How to Make a Papier Mâché Volcano
Create a base., Get a small bottle, about 6cm high., Superglue the bottle "crater" to the center of the base., Include a tray to catch spills.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Create a base.
You can build the base out of papier mâché, if you like, but it helps to start with some sort of prefabricated platform.
You can use practically anything to make a base, depending on the shape of the volcano you need.
Paper products are generally cheap, disposable, and reasonably sturdy.
An overturned paper or plastic bowl makes for a simple, solid base.
This will make a short but functional volcano.
For a taller and more pointed volcano, attach a toilet paper tube to the top of the bowl.
Surround it with tissue paper and masking tape to make the general shape of your volcano.
The toilet paper tube also provides a ready-made mouth or "crater" for your volcano.
If you need a wider base, you can set the main part of the volcano onto a paper plate or platter.
This may also come in handy for containing the spillage when the volcano "erupts". -
Step 2: Get a small bottle
This will become the "crater" of the volcano: the chamber into which you mix the baking soda and vinegar.
Make sure that the bottle is made from a non-permeable material that will hold the vinegar without leaking.
Ideally, pick a bottle with a relatively narrow neck so that the eruption is focused rather than wide.
For a small volcano, try using a film canister or a single-serving yogurt bottle.
For a larger volcano, use a 12-ounce plastic bottle so that you can hold more of the reactive ingredients.
If you plan to use the volcano more than once—or if you think you might need to replace the bottle—consider covering the bottle with a plastic bag so that the papier
-mâché doesn't stick to its surface.
This may come in handy, for instance, if you want to be able to replace the crater with a fresh Diet Coke bottle each time you make the volcano erupt., Make sure that the mouth faces upward, so that you can eventually fill it with vinegar and baking soda.
Try to glue the bottle so that it's level and sturdy.
This is the core of your volcano, so it's important that you set a strong precedent for the rest of the sculpture. , If you plan to make your papier mâché volcano erupt, you'll end up making a mess from the foamy results of mixing baking soda and vinegar.
Consider building your volcano into a cardboard box (with the sides cut away, save a short lip to stop running vinegar) or a flat cardboard base.
You can glue or tape the "base" and core of the volcano onto the tray, or you can simply place the completed volcano into its protective berth once it's time to erupt.
Trying using a plastic food tray; a sheet of wood; an old Frisbee.
Place your volcano atop any surface that isn't valuable or irreplaceable.
Alternately, you may set up your volcano in a space where the vinegar-and-baking-soda runoff can easily drain.
Set up the volcano outside in the dirt, in a sink or bathtub, or on a concrete patio. -
Step 3: about 6cm high.
-
Step 4: Superglue the bottle "crater" to the center of the base.
-
Step 5: Include a tray to catch spills.
Detailed Guide
You can build the base out of papier mâché, if you like, but it helps to start with some sort of prefabricated platform.
You can use practically anything to make a base, depending on the shape of the volcano you need.
Paper products are generally cheap, disposable, and reasonably sturdy.
An overturned paper or plastic bowl makes for a simple, solid base.
This will make a short but functional volcano.
For a taller and more pointed volcano, attach a toilet paper tube to the top of the bowl.
Surround it with tissue paper and masking tape to make the general shape of your volcano.
The toilet paper tube also provides a ready-made mouth or "crater" for your volcano.
If you need a wider base, you can set the main part of the volcano onto a paper plate or platter.
This may also come in handy for containing the spillage when the volcano "erupts".
This will become the "crater" of the volcano: the chamber into which you mix the baking soda and vinegar.
Make sure that the bottle is made from a non-permeable material that will hold the vinegar without leaking.
Ideally, pick a bottle with a relatively narrow neck so that the eruption is focused rather than wide.
For a small volcano, try using a film canister or a single-serving yogurt bottle.
For a larger volcano, use a 12-ounce plastic bottle so that you can hold more of the reactive ingredients.
If you plan to use the volcano more than once—or if you think you might need to replace the bottle—consider covering the bottle with a plastic bag so that the papier
-mâché doesn't stick to its surface.
This may come in handy, for instance, if you want to be able to replace the crater with a fresh Diet Coke bottle each time you make the volcano erupt., Make sure that the mouth faces upward, so that you can eventually fill it with vinegar and baking soda.
Try to glue the bottle so that it's level and sturdy.
This is the core of your volcano, so it's important that you set a strong precedent for the rest of the sculpture. , If you plan to make your papier mâché volcano erupt, you'll end up making a mess from the foamy results of mixing baking soda and vinegar.
Consider building your volcano into a cardboard box (with the sides cut away, save a short lip to stop running vinegar) or a flat cardboard base.
You can glue or tape the "base" and core of the volcano onto the tray, or you can simply place the completed volcano into its protective berth once it's time to erupt.
Trying using a plastic food tray; a sheet of wood; an old Frisbee.
Place your volcano atop any surface that isn't valuable or irreplaceable.
Alternately, you may set up your volcano in a space where the vinegar-and-baking-soda runoff can easily drain.
Set up the volcano outside in the dirt, in a sink or bathtub, or on a concrete patio.
About the Author
Nicholas Thompson
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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