How to Build a Jurassic Diorama

Many Jurassic dinosaurs roamed terrain now known as the United States.

Jurassic dioramas are creative ways to express a modular vision of roaming dinosaurs. The ceratosaurus and stegosaurus, for example, were respective carnivorous and herbivorous reptilian creatures. A Jurassic diorama marks a small model of a world in which one might imagine the dinosaurs lived. Making use of images of fossils or academic texts that depict the physical world of the Jurassic period will help give your diorama authenticity. Combining several household supplies will give you the necessary materials to make your model strong, durable and aesthetically pleasing.

Things You'll Need

• 18-inch poster board
• Tin foil sheets (multiple)
• Masking tape
• Permanent epoxy
• 1-inch shipping box cardboard pointed plates (multiple)
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup flour
• Pot
• Medium size bowl
• 1-inch by 3-inch newspaper strips (multiple)
• 1-inch by 3-inch paper towel strips (multiple)
• Acrylic paint
• Synthetic fiber paint brush

Instructions

1. Place a piece of 18-inch poster board onto a work surface.

2. Construct your ceratosaurus and stegosaurus dinosaur models with tin foil sheets. Make your ceratosaurus dinosaur model 3 1/2 inches by 8 inches in dimension. Give your ceratosaurus short arms, thick legs, a long and large tail and pointed fangs. Make your stegosaurus dinosaur model 2 1/2 inches by 5 inches in dimension. Give your stegosaurus four short and thick legs, a small head and long tail.

3. Wrap each dinosaur model in masking tape. Bond two parallel rows of 1 inch shipping box cardboard pointed plates along the neck and back of the stegosaurus.

4. Form alternate tin foil sheets into four large rocks and three trees. Wrap each rock and tree in masking tape.

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

6. Soak a 1 inch by 3-inch newspaper strip into the mix. Press the strip into the top of the poster board. Continue until the entire board, both dinosaurs and all rocks and trees are covered in newspaper.

7. Soak a 1 inch by 3-inch paper towel strip into the mix. Press the strip into the top of the poster board. Continue until the entire board, both dinosaurs and all rocks and trees are covered in paper towel. Allow three hours for the poster board and all separate diorama pieces to dry.

8. Bond the dinosaurs, rocks and trees to the poster board with permanent epoxy. Coat the poster board floor with light brown acrylic paint using a synthetic fiber brush to emulate the dirt of the Earth. Coat the dinosaurs with green and brown acrylic paint. Coat all rocks and trees with paint. Allow two additional hours for the diorama to dry before handling or displaying.

References

• Prehistory: Dinosaur Timeline Gallery
• DLTK Kids: How to Paper Mache
• Storm the Castle: How to Make a Paper Mache Diorama