How to Make a Dome With Paper Cups

Finished dome

Building a dome out of paper cups can be a fun and educational project for children. Very simple to complete with a basic stapler, a paper cup dome requires little in the way of supplies, but does require a great deal of patience. When finished, children will experience the satisfaction of creating an impressive structure out of household materials.

Things You'll Need

• 200 paper cups of any size
• Stapler
• 600 to 800 staples

Instructions

1. 

   Attach cups together by stapling them at the top brim. Each cup will require three to four staples. The bigger the cups, the bigger the finished dome will be.

2. 

   The center top of the dome will consist of seven cups. One center cup will be surrounded by six other cups.

3. 

   As more cups are added, a rounded dome top will naturally form, so long as cups are stapled at the brims.

4. 

   Build the arch of the dome by adding more and more cups.

5. 

   Build the sides of the dome by adding cups along the edges.

6. 

   Finish the dome by stapling a total of 200 cups together.

Tips & Warnings

• For added creativity, poke small holes in the bottoms of some of the cups and insert Christmas lights.

• Since the project can be a little tedious, it may be a good idea to have several children take turns in attaching the cups as the dome is created.

References

• Steven Caney's Play Book; Steven Caney; 1975

Resources

• Science of domes