How do you make a real looking mountain?

[Mommy7]

I am thinking of using modeling clay.  Then, I would brush on craft glue and stick mossy looking stuff to it.  

 

Does anyone have a better idea?  I am open to suggestions for sure!

 

Thanks!

[Spy Car]

I am thinking of using modeling clay. Then, I would brush on craft glue and stick mossy looking stuff to it.

 

Does anyone have a better idea? I am open to suggestions for sure!

 

Thanks!

I don't know if it is a "better" idea (or not) but we are near finishing our second school "project" using paper mâché (sometimes you've got to love autocorrect :D). Last year it was Willy Wonka (a favorite character from literature) this year it is a huge Desert Locust. It is coming out great!

 

Paper mâché is great fun. Really cheap (as you can just use waste for the most part. And it is easy.

 

We made an armature first using chicken wire (which would be easy to do with a mountain) and you can also use crumpled aluminium foil, masking tape, paper, or anything else to give it "form."

 

Once you've got the shape, just cover with newspaper (or other paper) that's been soaked in paste. For paste we use raw white-flour and water. Mix and go. No boiling or anything.

 

It is easy to add details using paste soaked tissue-paper that's squeezed into shape. When it's done you can coat with commercial gesso (we use drywall compound mixed with glue and white tempura) or some other primer. Then paint. You can even spray it with "clear" if it need to hold up.

 

It is a multi-staged process, and messy (in a fun way), but easy, satisfying, and CHEAP!

 

Bill

[wendyroo]

This is how Teacher Tom made a volcano.

 

http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/we-need-to-make-new-volcano.html

 

The pictures at the bottom look fairly mountain-like.

[MtnTeaching]

If you really, really want to get fancy and spend a lot of money on your mountain, you could buy a Mountain Diorama Kit.   We used one of these to make a volcano in earth science several years ago.  I was able to get it on clearance after "science fair" season was over and it was incredible.  Trees, rocks, moss, very cool.

 

We had every intention of then taking it outside, adding some mentos, coke, red food coloring and blowing it up.  Unfortunately, it was such a beautiful volcano, I could not bring myself to allow them to blow it up.  Can you believe that???  Can you also believe I still have that volcano in my china cabinet in the front entry room of my house? (our official art and project display cabinet - doesn't every homeschooler have one?)

 

Every once in a while, my dd15 will walk by and make some statement like, "You deprived us of blowing up the volcano just like you deprived us of mummifying the chicken."  She will never let me live this down.

 

On second thought :huh: , maybe you should just go with Bill's paper mâché mountain.  Forget I mentioned this thing.

[Mommy7]

Mtn Teaching, I think I want that kit!!!!  

 

Is it hard to do?  Also, how long does it take to make it? Does it have a lot of fumes associated with the glue? 

 

I like that idea because I've never done paper  mache so I'm a little intimidated by that! If the kit is too fumy, I will need to look for other options.  If that happens, I am sure I will be back with questions!

 

Thanks so much for all the ideas.  If anyone has anymore, I'd love to hear about it!

[skeeterbug]

For our volcano we used salt dough molded around a jar. Obviously we left the opening of the jar uncovered but you could easily cover it (keeping the lid on) and use jars of different heights to get the shape you want. We painted the salt dough brown (and then added orange for lava!). You could use different colours and add rocks, moss, etc. to get a more realistic effect. Salt dough is easier for me than paper mache, YMMV.

[8filltheheart]

Double

[8filltheheart]

If you google making mountains for model trains, you will come across multiple methods and videos. My ds had the most success with paper and plaster. Foam is messy and difficult to work with.

 

Here are a couple of links.....I didn't read them, though.

 

http://modelrailwaynews.com/model-train-scenery-making-mountain-methods/

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Make-Mountains-and-Hills-For-Your-Model-Railroad&id=851405

 

[MtnTeaching]

Mtn Teaching, I think I want that kit!!!!  

 

Is it hard to do?  Also, how long does it take to make it? Does it have a lot of fumes associated with the glue? 

 

I like that idea because I've never done paper  mache so I'm a little intimidated by that! If the kit is too fumy, I will need to look for other options.  If that happens, I am sure I will be back with questions!

 

Thanks so much for all the ideas.  If anyone has anymore, I'd love to hear about it!

 

I Just remember having a blast making the volcano with the kids.  I cannot remember if it came with a tube down the middle or if we used something to build around, but I do remember getting about halfway done with it and wondering if it was really going to look like anything special.  It wound up being absolutely beautiful.  It had good directions and seemed pretty simple to do.  We did it one afternoon when we had some spare time.

 

We made this about three years ago, but I do not remember any fumes at all.  I hope I am not leading you astray, but I truly do not remember any glue fumes.  I think we just used craft glue for the trees and rocks.

 

These sets are not cheap, but they do make beautiful things.  I like that the cool rocks, moss (grasses),trees, and paint were included in the kit.

 

Have fun if you get this.  We definitely did.

[Candid]

I'm afraid your post tile makes me want to say: time, geological uplift, erosion. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm afraid your post tile makes me want to say: time, geological uplift, erosion. 

If Ms. Frizzle was teaching this lesson, she'd make it happen!  

[Mommy7]

I could use Ms. Frizzle right about now!  I bet she would have some great ideas!!!!

 

Mtn Teaching, what size did it turn out to be and what does the base it is built on look like?  

 

Thanks so much for your thoughts.  It sounds like a definite possiblity!!!

 

 

[MtnTeaching]

I could use Ms. Frizzle right about now!  I bet she would have some great ideas!!!!

 

Mtn Teaching, what size did it turn out to be and what does the base it is built on look like?  

 

Thanks so much for your thoughts.  It sounds like a definite possiblity!!!

The base is a black plastic tray that you can flip over to make a very nice display stand.  It is rectangular 12 1/2 wide by 9 1/2 deep.  When you use it as a display table, it is about two inches high.  We used it as a tray because some of the little rocks had a tendency to fall off the volcano since we did not coat the thing in glue.

 

The volcano/mountain itself is about 7 to 8 inches high and is extremely cool.  It really looks like a mountain with all the ledges and crevices. They give you several colors of paint that you intermix to make the mountain very realistic looking.  Then you put little trees, moss, and rocks on it.  These additions are also very realistic looking and not cheap looking at all.  They also did give us a plastic tube that goes down the middle of the volcano to build around.

 

The whole time we were making it with the plaster (almost like the kind they use to make arm casts out of), all I could think about was the movie "Close Encounters" where Richard Dreyfuss was fanatical about making his mountain and piles mud into his living room.   :D

 

(I tried for more time than I would like to say to actually put a real picture in this reply, but the forum has refused to let me do it!  The only way to get the picture larger is to "right-click" on it, then select "open link in new window".  It should give you a larger picture. Hopefully.  Also, keep in mind, this thing is about 3 years old.)

 

 

 

(This picture was taken by me)