Building a papier mache volcano is a fun and interactive project. The process consists of two main phases: the actual realization and the eruption! Papier mache is a compound made with glue, water and flour that is applied to strips of newspaper and spread on a cardboard base to build a sturdy mountain. The eruption is obtained thanks to the chemical reaction between sodium bicarbonate and vinegar; in some cases, Mentos candies and Coca-Cola Light can also be used.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Building the Base
Step 1. Create the base surface
You can always make it out of papier mache if you like, but it's worth starting with a ready-made platform. In fact, you can use just about anything, depending on the shape of the volcano you want to build. Paper products are typically inexpensive, disposable, and fairly robust.
- An upside-down paper or plastic bowl is a simple, yet solid base that allows you to build a low but functional volcano.
- If you have decided to make a taller, pointed volcano, attach the toilet paper tube to the top of the bowl. Then line it with paper towels and masking tape to give it a sketchy shape. The toilet roll tube allows you to have a mouth, or "crater," ready for your volcano.
- If you need a wider base, you can place the main part of the volcano on a cardboard tray or plate; this detail will prove useful to contain the splashes of "lava" when the volcano "erupts".
Step 2. Get a small bottle, about 6 cm high
This will become the crater of the volcano, the chamber where you will mix the baking soda and vinegar without causing any leaks. Make sure the bottle is made of waterproof material and can hold the vinegar without letting it percolate. In theory, you should get a bottle with a relatively narrow neck, so that the lava flow is concentrated and does not disperse.
- If you have decided to make a small volcano, use a tube for camera rolls or a single-serving bottle of yogurt. If you have opted for a large model, you can get a 360ml plastic bottle, which can hold more reagents.
- If you plan to use the volcano more than once or think you need to replace the bottle, consider covering it with a plastic bag so the papier mache doesn't stick to the surface. This little precaution will prove invaluable when, for example, you want to replace the crater with a new bottle of Coca-Cola Light to generate the eruption.
Step 3. Attach the "bottle-crater" to the center of the base using super glue
Make sure the opening is facing up so that you can pour in the vinegar and baking soda. Try to fix the container in such a way as to make it stable and level, because it represents the heart of the volcano; it is therefore of fundamental importance that it is firmly glued to guarantee resistance to the rest of the sculpture.
Step 4. Also insert a tray to collect the sketches
If you have decided that your paper mache volcano will erupt, you also need to consider how to handle the foam generated by the mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Therefore, you can build the model in a cardboard box (with one side open, but leaving a small edge at the bottom to stop the "lava") or on top of a thick cardboard base. The base and core of the volcano can be attached to the tray with glue or tape; alternatively, you can just place it on the guard every time you want it to erupt.
- It would be more appropriate to choose a food-grade plastic tray, a plywood panel or an old Frisbee. Place the volcano on a surface that is not valuable or irreplaceable.
- You can also simply place the volcano in a spot where the vinegar and baking soda mixture can drain and drain easily - such as on the ground outdoors, in a sink, in the bathtub, or on a concrete patio.
Part 2 of 3: Building the Volcano
Step 1. Prepare the dough
This is the main compound of any papier-mâché project. There are several "recipes" that you can follow, although the main ingredients remain water, flour and sometimes glue. Generally, the ratio of 1: 6 between flour and water is respected; afterwards, you can add 15-60ml of glue to make the structure more solid, but it is not essential.
Step 2. Prepare the paper strips
That of newspaper or kitchen is perfect for making papier-mâché. Both are very absorbent and are much more malleable than regular printer paper or card stock, although the latter two are a viable alternative. Tear the paper into strips about 2-3 cm wide and 15 cm long. You don't need to be precise, remember that wide and short pieces are easier to manipulate and allow for good coverage.
Step 3. Spread a first layer of paper over the base
Dip the strips into the sticky mixture and squeeze the excess by running two fingers over the paper. Place the strip on the base of the volcano; the ideal is to place each fragment randomly. If you follow a consistent pattern, such as vertically or horizontally, eventually the volcano will have ugly raised ridges and even cracks when it dries up. Continue to lay out the paper strips until the base is fully coated.
Have some old rags or cloths available to clean your hands. Paper mache can stick to your hands and make other operations difficult. If you are helping children with construction, remember that they may wipe their hands on their own clothes, those of others, or surrounding surfaces
Step 4. Wait for the volcano to dry between one layer and another of papier-mâché
If the first or subsequent coating is not dry before applying another one, the volcano will take a long time to completely dry once finished. The more layers you apply, the amount of paste you use and the paint you spread, the more moisture that gets trapped inside the volcano. All of this could cause the construction to crack, which could collapse or fill with mold. Finally, the paint may not dry properly and generate external cracks.
Step 5. Add more layers of papier mache
Once the base is completely dry, continue applying more strips of paper around the core of the volcano, until you reach the thickness you want. If you have no idea of the final thickness, it is still worth covering the base with three layers of paper. To make the edges of the crater more rounded, wrap the end of a strip inside the cardboard tube and glue the other end to the outer wall of the volcano.
Step 6. Apply the final layer and wait for the entire structure to dry completely
The last covering of papier-mâché must not form a smooth surface; for the volcano to look realistic it is much better if it is rippled! The first few layers should be relatively smooth to ensure solidity to the structure. The latter, on the other hand, has an aesthetic purpose and must be modeled accordingly. Glue each strip of paper onto the volcano and then pinch it in the center. This will create ripples that will look like rocks.
Step 7. Paint the volcano
When the papier-mâché is dry, color the sculpture to make it look like a real volcano! Use acrylic paints to make your creation more realistic; Tempera and other types of colors are fine too, but acrylics are best with papier-mâché. Gray and brown flecked with black give your sculpture the look of a rocky active volcano, while green is more suitable for a dormant mountain covered mostly with grass. If you have good decorative skills, you can also add some red or yellow spots near the crater and along the slope, to represent the magma of an erupting volcano!
Part 3 of 3: Unleashing the Eruption
Step 1. Prepare your volcano for the explosion
The rash is nothing more than the result of the chemical reaction between two substances, usually baking soda and vinegar. You will need 250ml of vinegar and 60g of baking soda, although the exact dosage will depend on the size of the model and the crater. Alternatively, you can use Mentos candies and Coca-Cola Light to creatively blow up your volcano. In this case, you need 360ml of soda and three candies.
Step 2. Prepare the rash with vinegar and baking soda
Use 60 ml of vinegar (or at most 250 ml) and 60 g of baking soda. You can decide to fill the crater with vinegar and then add the baking soda to trigger the reaction or put the powder ingredient first and then the liquid. There is no need to use a specific brand name for the ingredients, although white vinegar does offer better results. Consider adding a few drops of red food coloring or cherry jelly to give the mixture a more lava-like appearance.
- If you pour the baking soda first and then the vinegar, drop 60 g of powdered ingredient into the bottom of the crater bottle. Be prepared to handle any splashes that will form, and when you're ready for the rash, pour 60ml (or 250ml) of vinegar over the baking soda. The volcano will erupt, erupting foam over the edge of the crater, as if it were lava, which will then flow down the papier-mâché slope.
- Alternatively, pour in the vinegar first and then the baking soda. Add up to 250ml of liquid into the crater, depending on the size of the bottle you used. Also drop the food coloring or gelatin granules. When you're ready, pour all the baking soda into the liquid in one go and enjoy the eruption!
Step 3. Prepare the explosion with Mentos and Coke Light
In theory, you should use an unopened soft drink bottle as a "magma chamber", although you may decide to pour into the opened Coca-Cola crater just before the moment of the explosion. Whichever method you choose, make sure you have a bottle full of fizzy Coca-Cola Light in the center of the model. Drop all the candy into it as quickly as possible, to get a powerful and steady eruption.
- A trick that can help you with this is to drill a hole in the center of each Mentos and thread them into a string. When you're ready for the blast, hold the string with the three candies over the bottle of Coke and drop it.
- Flavored versions of Coca-Cola Light, such as vanilla or cherry, do not react as well as the original soda, just as flavored Mentos do not generate the same effect as the classic mint ones. Respect tradition to have a perfect eruption!
Step 4. Clean
If some of the "lava" has fallen to the floor, kitchen base or other surface, wipe it off before it dries. This step is especially important if you have used the soda, as it leaves a sticky residue once it dries. Take a sponge and scrub all surfaces. If you want to use the volcano again, clean it before it becomes soaked in foam or liquid. When the model is dry again, you can use it again!
Advice
- If you don't want to use the usual strips of newspaper, you can buy plaster casts, which will make the process a lot easier!
- To make the grass even more realistic, use paints of light and dark green color. To enhance the appearance of the volcano, also color it gray and brown.
