inch polyethylene plastic sheet into a 2-by-4-inch cylinder. Bond the edges of the cylinder together with permanent epoxy. Fit and bond the short end of the cylinder into the top of the paper towel tube.

3. Bond a 2-inch shipping box cardboard circle in perpendicular fashion to the center of a 4-inch shipping box cardboard circle with permanent epoxy. Coat both sides of the 2-inch circle with yellow acrylic paint. The yellow circle acts as the lighthouse light.

4. Fit the 4-inch circle over the top of the open short end of the polyethylene cylinder so the light is inside the tube. Bond the 4-inch circle to the top rim of the polyethylene cylinder with permanent epoxy.

5. Boil 5 cups water and 1 cup flour into a pot for three minutes to create a paper mache mix. Allow the mix five minutes to cool. Pour the mix into a medium size bowl.

6. Soak a 1-by-4-inch newspaper strip into the mix. Press the strip into the body of the lighthouse. Continue until the entire base and lighthouse body -- minus the polyethylene plastic -- are covered in one layer of newspaper.

7. Soak a 1-by-4-inch paper towel strip into the mix. Press the strip into the body of the lighthouse. Continue until the entire base and lighthouse body -- minus the polyethylene plastic -- are covered in one layer of paper towel. Allow three hours for the model to dry.

8. Coat the base with a tan color acrylic paint to emulate beach sand. Coat the body and top of the lighthouse -- minus the polyethylene plastic -- with acrylic paint. Allow the model two hours to dry before handling or displaying.

References

• DLTK Kids: How to Paper Mache