,,cigar-,,box ,,dioramas ,a 8,how-to-do-it0 ,handbook by ,arminta ,neal ,,contents3 ,box preparation1 background #a ,foreground blocks and figures #b ,accessories 444 paper mache mix #f ,rocks1 caves1 8moonscapes0 #h ,bushes and shrubs #aj ,ferns and palms #ab ,water #ad ,larger displays #af ,trees #ai ,evergreen ,trees #ai ,smoke #ba ,snow #ba ,sincere thanks are due ,shirley ,parman and ,doris ,samford for their assistance in this booklet's preparation4 ,copyright #aieh by ,arminta ,neal ,second ,printing #aifa ,,you ,,will ,,need 444 cigar boxes scissors1 small ,x-,acto knife with #aa blades ,tri-,tix rubber cement1 ,elmer's glue black construction paper1 index cards or similar weight cardboard paper clips small palette knife or spatula spray cans of paint1 black rubber-base paint piece of plate glass about #ab0 square ,in addition1 you are apt to need 444 ,pliobond cement 7manufactured by ,goodyear7 tooling aluminum or copper 7from craft or hobby shops7 ,balsa wood in and #a thick boards1 or slabs of styrofoam plastic4 ,balsa wood from hobby shops2 styrofoam from florists1 ten-cent stores1 or insulation companies4 assorted twigs and dried weeds1 collected in the ,fall sawdust sifted into fine1 medium1 and coarse grades 8,rit0 or 8,tintex0 dye--greens and browns lichen 7from model railroad shops7 gravel and fine sand nut picks1 leather modelling tools1 dental tools1 etc4 assorted jars with lids1 cans1 other mixing containers paper mache mix 7explained in text7 model kits1 novelties1 souvenirs1 post-cards1 etc4 ,,box ,,preparation ,,and ,,background ,the box can be designed with the lid to open up1 down or to one side4 ,the main label is pasted inside the lid4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,the box is painted on the outside1 either with any of the rubber-base 7latex7 paints1 or with paint from a spray can4 ,the inside of the box is given one or two coats of the black latex paint4 7,other flat black paints may also be used47 ,be very sure to wash any brushes that are used with the latex paint very soon after use4 ,use warm water and bar soap 7such as ,ivory74 ,once the rubber-base paint hardens there is little that can be done to restore the bristles4 ,a piece of black construction paper is cut to fit the box interior in a curve from one side to the other4 ,the magazine picture or large post-card you are using for the background is pasted to the construction paper1 using ,tri-,tix rubber cement4 ,then this curved paper is pasted to the box4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,,foreground ,,blocks ,,and ,,figures ,if it is desired1 a foreground base can be made with a block of balsa wood or a piece of styrofoam plastic4 ,the material is carved to blend1 in surface contours1 with the background picture4 ,if the background picture has land with uneven contours1 with hills or bluffs1 it will be best to carve the block with a slope down away from the front of the box4 ,illustration3 7,,front1 ,,cross-,,section7 ,if the background picture shows a low1 level1 flat area1 the foreground block should be carved sloping up at the back4 ,illustration3 7,,front1 ,,cross-,,section7 ,if a flat base is desired1 ,elmer's glue is brushed on the bottom inside of the box and sand1 gravel1 dyed sawdust or other texture is sprinkled on the wet glue1 after the figures are glued in place4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,the foreground is made from cut-out pictures or from figures and accessories from hobby shops1 ten-cent stores or other sources4 ,there are two methods of using magazine pictures for the foreground figures3 7#a7 ,paste the pictures to index cards or cardboard of similar weight4 ,use ,tri-,tix cement4 ,put the picture face down on scrap paper2 brush or spread a thin but complete coat of ,tri-,tix on the back of the picture4 ,work from the center out1 in radiating strokes4 ,illustration3 ,,scrap ,,paper ,turning the picture over1 place the center of the picture down on the cardboard4 ,smooth down from the center out4 ,place piece of waxed or scrap paper over picture1 roll down with a linoleum brayer or rolling pin4 ,this helps to remove all air bubbles4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,let cement dry completely before trimming picture4 ,when the excess rubber cement 7squeezed out on the scrap paper7 has changed from milky white to a translucent material1 the cement on the picture will be dry4 ,cutting against the plate glass1 trim out the parts of the picture needed with the ,x-,acto knife4 ,cutting against the glass produces a cleaner edge than against a different surface4 ,if your foreground is the flat side of the box1 without carved balsa or styrofoam block1 leave tabs on the bottoms of the trimmed figures4 ,fold these tabs back and glue to base4 ,illustration3 ,,tab ,if your foreground is of carved balsa or styrofoam1 trim out figure completely1 then glue supporting wire to the back4 ,straightened paper clips may be used1 being glued down with ,elmer's glue4 ,let about of wire extend from bottom of figure4 ,when glue is dry1 force wire into base4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 7#b7 ,the second method of using pictures is to glue the picture to a piece of light weight 7tooling7 aluminum or copper 7about #cb oz4 weight74 ,brush ,pliobond on the back of the picture1 smooth picture on aluminum or copper4 ,press out all air bubbles4 ,the ,pliobond holds immediately2 there is no need to wait4 ,use scissors to cut out the picture4 ,manicure scissors will help in small areas4 ,narrow strips1 such as the legs of animals1 will curl1 but the ,pliobond will hold the paper tight1 and the metal can be straightened4 ,fold a rag or smooth-finish hand towel 7not terry cloth7 into a soft pad4 ,place trimmed picture face down on pad4 ,using a dental tool1 rounded end of a nut pick1 leather modelling tools or similar equipment1 work the metal into a rounded form4 ,tool in the same manner as in regular copper work4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,when completely tooled1 the figure will have an appearance similar to that of bas-relief4 ,again1 the figures are reinforced with wire glued to the back1 using ,pliobond4 ,as with the cardboard backed figures1 the wire should extend about from the bottom of the figure4 ,the figure is fastened in the same manner1 by forcing the wire into the base block4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,if the foreground figure does not stand higher than the cigar box is deep1 it may be placed on the lid of the box1 and the background material carefully located so that the lid will still close4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,,accessories ,ground3 ,all ground has texture1 whether it is a pine-needle blanketed slope or an asphalt pavement4 ,the surface beneath our feet looks nothing at all as does a painted surface4 ,so it is1 that one of the most important points to remember in creating an illusion of reality and depth in a diorama1 whether it is of cigar box or department store window size1 is to create an appropriate foreground texture4 ,the balsa wood or styrofoam block you may have used in your foreground provides the main shape and bulk of that foreground4 ,a good paper-mache mix can be made by mixing equal parts of ,plaster-of-,paris1 yellow dextrine1 and powdered asbestos4 ,the plaster and asbestos can be found in building supply stores1 and the yellow dextrine at the chemical supply houses4 ,denver ,fire ,clay has the yellow dextrine in ,denver4 ,put these three dry ingredients in a jar and shake them until they are well distributed4 ,the mix can be stored dry4 ,to use1 add water to the dry mix to the consistency of putty or a very thick paste1 mixing just enough to use at one time4 ,the mache will form a 8skin0 on the surface in about an hour1 but can be pushed and modelled somewhat longer4 ,it will dry to a rock-like hardness overnight4 ,if you plan to build up much thickness1 it is best to do it in several thin layers4 ,let each layer dry before adding the next4 ,the mache mix is spread over the balsa wood or styrofoam block with the palette knife or flexible spatula1 to a thickness of no more than _/4 ,if the mix sticks to the palette knife 7or to your fingers71 moisten the knife just a little1 and the material will not stick4 ,the mache can be used to make a smooth joint between the foreground block that slopes up at the back and the picture background4 ,try to make this joint a smooth curve1 not a sharp angle4 ,illustration3 ,,mache ,,mix ,cliff faces and large rocks1 or formations such as those in a 8moonscape01 can be carved from styrofoam chunks4 ,the blocks or chunks are fastened together by using wooden toothpicks and ,elmer's glue4 ,the complete foreground is then covered with a layer of the paper mache mix to hide the obvious plastic texture4 ,again1 ,elmer's glue is brushed on and the 8rocks0 are given a texture with fine sawdust or sand4 ,illustration3 ,moonscape ,,background ,,of 8,,moonscape0 ,,cut ,,from ,,book ,,jacket4 ,,styrofoam ,,carved ,,into ,,rock ,,form4 ,,bottom ,,smeared ,,with ,,elmer',s ,,glue1 ,,toothpick ,,forced ,,into ,,base4 ,,styrofoam ,,base ,another type of cliff face1 with a carved cave opening 7for bears1 prehistoric cave dwellers1 etc47 is made in the same way4 ,in mounting1 the background picture is curved on just one side and the carved cliff face occupies the full depth of the cigar box on the side opposite the curve4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,the same covering of mache1 glue1 and texture finishes this foreground4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,if grass-like 8weeds0 or plants are to be shown in the foreground they can be made of hemp rope cut and pushed into the wet mache mix4 ,dye the hemp green with 8,rit0 or 8,tintex0 before using4 ,the adhesive quality of the mix will hold the strands securely4 ,when the mache mix has dried to a rock hardness1 the ground is painted with a thick coat of ,elmer's glue and sprinkled with a generous layer of varying textures and colors4 ,very fine sawdust already dyed a bright green is available at model railroad shops as model railroad 8grass04 ,if you prefer a less brilliant color1 you may dye sawdust with the ,rit or ,tintex4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,take two one pound coffee cans4 ,punch holes in the bottom of one with a hammer and nail4 ,hold the coffee can against a scrap of #b #d wood when you punch the holes4 ,set up the cans1 the 8sieve0 on top4 ,fill the top can about half full of sawdust4 ,heat two or three cups of water to boiling point4 ,drop in dye tablet or powder and let it dissolve4 ,pour hot dye over sawdust4 ,the dye can be poured through the sawdust as many times as is necessary to get the depth of color desired4 ,spread wet sawdust out on newspapers to dry4 ,it is a good idea to dye several batches with different greens and browns1 and to sift the dried sawdust through a piece of window screen1 then a kitchen sieve1 to get fine1 medium and coarse grades4 ,a different texture can be made by grinding up a wooden dowel 7available at hardware stores or lumber companies7 in a clean pencil sharpener4 ,when you glue the sawdust--or fine sand--or any other texture to the base1 vary the color and the texture4 ,use some light green and some dark1 and add a little brown or tan of a finer texture than the green1 to resemble dirt showing through the grass4 ,gravel ranging from ,,bb shot to garden pea size can be used for larger rocks4 ,it is also a good idea to use coarse textures near the front of the box1 fine textures at the rear1 to approximate a correct textural perspective4 ,the most important thing to do in putting in this dirt and grass covering is to observe nature itself as closely as it is possible1 seeing just how patches of vegetation grow--whether slopes are bare and what the 8mosaic0 of dirt and greenness is4 ,the foreground will look natural only if it is based on observed knowledge of the actual relationships in nature4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,bushes and ,shrubs 444 can be made with the previously described hemp method and by using lichen from model railroad shops1 dried weeds and twigs1 fern-like material 7actually a kind of seaweed7 usually sold at ,christmas time by ten-cent stores1 by using cut paper and any other material that appears appropriate4 ,sponges are not recommended4 ,somehow1 they always resemble nothing but sponges4 ,lichen can be torn into little clumps and fastened to the base with ,elmer's glue4 ,dried weeds and twigs can be dipped in ,elmer's glue1 then sprinkled with or dipped into the dyed sawdust to get a different texture in a bush4 ,if you have cut tiny scraps of colored paper1 these can be spotted on the lichen or dried weed bushes to resemble flowers4 ,a toothpick will help to put just one drop of glue on the bush--and the same glue-dipped toothpick will then pick up the fleck of color to put it in place4 ,unprinted newspaper 7available in pads from art supply stores7 can be used to make the spears at the base of a yucca tree4 ,cut a strip of unprinted newspaper4 ,slash it4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,roll up strip tightly and spread ,elmer's glue along bottom of strip as you roll4 ,bend outer layers down to make proper shape4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,prickly pear cactus can be made with pipe cleaners bent into correct outline1 tied with thread1 then the outlines filled in with the paper mache mix4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,ferns and palms 444 ,ferns and palms are made by gluing a wire 7get a spool of #bb or #bc gauge wire from a hardware store7 between two lengths of gummed paper tape4 ,let wire extend beyond paper tape for length of stem or trunk plus the usual for pushing into the base4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,bend paper over1 trim1 then slash4 ,make several1 then twist wire 8stems0 together4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,paint fronds with poster color1 water color1 or latex white with casein colors4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,if 8fiddlenecks0 are required1 they can be made from pipe cleaners and twisted in with the wire stems of the fronds4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,,crepe ,,paper ,,trunk ,,can ,,be ,,padded ,,with ,,cotton4 ,wrap stems with or strip of brown crepe paper cut across grain of package1 and fastened with library paste or ,elmer's glue4 ,bend wire 8fronds0 into proper shape4 ,drill or punch hole in base4 ,smear base of tree and hole with ,elmer's glue1 mount tree in place4 ,glue dirt or grass in place at base of tree4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,water ,a quiet pond may be made with a mirror4 ,glue the mirror to the cigar box before installing anything else4 ,glue in the background picture next1 then carve chunks of styrofoam for the remaining foreground4 ,slope 8shores0 down toward mirror 8pond04 ,let the edges of the styrofoam cover edges of mirror1 making an irregular shape for the pond4 ,glue styrofoam in place with ,elmer's4 ,for added realism1 ripples may be added to the mirror surface1 using clear varnish and oil paints4 ,mix a tiny bit of ,prussian or 8,thalo0 blue with some clear varnish4 ,use just enough to tint the varnish4 ,flow varnish on surface of mirror1 to a depth of about _/4 ,before varnish is completely dry1 use an empty 8,flit0 gun to pump air over the surface4 ,this air will form ripples which1 as the varnish dries1 will remain on the surface4 ,it may be necessary to repeat the air pumping a few times before the varnish surface hardens4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,a stream can be made using broken glass and some ,duco or ,testor's ,airplane cement4 ,the light blue glass from broken telephone line insulators1 light blue ,mexican glass or other glass of a light blue color may be used4 ,put the glass in a paper sack1 then put that sack into two more sacks4 ,put the sacks on a solid surface and break the glass into small pieces by hitting the sack with a hammer4 ,make your foreground with styrofoam or balsa wood chunks1 covering the material with the paper mache mix and working out 7modelling7 the stream bed with the mix4 ,let the mache harden before completing the stream4 ,while the mix is still soft1 push in weeds1 cattails1 any correct streamside plants1 making them from hemp rope or from other previously described materials4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,,rope ,,strands ,,dipped ,,in ,,glue ,,or ,,plaster ,,for ,,cattails4444 ,,rocks ,,placed ,,in ,,dry ,,stream ,,bed4 ,when the stream bed is hard1 paint the bottom with a blue paint2 lighten this blue color as you paint from the bottom toward the sides4 ,along the banks of the stream1 paint in a light brown color4 ,let the paint dry completely4 ,squirt a small amount of ,duco or ,testor's along the stream bottom2 sprinkle pieces of glass thickly in glue before the glue sets4 ,push the glass into the glue to be sure it is well anchored4 ,squirt more cement over top of glass until top surface looks the same as a stream surface4 ,again1 follow nature as closely as it is possible4 ,base your stream direction1 flow1 eddies1 and riffles on observed knowledge4 ,mix a little talcum powder in some of the glue and stir quickly and hard to get a froth4 ,use this white1 frothy material along the part of the stream surface that would be frothy4 ,if you want the 8water0 to be breaking over boulders in the stream bed1 place pea-size gravel pebbles in the stream bed at the same time you place the glass fragments4 ,another method for a stream uses aluminum foil and light blue cellophane4 ,using ordinary household aluminum foil1 tear off enough to cover the bottom of your stream area4 ,crumple the foil tightly1 then smooth it out and glue to the base with ,duco1 ,testor's1 or ,pliobond4 ,cut a piece of blue-green cellophane to fit over the foil4 ,crumple the cellophane tightly1 then smooth out4 ,glue the cellophane to the foil with ,duco or ,testor's4 ,finish both of the above stream methods by painting ,elmer's glue along the banks and shore1 covering the edge of the water area1 then sprinkle with sand1 sawdust1 or other texture1 and complete the vegetation as previously described4 ,,larger ,,displays ,most of the methods used in making the cigar box exhibits can be used in preparing larger displays1 but the immediate problem presented is that of the setting1 since there are no standard size boxes of the correct proportions into which to put your foreground material4 ,this is easily solved4 ,use ,elmer's glue and carpet tacks to fasten a piece of pebble-board1 matt board1 or poster board to two #a #a wooden supports4 ,illustration3 ,,pebble ,,board #a #a ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,nail on top and bottom wooden #a #a braces to give the curve to the background4 ,poke1 pull1 and bend window screen to form main contours of base4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,drill pairs of holes around pebble-board background4 ,push hairpin shaped wire 7stovepipe wire or finer7 through screen1 through holes1 twist tightly in back with pliers4 ,spread paper mache mix over window screen with palette knife or spatula4 ,dry tempera pigments may be mixed very sparingly with mache to give a basic ground color4 ,smooth joint between screen and background into a curve1 not a sharp angle4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 8,plant0 hemp 8bushes0 in wet mache if desired4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,,background shaded ,,dark top to ,,light bottom ,,base shaded ,,dark front to ,,light back ,,pebbleboard ,,front ,mix three sky blues from ,towne's ,gold ,bond ,latex ,blue and a latex white4 ,paint dark at the top1 blend medium in the middle1 light at bottom1 blending almost to white at the horizon4 ,use a soft #a brush4 ,do not be afraid to blend4 ,cut and glue a piece of pebble-board to fit between the bottom of contoured foreground and base4 ,use ,elmer's glue4 ,mix three browns for ground color4 ,use burnt umber casein tube color with latex white4 ,paint dark at front of foreground1 blend through medium to very light at the background4 ,when paint dries1 proceed as with cigar box1 spreading foreground surface with a thick coat of ,elmer's glue1 sprinkling on dyed sawdust1 sand1 gravel1 etc4 ,bushes and shrubs are made the same way1 with lichen1 weeds1 and other materials4 ,,trees ,autumn and winter trees are made from dried twigs and weeds4 ,leafed-out trees are made from clothesline wire and lichen4 ,twist wire into tree skeleton shape4 ,see art books on 8how to draw trees0 for different tree skeletons and silhouettes4 ,cover wire trunk with paper mache mix and model to resemble bark4 ,tear off small clumps of lichen and glue to wire branches with ,elmer's glue4 ,drape some pieces over several branches4 ,illustration3 ,,base ,drill hole in base1 glue tree in place4 ,use paper mache to build up base of tree and to model exposed roots4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 ,,bottle ,,brush ,,tree ,,plastic ,,tree ,,kit ,,evergreen ,,trees ,small trees in the distance can be made by trimming bottle or test-tube brushes to the proper shape4 ,dip tree in green enamel paint1 then sprinkle dyed sawdust on wet paint1 or shake paint-wet tree in jar with dyed sawdust4 ,use paper mache mix to build proper trunk texture4 ,medium size trees can be made from an excellent 8,tree ,kit0 manufactured by ,aurora ,plastics ,co41 of ,west ,hempstead1 ,new ,york1 and available at most model railroad shops4 ,this kit contains graduated sections that are stacked together and glued4 ,it will help to touch up and vary the color4 ,oil paints will stick to the plastic4 ,these trees are glued to your base with ,pliobond4 ,large evergreens can be made from golden yarrow gathered in fall and winter4 ,the stalks are dyed a deep green and permitted to dry4 ,illustration3 7unlabelled7 #bj ,,gauge ,,wire ,,branches ,,wired ,,together ,use ,weldwood contact cement to glue a small diameter wire to under side of twig4 ,use tube to spread cement along twig4 ,hold wire with spring clothespin and run full length of wire into tube4 ,let cement dry for about #ae minutes1 then press wire to under side of twig4 ,bend wire and stem into desired position4 ,use fine wire to fasten several twigs together into branches4 ,using a wooden dowel at least in diameter 7get at hardware store up to #c long71 drill small holes through from different angles4 ,then1 by whittling or sanding1 taper the dowel4 ,poke wire-wrapped branch ends into holes4 ,anchor with ,pliobond4 ,let dry1 then trim excess branch lengths from opposite side of trunk4 ,use paper mache mix to cover wooden dowel1 shape and thicken branches and trunk1 and model branch joints4 ,paint the paper mache with water colors1 poster colors1 or latex white with casein temperas4 ,illustration3 ,,use ,,paper ,,mache ,,to ,,model ,,roots ,,smoke 444 is made by spraying a wisp of cotton with clear ,krylon4 ,this clear plastic in a spray can is obtained from nearly any art supply house and at most hardware stores4 ,draw out the cotton into a smoke-shaped wisp4 ,spray gently with the ,krylon to set shape1 then spray again to strengthen4 ,the cotton may be drawn out even more after the ,krylon has set4 ,,snow 444 can be indicated by using styrofoam and not coating it with the paper mache mix4 ,a finer textured snow is made by spraying the ,christmas spray-can 8snow0 over the modelled paper mache base1 and adding sparkle by glueing specks of salt in place4 ,the spray-can snow is a good material to use in putting snow on tree branches4 ,one last minute tip 444 when you use a brush with the ,tri-,tix rubber cement1 soap the bristles thoroughly before using4 ,get the brush wet1 then scrub up a good lather with ,ivory or similar bar soap2 squeeze most of the lather out of the brush1 but do not wash it out4 ,then1 in its lathered state1 use the brush with the ,tri-,tix4 ,wash it out immediately after use4 ,the soap remaining in the brush during the glueing process will make the brush easy to clean4 ,a final word4444 ,remember always1 that it is not necessary for a person to have trained artistic ability to produce interesting exhibits4 ,imagination and the ability to try something new are the only requirements4 ,materials can be found1 sometimes1 in most unlikely spots 444 aquarium supply stores1 novelty shops4 ,once one has become conscious of the possibilities1 miniature things leap into view from the store shelves1 and whole forests of trees can be seen in a weed4 ,,cigar ,,box ,,dioramas ,these little displays can be used in many ways4 ,they are simple enough that a child can make them1 effective enough to stimulate interest in the subject portrayed4 ,they can be made by the teacher and used to spark interest in new units or made by the students as projects for the unit4 ,they are useful as follow-up projects after a field trip to a museum1 industry1 or other place of interest4 ,one need not be an artist to create interesting and acceptable displays4 ,there are many items available from novelty stores1 souvenir counters1 or ten-cent stores1 which can be adapted to use in the cigar boxes4 ,pictures clipped from magazines can be used for backgrounds1 as can the large picture post-cards now found nearly everywhere4 ,the person who exercises imagination1 seeing space ships in plastic hair curlers and rocket ships in metal pencil protectors1 will enjoy making the exhibits and will be able to share the creative experience with others4 ,,arminta ,,neal #difj ,w4 ,oregon ,place ,denver #ai1 ,colorado ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,collated ,table of ,contents1 and added some captions to allow the ,,toc to be fully linked4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4