1. Make a list of the items you’ll need and gather your supplies.

Though the items you’ll need depend on the concept or theme, you may want modeling clay, construction paper, glue, scissors, paint and a paintbrush, markers, felt, and fabric scraps. You may also want miniatures, like figures or furniture, found objects, like rocks and twigs, and printed pictures or magazine pages.

Browse your home, or ask your teacher what materials they are able to provide.

2. Make a rough sketch of your ideal diorama.

Look for inspiration online, like on Pinterest or YouTube. Sketch out what you want the diorama to look like, including the background and foreground. Think of the composition of the piece, and the layout of all the figures.

• Make sure that the miniatures will be appropriate to the scale of the rest of the diorama.

• You might need Styrofoam balls of different sizes, paint, hot glue, and fishing line if you’re recreating the solar system.

3. Research the subject.

Once you’ve chosen a theme, you’ll need to do research to make your diorama as lifelike as possible. Find out as much as you can about your chosen theme (solar system) so you can include both large and small details.

4. Select a container.

Because dioramas have layers of background, they should be made in a box or frame that is several inches deep. The container must have an open-faced front so that viewers can see the scene. A shoe box or shipping box turned on its side works incredibly well for creating a basic diorama.

• Take into account the design of the diorama when selecting the container. For instance, a diorama about the solar system will need to be wide and deep enough for all the planets to fit.

• You can paint the outside of your box for a more finished look. Do this first and let the paint dry before you start work on the inside of the diorama.

1. Create your background first.

Begin at the back of the container and work your way forward, adding layers of details and images to create depth in your scene. Make the background first against the farthest and inside walls of your box. Consider painting a basic scene or printing an image and gluing it on. You could also create a collage out of magazine cutouts to act as the background for your diorama.

• Coloring on the cardboard with markers will just make everything look dark. Cut out construction paper and glue it on the box for brighter colors.

• For a solar system diorama, glue dark blue or black construction paper to the box and paint small white or silver stars on it.

2. Build up the ground or landscape.

A realistic diorama should include details on the bottom of the box as well. You can use pictures, paint, or modeling clay to create a realistic ground or floor for the diorama. Leave it flat or add hills or depressions as appropriate.

• For instance, shape a hill with a depression at the bottom from modeling clay. Once it’s dry, fill it with blue nail polish to make a pond or lake.

• Glue sand or gravel to the bottom of the box to simulate the ocean floor if you’re making an underwater scene.

3. Add details to make the scene realistic.

Work from the back of the box toward the front, and place smaller items in front of larger ones. Space your items out from the top of the box to the bottom to make it visually appealing. Lay everything out, but wait to glue it down until you’re sure things are where you want them.

• For instance, make clouds from cotton balls for the walls, then spread small rocks and flowers on the ground for an outdoor scene.

• Place scraps of fabric on the bottom to act as rugs or make a mirror out of aluminum foil for the wall of an indoor scene.

4. Set up the miniatures, if applicable.

Complete your scene with the addition of miniature figurines, furniture, or models. Make sure that these items are to scale with the rest of the scene! Or, print and cut out simple photos of figures or furniture and place them throughout the scene.

• For a nature theme, add small toy animals or bugs to the ground or hang birds or tiny airplanes from the top with fishing line and hot glue.

• For an indoor scene, place a tiny table and chairs in the diorama and add small figurines for the people or characters.