Illuminated Moon Diorama With Astronaut - a Stellar DIY Project Using Cardboard and Egg Tray Mache 🌕✨

Get ready to embark on a creative journey to the moon with this captivating DIY project! Our Illuminated Moon Diorama with Astronaut is an imaginative and eco-friendly way to showcase your love for space. Using recycled materials like cardboard and egg tray mache, coupled with the magic of LED lights and the texture of plaster of Paris, this project brings the lunar surface to life. Perfect for paper and cardboard contests, this diorama not only highlights your crafting skills but also emphasizes sustainability and innovation. Follow along to create your own piece of the cosmos right at home!

• Cardboard
• 3mm Sunboard
• Pencil
• Scissors or craft knife
• Glue
• Plaster of Paris (PoP)
• GI Wire
• Paint (white, gray, and black)
• Paintbrushes (various sizes)
• 12V LED strip

• Cut two cardboard circles. One about 1 inch bigger in radius than the other.
• Stick them together with craft glue.

• Cut 1 inch width or sunboard strips.
• Encircle the cardboard with the strip using superglue.

• Fix 12v LED strips around the circle.
• Make a small hole and get the power-wire out from the side-bottom.
• Cover the strip with 1 inch width of cardboard's flat strip.
• Fix the strip with masking tape.

• Secure and strengthen all the surface using tapes

• Apply plaster of paris (POP) on the back of about 1 cm depth.
• Use a spreader to spread the plaster evenly and let it dry completely.
• Use another layer, spread and dry.
• Turn it front and apply a layer of plaster of about 1-2 cm height and don't let it dry this time.

• To create the craters I used different size of bottle and jar caps.
• Pressed the caps onto the plaster, and created different sizes of craters.
• With help of fingers created textures around the craters.
• With help of a mini hole presser, made small pricks on the surface and created the rough textures on the moon.

• After the plaster dried, used a 220 grit sandpaper and lightly sanded the sides.

• Installed a hook to hang the project on the wall.

• Took an egg tray, crumbled and soaked in water overnight.
• Strained the water from paper pulp in a cloth.
• Mixed the pulp with a tbsp of craft glue and a tbsp of plaster of paris.

• An armature was made using GI wire.
• The paper mache was used to sculpt the astronaut.
• POP was used to add little details.
• Kept for 48 hours to let it dry completely before applying color.

• Using acrylic colors the astronaut was painted.
• First a white base color was applied, and dried.
• Areas like the helmet, gloves, boots, belts were highlighted with sliver.

• Finally the astronaut was hanged using a thin fishing line.

Congratulations on completing your Illuminated Moon Diorama with Astronaut! You've successfully transformed simple, everyday materials into a stunning representation of lunar exploration. This project not only enhances your crafting skills but also showcases the potential of recycling and upcycling in creating beautiful, functional art. By participating in the paper and cardboard contest, you're not only sharing your creativity but also promoting eco-conscious crafting practices. Display your diorama proudly, knowing you've made a stellar contribution to both the art world and the environment. Happy crafting, and keep reaching for the stars!