How to Build a Dinosaur Diorama for Teens

Show off these mighty creatures in a realistic-looking setting.

Make a realistic looking dinosaur diorama for a school project or even just for fun. Younger children often make dioramas from simple, two-dimensional objects, but teens can draw on more creativity, knowledge and dexterity to incorporate authentic-looking objects into the diorama and bring a piece of the prehistoric era into the present. Incorporate some common items from around the home for an inexpensive activity and then make your scene fiercer with some formidable Mesozoic creatures.

Things You'll Need

• Balloon
• Newspaper
• Masking tape
• 5 cups flour
• 4 tablespoons salt
• Straight pin
• Large, sharp knife
• Brown paint
• 3 paintbrushes
• Large cardboard box (at least 20 inches square)
• Blue paint
• Green paint
• Synthetic grass
• Clear glue
• Blue modeling clay
• Old Christmas tree
• Large toy dinosaurs

Instructions

Paper Mache Mountains

1. Inflate a balloon until it reaches about 10 inches in height. Scrunch up some newspaper and tape it around the bottom of the balloon. This makes the base shape for the mountain.

2. Mix together a half cup of flour with 2 1/2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Boil the mixture together for three minutes and then remove the mixture from the heat. Let the mixture cool for at least 20 minutes.

3. Tear some of the remaining newspaper into 1-inch wide strips. Dip each strip into the mixture and smooth it over the balloon and newspaper base. Cover the entire structure and then add another two layers of the newspaper strips. Let the structure dry for at least 12 hours.

4. Make another flour, salt and water mixture. Tear up more newspaper strips and coat the structure with another two layers. This time, bunch some of the strips together to make a more rugged terrain. Let the mountain dry for 24 hours.

5. Pop the balloon with a pin and pull the balloon and scrunched newspaper out of the mountain. Hold the mountain firmly and use a large, sharp knife to cut the mountain down the center.

6. Lay each half of the mountain on sheets of newspaper. Paint each half brown and let the paint dry.

The Diorama Box

1. Cut off the top flaps from the large cardboard box. Use a box at least 20 inches square so you have plenty of room for your realistic scene.

2. Paint the sides of the box blue. Let the paint dry.

3. Paint trees on the side of the box. These do not have to be perfect. Most of these will be covered with other pieces for the diorama. Let the paint dry.

4. Cover the bottom of the box with synthetic grass or artificial turf.

The Nature Scene

1. Apply glue along the cut edge of each of the mountain halves. Press one half against one side of the box and hold firmly for 30 seconds. Press the other half against the side of the box, at least a little bit away from the first. You now have two mountains protruding into your scene.

2. Roll out a jar of blue modeling clay. Use a sharp knife to cut a winding river shape. Make the river long enough to extend from one side of the box to another. Use a paintbrush to spread a layer of glue over the river. Let the glue dry. The glue will make the river look shiny, like glistening water. Lay the river across the bottom of the box.

3. Separate some of the smaller branches from an old, artificial Christmas tree. These are the deciduous trees for the scene. Hold one or two branches on either side of each mountain and poke the cut end of each branch through the bottom of the box.

4. Cut small pieces from the Christmas tree and shape them into sphere-like structures to make bushes. Apply a little bit of glue to the bottom of each bush and arrange the bushes around the diorama randomly.

5. Apply glue to the bottom of the dinosaur's feet and press them firmly against the bottom of the box. Use a variety of different dinosaurs, such as triceratops, stegosaurus, allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex.