How to Make a Poster of the Solar System
Gather the necessary materials., Slice all of the foam balls in half., Cut a ring for the 3” ball., Paint the balls according to planet., Use the sun to map planet locations., Create the orbit for each planet., Add an asteroid belt between Mars and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather the necessary materials.
To make your poster three-dimensional you will need to use Styrofoam balls to give it depth.
Other materials you will need are a 5”x5”x1/2” foam sheet, glue, string, markers, tape, craft paint, a serrated knife, a silver marker/sharpie, brown construction paper, nine wooden skewers, a ruler, and a black 20” x 30” poster board.Use the following Styrofoam balls for the planets:
One 5”, 4”, 3”,
2.5” and 2” balls, two
1.5” balls Adult supervision is recommended when using the knife.
You’ll need the following paint colors: yellow, orange, red, green, light blue, and dark blue.
These materials can be purchased at any craft store or the craft department of a superstore. -
Step 2: Slice all of the foam balls in half.
Ask an adult for help with this step.
Use the knife to cut all of the balls except one of the
1.5” balls in half.
It doesn’t have to be exactly in half, close to half is fine.
Rub the two halves together over a trash can to brush the crumbs away after cutting.Rubbing the knife with beeswax or candle wax before cutting will make it easier to slice.
Smash the second
1.5” ball on the table to compress it to about 1¼”, then cut it in half. , This ring will represent Saturn’s rings.
Place the 3” ball in the middle of the foam sheet and trace around it with a sharp pencil.
Draw a second circle around the outside of the first circle about 1” away.Use the tip of the knife to cut out the ring.
Again, have an adult help with this step. , Stick a wooden skewer into the flat part of ball.
This will make it easier to paint and let stand to dry.
Paint each ball the following colors:
Sun: 5” ball, yellow Mercury: 1¼” ball, orange Venus:
1.5” ball, blue-green Earth:
1.5” ball, dark-blue Mars: 1¼” ball, red Jupiter: 4” ball, orange Saturn: 3” ball, yellow; foam ring, orange Uranus:
2.5” ball, light-blue Neptune: 2” ball, dark blue , Mark the location for the center of the sun by measuring 10” down from the top of the board and 3” in from the right side of the poster.
Make a small “x” to mark the center of the sun.
Place the end of the ruler at the center of the sun and make a mark along the center of the poster at the distances below for each planet.
These distances mark the orbits of the planets.Mercury: 3 ½” from the sun Venus: 4 ¾” from the sun Earth: 5 ¾” from the sun Mars: 7” from the sun Jupiter: 15 ¼” from the sun Saturn: 18 ½” from the sun Uranus: 21” from the sun Neptune: 25 ¾” from the sun , Use the string as a compass to make a circular orbit with the mark for each planet.
Place one end of the string in the center mark for the sun and tape it down.
Put the pencil down on the mark for Mercury and wrap the string around the pencil until it is taut.With the string extended, draw a circle around the poster board with the pencil to make the orbit.
Repeat this process with each planet’s orbit, moving the pencil to each mark.
Trace a dashed line on top of the pencil with the silver marker.
Glue each planet somewhere on its orbit.
Stagger the placement of each planet so they don’t overlap. , Cut out asteroid shapes from the brown construction paper.
Space out the asteroids to make a belt all along the gap between Mars and Jupiter.
Glue them down and label the area “Asteroid Belt”.
Asteroids are giant rocks floating through space and can easily be drawn freehand.
Any rock shape you draw can be used as an asteroid. -
Step 3: Cut a ring for the 3” ball.
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Step 4: Paint the balls according to planet.
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Step 5: Use the sun to map planet locations.
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Step 6: Create the orbit for each planet.
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Step 7: Add an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Detailed Guide
To make your poster three-dimensional you will need to use Styrofoam balls to give it depth.
Other materials you will need are a 5”x5”x1/2” foam sheet, glue, string, markers, tape, craft paint, a serrated knife, a silver marker/sharpie, brown construction paper, nine wooden skewers, a ruler, and a black 20” x 30” poster board.Use the following Styrofoam balls for the planets:
One 5”, 4”, 3”,
2.5” and 2” balls, two
1.5” balls Adult supervision is recommended when using the knife.
You’ll need the following paint colors: yellow, orange, red, green, light blue, and dark blue.
These materials can be purchased at any craft store or the craft department of a superstore.
Ask an adult for help with this step.
Use the knife to cut all of the balls except one of the
1.5” balls in half.
It doesn’t have to be exactly in half, close to half is fine.
Rub the two halves together over a trash can to brush the crumbs away after cutting.Rubbing the knife with beeswax or candle wax before cutting will make it easier to slice.
Smash the second
1.5” ball on the table to compress it to about 1¼”, then cut it in half. , This ring will represent Saturn’s rings.
Place the 3” ball in the middle of the foam sheet and trace around it with a sharp pencil.
Draw a second circle around the outside of the first circle about 1” away.Use the tip of the knife to cut out the ring.
Again, have an adult help with this step. , Stick a wooden skewer into the flat part of ball.
This will make it easier to paint and let stand to dry.
Paint each ball the following colors:
Sun: 5” ball, yellow Mercury: 1¼” ball, orange Venus:
1.5” ball, blue-green Earth:
1.5” ball, dark-blue Mars: 1¼” ball, red Jupiter: 4” ball, orange Saturn: 3” ball, yellow; foam ring, orange Uranus:
2.5” ball, light-blue Neptune: 2” ball, dark blue , Mark the location for the center of the sun by measuring 10” down from the top of the board and 3” in from the right side of the poster.
Make a small “x” to mark the center of the sun.
Place the end of the ruler at the center of the sun and make a mark along the center of the poster at the distances below for each planet.
These distances mark the orbits of the planets.Mercury: 3 ½” from the sun Venus: 4 ¾” from the sun Earth: 5 ¾” from the sun Mars: 7” from the sun Jupiter: 15 ¼” from the sun Saturn: 18 ½” from the sun Uranus: 21” from the sun Neptune: 25 ¾” from the sun , Use the string as a compass to make a circular orbit with the mark for each planet.
Place one end of the string in the center mark for the sun and tape it down.
Put the pencil down on the mark for Mercury and wrap the string around the pencil until it is taut.With the string extended, draw a circle around the poster board with the pencil to make the orbit.
Repeat this process with each planet’s orbit, moving the pencil to each mark.
Trace a dashed line on top of the pencil with the silver marker.
Glue each planet somewhere on its orbit.
Stagger the placement of each planet so they don’t overlap. , Cut out asteroid shapes from the brown construction paper.
Space out the asteroids to make a belt all along the gap between Mars and Jupiter.
Glue them down and label the area “Asteroid Belt”.
Asteroids are giant rocks floating through space and can easily be drawn freehand.
Any rock shape you draw can be used as an asteroid.
About the Author
Dennis Harris
A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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