Making a Shoebox Diorama
For a School Project or Just for Fun
The classic shoebox diorama is a childhood rite of passage. Although it can be used for schoolwork, your children may enjoy making them just for fun. Make one with your child today using this step-by-step tutorial.
All you need is a box of some type, some paper, scissors, glue, and basic art supplies such as markers or crayons.
Step One: Create a Base
The base can be anything— the traditional shoebox is only one option. We tend to use tissue boxes because we always have those on hand.
Look around your house and especially the kitchen for any kind of reusable container— cardboard, plastic, or tin. Think creatively! Odd things such as a cookie tin, a juice can, or a plastic ice cream bucket could make for an original diorama. Look at this one using a paper plate! Almost anything can be used.
Step Two: Create the Background
The simplest background could be colored paper— green for grass, blue for sky, brown for earth, blue for water, etc. Or get creative with patterned papers or draw your own.
If you need a little help, try these image files at Brownielocks. Each is a watercolor painting that might be just what you need for a background— a river with grass, an autumn tree, a winter scene, or a fence and wildflowers.
Step Three: Make and Place Your Figures
Use coloring pages printed from the Internet to make figures for your diorama. Search for "[your topic] coloring pages" in your favorite search engine.
Here are two really nice sites: Edupics and Kids Coloring Pages.
Color your images and consider how you want to mount them to the diorama. Below is an example of a coloring page I printed for free from Coloring Castle. I drew in tabs based on where I wanted my figures to be located.
If you want to mount a figure to the bottom (which is where I want the flower to be), then leave a one inch tab at the bottom of the picture when you cut it out. Fold back the tab, and glue it to the bottom of the diorama.
If you want it to hang from the top, add a one inch tab to the top.
Another variation is to use string, yarn, or ribbon to suspend objects from the top of the box. In this way, they will swing and give more of a dynamic effect.
And of course, if you want a figure to come out from the side, leave a tab on the side of the image.
You can also use three dimensional paper models in your dioramas. Here are some wonderful free resources for those:
Or look in your toy chest for 
Plan your placement of the figures. Once you're sure of the placement, glue them on. I like to use rubber cement so that if something is not quite right, it can be repositioned.
If all of your figures are inside the box, you may want to cover the opening with plastic wrap. For underwater scenes, this makes a more realistic finish.
The Word "Diorama"
comes from Greek roots di (through) + orama (that which is seen, a sight).
Its use, meaning "a small-scale replica of a scene," dates back to 1902.
Uses and Applications for Dioramas
-
a tool for story telling
-
a book report
-
a snapshot of history
-
a 3D science model
-
a fun playtime activity
-
a creative alternative to a birthday, anniversary, or get well card
-
a 3D scrapbooking project to memorialize a trip or other important event
-
a gift
Visit These Links for Free Printables!
- Habitat Dioramas
Print and color these wetland, desert, and rainforest freebies. - Prairie Mobile
There's even a full color image that could serve as a background. - Crayola
These are painfully simple, but they may serve as a good foundation for your own ideas. - Enchanted Learning
This site has printables for ocean, forest, and dinosaur habitat scenes. I like the directions for 3D trees! - Figures of Jesus and the Children
This PDF has directions and full color images. - Pandas
This PDF from the National Zoo gives directions for making a panda diorama with authentic Chinese habitat. The last page has images of foliage and animals to cut out! - More Dinosaurs
This full color PDF has both figures and backgrounds. - Outer Space
A full color PDF with astronauts, a space background, space shuttle, and lunar lander. Just cut out and glue into your box. - Stand Up Symphony
This free printable is from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. It is complete with a conductor and musicians to color and cut out. There is also a guide to show you how to arrange them correctly. - Back Yard Above and Below
This is a sample from Scholastic.
Directions for Making Various Types of Dioramas
- Under the Sea Theater Box
One Busy Mama presents a delightful tutorial for making a theater style diorama. The figures can be moved with pipe cleaners that stick out on the top of the box. Very, very fun! - Dinosaur Diorama in Seven Steps
A great idea for reusing a cardboard box. I love how this was made completely by children. The backgrounds were drawn by hand and the dinosaurs were molded from rainbow clay! - Making Sea Fans and Coral Reefs
Another ocean scene, but this post from Homeschool Creations is quite original— plastic canvas sea fans plus Playdough coral. - Art Attack 3D Picture Box
Directions for making a general scene with clear photographs at each step. - Box Living Room
I love this craft because it uses boxes from household packages. Thrifty fun! - Habitat Diorama
General how-tos. - Rainforest
This three tiered scene is a wonderful explanation of the layers of the rainforest. - Ocean
This ambitious project makes a big impression! Glean some ideas from the photos and directions.
Dover Cut and Assemble Dioramas - Paper Models to Cut Out and Assemble
Dover's cut-and-assemble models are make dioramas easy. Just cut out the full color shapes which are printed on cardstock. Follow the assembly directions to create your 3D models.
When You Don't Have a Box
These variations don't require a box at all. Large sheets of paper, folded into 3D shapes, are all that's required.
- Pyramid Tutorial
The pyramid diorama is also called a triarama. This how-to walks you through the steps with photographs. - Crayola's Triarama
This shows a possible triarama comparing two seasons in one habitat. Another example features a train ride across Canada. - Pop-up Doll House Scene
A very clever idea! Use a file folder (or other sturdy cardstock) to make a pop-up scene that can be folded flat for storage. - How to Make a Pop-Up Photograph
This wikiHow article of 9 steps (with pictures) shows how to put yourself into a pop-up scene using photographs! Very, very neat! - How to Make a Tunnel Book
Tunnel books are made so that when you look through them, it gives the effect of looking at a 3D landscape! These directions are geared toward a more advanced papercrafter, so simplify it for a child. - Panoramas
This site is really fun for a more advanced student. You need a panoramic digital photo for your background and cardstock to form the base. This tutorial even includes some templates to use. - Miniature Parade Floats
What a neat idea for a homeschool co-op or class project! Make rolling, small scale floats for a parade! These examples feature a 50 states theme, but you could use the parade float idea for any topic.
Reproducible Books with Diorama Patterns
The images are photos of projects here were taken from 
Guestbook
Thanks for the tutorial! I plan on sharing this page with my readers.
Great idea! I think I will try it.
neat!
Very creative idea. Good for kids.
fascinating lens, full of ideas! Thanks!
What fantastic ideas and resources - a great tool for children to have fun and learn at the same time!
Love the 3-D pyramid. We'll have to try that. We always end up doing animal scenes.
Hi nice lens you got there and ranking well. My grandson Callum is going to be real busy on Tuesday when he comes visiting
Have given you a squidlike.
I like these
Very woderful and creative idea,gret work.You have done a very hard work,I think!athank you very much for sharing this great ideas!!
Our grandkids love this stuff and I suspect so does granny.
These are wonderful projects for children to do during the summer months. Parents could use them to keep children engaged in reading and them making the story into a diorama to keep them focused on their reading skills.
I used to do these for my kids summer reading projects. You have some good ideas here.
A really helpful lens...
Awesome lens! I passed it along to my kids to use some of your creative ideas for school:) Thanks!
This is a wonder, creative idea for kids. Your pictures truly add a great deal to this article. Enjoyed.
I just stumbled upon this lens at the perfect time! My son is preparing to do his first ever diorama for school! Thanks for the great tips.
Ha, quick simple way to make one of these. I used to use play-dough for them too, just to add to the realism.
I used to love making these when I was younger. Thanks for the memory
You gave lots of great ideas here. It looks like a lot of fun!
cute and simple! :)
Jimmie, Jimmie, Jimmie. Your lenses make me smile! Someday I hope to do a dioramma lens as well. Just wanted to stop in and say Hello and thank you for all of your good works!
Thanks, good ideas for the next school project of my son...
This is an excellent lens on making diorama. It has great instructions amd pictures to help. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, I love these! I used to make dioramas when I was a kid.
What fabulous tips for making dioramas! They were always such a fun project for school.
What a great lens! Some great ideas here, thanks!
I remember making these at school long ago. Nice lens.
Fun project. Kids enjoy making these.
A shoe box diorama let students showcase their creative skills. I wonder why school teachers never ask their students to have this project nowadays.
Thanks for the directions on how to Make a Shoebox Diorama, itâs very helpful!
Brilliant ideas! Thanks!
second visit to take another look, this time can leave you a blessing. Great lens. As an artist this gives me lots of ideas for 3-D paper sculptures/models.
My daughter needs to make a solar system diorama. Was looking for inspiration and found your site. Got some useful tips off here but would be great if you had some cut outs or something else on the solar system. Thanks
Thanks! I'm sending this link to the parents of my second graders, so they can get some ideas. Your information is simple, and interesting. We're making animal dioramas, and if I can figure out how to do it, I'll send you a couple of photos!
awesome ideas
Cool idea! :)
I remember doing these in school. They were so much fun.
I met a university student from Germany who made very elaborate dioramas as an artform, they were quite spectacular! I enjoyed your lens on this subject, I am looking for Squidtastic ideas to share with my granddaughter:) thanx!
OMG Id forgotten these even existed! Lovely idea for my neice & I to do together.
I loved to make dioramas when I was a child. Your lens is very inspiring to try it out again :)
Many moons ago, when I was a little kid of elementary-school age, I attended a Vacation Bible School at a local neighborhood church. We made shoebox dioramas and I chose to copy a scene of Washington DC with the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. It was fun and educational. I'm almost age 60, and I still never made it to Washington DC, but at least my diorama taught me some history!
I used to do diorama when I was a kid specially when I'm in primary school as part of my project. But I oftentimes do it now but to share my knowledge about it, I used teach and help my little brother, sisters and the kids on kindergarten school here in our place.
Been along time since I've seen one of these.
Boy this sure brought back memories of making these in school. Thanks for the very nice instructions and resources. Blessed by a joyful angel.
Yay for homeschooling! We do the same with our children. Great crafts!
omg I made these and school and totally forgot about them! thanks for reminding me about a project i had so much fun at and the great ideas!
I remember making these when I was a child. Nice article!
Some fantastic ideas. Well done.
Hi nice shoe box craft,look like fun for the whole family.
Very interesting, I bet it helps them learn more. wish we had stuff like that then. Great lens. Blessings
My children and I love doing dioramas!
Good memories of making a dinosaur diorama in a shoebox.
Making dioramas are fun, but are so pressuring if it is for school...
I'm always looking for different things to do with the kids. Great idea, thanks for sharing.
A great tutorial. Wonderful lens.
This was fun when we had to do it for school.
Wow! I wish this lens was around when I was busy helping my kids with those. :) Great and very helpful lens.
I have done my share of dioramas. Helpful lense!
A wonderful activity for parents and children to do together. Well done !
This is one comprehensive lens-I will let my little girl know about it
Thank you for another activity to engage in with my daughter. Need to ask her what
She wants to make.
I remember doing these in middle school as a kid. Technically, that's a tissue box!
Wow, this is great. Just wandering how to reproduce these in real life.
great ideas, so cool
This really looks like something my grand kids would love to do thank for the info
woaa! this bring back to my childhood days! Love it.. (maybe I'll do these projects quietly in my bedroom later! ) Great lens!
I know I did one of these as a kid but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. My daughter, who attends a Waldorf school, will be doing one in the 4th grade. Thanks for a great lens!
so cool. I made these in school 40 years ago!
What wonderful creations and so inexpensive. Excellent for school projects.
These are so neat. i made one for my niece when she graduated high school and filled it with some of her things I had saved from her child hood. Great explanation of how to do these.
i wish i had done these as a child. Interesting, now though, I'm creating something similar as an adult. I hope I'll have some completed this year.
Did some of this when I was a kid. Brings back fond memories. I may start again. Thanks.
Never thought of doing this before!
Hey, I love the tipi diorama! Glad I stopped by, and blessed again!
My grandchildren love to work with me on projects. Thank You for offering ideas that will send us on another path of creation, together.
Thank you for a great tutorial this would be perfect for a homemade gift
very cool indeed, enjoyed my visit this morning, thank you.
Great lens! I was not familiar with Diorama until I stumbled upon your lens. I think this activity is superb for children and their education. Something about building, coloring, and my favorite~creating an idea is practical and great for kids! Thanks for sharing it!
Great ideas for the classroom. I think making a Christmas diorama with my granddaughters will be a fun project for this holiday season.
I was tasked with teaching at a winter camp at the last minute this break and I've been trying to come up with ideas for the kids. How fortuitous that I'd come across this lens! Thanks!
I have used this project in my classroom for years. Kids love doing them and at the end of a unit we have a party with the parents to celebrate. Thanks for sharing this. You have provided many new ideas for the idea.
A great lens to share. Nice! Squid-liked!
Great ideas for the upcoming holidays with my kids, thanks!
I remember doing these 'kleenex' dioramas as a child, thanks for the trip back in time! There is really no limit to the adorable miniature scenes that can be made in an old kleenex box, all you need is the creativity!
Great article you've written and terrific set of resources. Dioramas are fun learning opportunities for kids!
Several more dioramas at this link:
Great lens with a creative idea. Pretty soon my nephew will be old enough to do these projects with me. :)
Gosh, I forget all about these. Thanks for reminding me so I can do this with the grandkids.
Nostalgic Lens, bring me back in school, Thanks
i remember making those for school. they are pretty cool to make.
fun and creative...great lens!
brings me back to my childhood! i'll have to do these with my nephews :-) great lens!
I remember doing similar project in mt grade school days, thanks for bringing back such great memories.
Definitely going to give this a go with my first grader; maybe we'll try something Thanksgiving / Christmas themed. :)
I second that, great lens! Really inspiring. Was for sure a lot of work. :-)
A very unique lens. Enjoyed it...:)
my kids are going to love this, thanks
Brings back memories from primary school :-) thanks for the lens.
Very artistic ideas! I like how it is being presented on the lens. Two thumbs up!
this lens is enjoyable to see crafting
415