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Planet models remain a timeless choice for science fair projects, offering a platform to demonstrate understanding of planetary characteristics and scale. Whether crafted for educational purposes or leisure, begin by shaping your planet using papier mâché or styrofoam. Subsequently, proceed with painting your planet individually or integrating it into a personalized solar system.
Guidelines
Creating a Papier Mâché Planet
Select the planet you wish to replicate. This decision influences the size of your planet. While individual planet size may not be critical for a single model, considerations for scale become relevant when creating a solar system model.
- For instance, differentiating between the sizes of Mars or Mercury compared to Saturn or Jupiter is essential for accuracy.
Inflate a balloon. Avoid overinflating, as it may distort the shape. Aim for a circular shape by adjusting the air volume, according to your desired size.
- Position the tied-end of the balloon inside a bowl to stabilize it, facilitating the application of the papier mâché.
Prepare your adhesive. Options include a mixture of glue and water, raw flour and water, or cooked flour and water. Each has its advantages: glue and water mix easily, raw flour and water provide strength, while cooked flour and water paste dries transparently.
- For glue and water paste, blend approximately 1/4 cup of white school glue with water until slightly runny.
- For raw flour and water, adjust water quantity until achieving desired consistency. Note that thicker paste requires longer drying time, necessitating overnight drying of the papier mâché balloon.
- For cooked flour and water, whisk together 1/2 cup flour and 2 1/2 cups water over medium heat until boiling. As it cools, it thickens into a gel.
Tear your papers into shreds. Utilize newspapers, brown craft paper, or construction paper. Tear the paper instead of cutting it to ensure seamless integration with the papier mâché.
- Avoid cutting to prevent visible straight lines after drying. The torn edges blend more seamlessly.
Apply paper to the balloon. Dip paper strips or pieces into the paste, ensuring thorough coating while removing excess with fingers. Cover the entire balloon surface, applying multiple layers as needed.
- Smooth out any bubbles or bumps, unless a textured finish is desired.
Allow your papier mâché balloon to dry. Place it in a warm area overnight. Complete drying is essential before painting or decorating to prevent molding.
- Extended drying time may be necessary, especially for heavily pasted or multi-layered balloons. Consider allowing a few days for thorough drying.
Deflate the balloon. Once the papier-mâché has dried, puncture the balloon using a pin or thumbtack. Remove the deflated balloon and any remnants from inside the hollow planet.
Color your planet. Opt for acrylic paint for a straightforward model. Paint the planet with its primary hue.
- Yellow for the Sun.
- Grey for Mercury.
- Yellowish-white for Venus.
- Blue-green for Earth.
- Red for Mars.
- Orange with white streaks for Jupiter.
- Pale yellow for Saturn.
- Light blue for Uranus.
- Blue for Neptune.
- Light brown for Pluto.
Crafting a Styrofoam/Thermocol Model
Choose your planet. Determine the desired size based on the planet you're creating. Scale becomes significant when crafting an entire solar system.
- For instance, consider making Mars or Mercury notably smaller than Saturn or Jupiter.
Select styrofoam (thermocol) spheres. For a single planet, choose any size. If creating a solar system, opt for varied sizes to accurately represent scale.
- Opt for a 5 or 6-inch sphere for the Sun.
- Use a 1-inch sphere for Mercury.
- Select a 1.5-inch sphere for Venus.
- Choose a 1.5-inch sphere for Earth.
- Pick a 1.25-inch sphere for Mars.
- Opt for a 4-inch sphere for Jupiter.
- Use a 3-inch sphere for Saturn.
- Choose a 2.5-inch sphere for Uranus.
- Opt for a 2-inch sphere for Neptune.
- Pick a 1.25-inch sphere for Pluto.
Color your planet. Opt for acrylic paint to depict the primary color of your planet.
- Yellow for the Sun.
- Grey for Mercury.
- Yellowish-white for Venus.
- Blue-green for Earth.
- Red for Mars.
- Orange with white streaks for Jupiter.
- Pale yellow for Saturn.
- Light blue for Uranus.
- Blue for Neptune.
- Light brown for Pluto.
Add texture or unique features to your model. Apply additional colors if needed or attach materials like wire or styrofoam for rings.
- For rings, consider cutting the model in half horizontally and affixing an old CD through the center, then reattach the halves.
- To create craters, chip away sections of styrofoam for a rugged texture, then touch up with paint.
Prepare dowel rods for a solar system. Cut dowel rods to scale for each planet to ensure accurate distances between them.
- Exclude dowel rods for the sun, as it serves as the central point.
- Use a 2.25-inch rod for Mercury.
- Choose a 4-inch rod for Venus.
- Opt for a 5-inch rod for Earth.
- Select a 6-inch rod for Mars.
- Use a 7-inch rod for Jupiter.
- Consider an 8-inch rod for Saturn.
- Use a 10-inch rod for Uranus.
- Opt for an 11.5-inch rod for Neptune.
- Choose a 14-inch rod for Pluto.
Attach planets to the sun. Insert trimmed dowel rods into the corresponding planets, then affix the opposite ends into the sun. Ensure rods encircle the sun's circumference, starting with Mercury and moving outward.
Here's a mnemonic to recall the planet order:
My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.
=
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
(If Pluto isn't included, think My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Noodles instead).
Useful Tips
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For a more lifelike finish, consider using oil paints.
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Protect your workspace by laying newspaper down to minimize mess.
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Opt for oil paints for a realistic touch to your model.
The advice provided here comes from the experiences of readers like you. If you have a helpful tip to share, please submit it below.
- Ensure the paint is fully dry before inserting sticks. Acrylic paint typically dries completely within 30 minutes to an hour.
- Another method for creating a planet model is to shape sticky tack into a ball and then paint it.
