Easy Steps on How to Make a Papier-Mache Volcano
Constructing papier-mache models of volcanoes is a clever way to teach chemistry and earth science as students learn about these subjects through experimentation. Whether you are homeschooling your child or helping her prepare for a school science fair, this papier-mache volcano can be a great learning experience for her. It's an easy and inexpensive project to make, and allows you and your child to add colors and other elements to produce a believable volcano model.
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Things You'll Need
- Empty cereal box
- 20 oz. plastic bottle
- Masking tape
- Scissors
- Newspaper
- Plastic bucket
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Wooden spoon
- Brown acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- Red food coloring
- 1 cup vinegar
Instructions
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1
Lay an empty cereal box down on one of its largest sides. Place an empty 20 oz. plastic bottle upright in the center of the cereal box. Attach the bottle to the box using masking tape.
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2
Crumple up four sheets of newspaper into four separate balls. Place a ball on the north, south, east and west sides of the bottle at the base. Tape the newspaper balls around the bottle by wrapping strips of masking tape long enough to tape the newspaper balls to the bottle; you are forming the frame of the volcano.
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3
Tear two sheets of newspaper in half. Wad up each half so you have four balls of newspaper that are smaller than the balls you made in the previous step. Position one ball to the side of the bottle, directly above one of the larger balls already taped to the bottle. Wrap masking tape around the middle of the ball and attach the ball to the bottle with each end of the tape. Tape the remaining three balls directly above the remaining three attached balls of newspaper in the same fashion. These smaller balls of newspaper will form the frame of the narrow top of the volcano.
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4
Pour 3 cups of all-purpose flour into a clean plastic bucket. Add 1 cup of water and stir the mixture using a wooden spoon. Continue mixing until the paste achieves a smooth consistency.
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5
Tear four sheets of newspaper into 2-by-6-inch strips. Dip the strips, one at a time, into the paste. Cover both sides of the strip completely with the paste and squeeze away any excess with your fingers.
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6
Lay the coated strips over the newspaper surrounding the bottle. Add layers of strips to the entire surface, but leave the mouth of the bottle uncovered. Let dry for 12 hours.
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7
Paint the dried papier-mache volcano using brown acrylic paint and a paint brush. Let dry.
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8
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the bottle. Add a few drops of red food coloring to 1 cup of vinegar. Pour the tinted vinegar into the bottle when you want the volcano to erupt.
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Tips & Warnings
Construct your papier-mache volcano at least two days ahead of time to give it time to dry completely.
Do not cover the bottle after pouring the vinegar and baking soda in it; the bottle will explode from the sealed pressure inside.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
