How to Make a Diorama of the Civil War

Civil War dioramas are a common middle and high school project. This article gives basic information on making a complete and accurate diorama.

Steps

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    Find out your specific topics. Usually, teachers give a special topic to each student, or let them choose a topic.
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    Create a war scene. If you are depicting a battle in the Civil War, find small toy soldiers. You will also need paint, glue, extra cardboard, cotton balls, an index card or two, a pencil or pen, and tape. If your teacher says items in your diorama cannot be pre-made, use salt dough to create things.
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    Choose a comfortable place to work. Once you have gotten all your supplies together, set your box up in the position that will work best. Remember that some teachers will request the diorama be created in a specific position.
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    Begin painting or drawing your scene. If the scene is outdoors, remember to find the time of day and try to work with that in mind. For example, if you are working an early morning scene,

have, use appropriate shading to depict the rising sun.

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    Allow your diorama to dry. After your scene is done, give it a few hours to dry.
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    Add the finishing touches. Once dry, place your toy soldiers, or other figures into the place they need to be. Once you are happy with their positions, glue them into place.
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    Let your diorama dry completely, before taking it to school. It may take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for the figures to be set and completely dry, so avoid touching them.
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    Get your project ready to take to school. Once you feel everything is ready, add an index card to the outside with all the information.

Things You'll Need

  • Glue
  • Writing instrument
  • Paint
  • Brushes
  • cardstock, (like blank photo paper)
  • Toy soldiers or figures
  • Strong craft glue
  • Index cards
  • Cotton balls
  • Extra Cardboard

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 31,185 times.
119 votes - 69%
Co-authors: 11
Updated: May 28, 2021
Views: 31,185
Categories: Study Skills