Tips For Making Animal Habitat Dioramas For Kids
Did your child recently come home and tell you that they needed to make a diorama? Get our tips for how you can make a classic animal habitat diorama that is sure to impress!
Animal habitats are a classic elementary school project. Normally these habitat projects go along with a research aspect. Once you have researched your habitat, get creative with some of our tips and ideas for making an animal habitat (especially a wolf habitat diorama).
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Tips For Making A Shoe Box Animal Habitat
Tip #1: Use A Box With A Lid
By using a box with an attached lid you will get more space to design your habitat diorama.
- You can tape it open with packing tape so that the lid stays out.
- Reinforce the box fold if it seems flimsy. You could do this with extra tape, adding a ruler or paint stick where the fold is.
Tip #2: Cover The Box First With Construction Paper
You can use larger pieces of paper for a background color. For an easy natural look, consider adding ripped paper inside the ground and on the outside of the box.
Tip #3: Use Felt For Extra Texture
Fringe cut a strip of felt for a 3-D look. Add hot glue to the bottom of the felt only. You may need to prop the felt up with other items.
Tip #4: Use Dollar Store Items
We were lucky that this habitat diorama needed to be completed in the Winter. You can score fake trees for a very cheap price. The shiny blue fabric was also found in the craft section.
Tip #5: Use A Flameless Candle For Light
Cut or poke a small hole in the back of your shoe box and tape a cheap battery-powered candle for sunlight or moonlight.
Tip #6: Buy A Animal Figurine
Here is the wolf figurine that we bought for our diorama. You can search for all sorts of animal figures online or at different craft stores.
Tip #7 Use Model Magic
If you need extra details or 3-d rocks you can mold them out of Model Magic. This is one of our favorite no-mess modeling clay.
Tip #8: Make Sure Your Child Does Most Of The Work
As a parent, it can be easy to try to want to do it for your child. However, it is important that you just act as their assistant instead of doing it for them. For example, our main job here was to help set the box and use the hot glue gun.
Other Ways To Add To Add To Your Diorama
- Use sand, small pebbles, real sticks or sea glass to add more details.
- Crumbled-up tissue paper can create a fun texture.
- Printing a picture would work if you don’t want to purchase a figurine. To make it look more 3-dimensional fold the bottom and tape or glue it so the animal appears to be standing.
- Consider hanging things through the top of the box with a clear fishing line.
Follow us on Pinterest or Flipboard for more free art and craft ideas!
More Fun Craft Ideas
- How To Melt Crayons In Your Oven
- The Easiest Slow Cooker Playdough
- Fun Model Magic Sculpture Kids Love
Have fun making memories with your family as you work on these diorama projects.
