Aquila Children's Magazine AQUILA Magazine Best Bits | Page 49

4 Protect the area with newspaper or plastic sheeting. The papier-mâché process is not quite as messy as an actual active volcano in your living room, but it is messy. 5 Mix your papier-mâché gloop. Mine is one-part glue to one-part water. Stir thoroughly. 6 Papier-mâché all over the newspaper balls. You know the drill: tear long thin strips of newspaper, dip them in the gloop, remove the excess gloop with your fingers, place the strip on the surface and smooth it down. When you have finished the first layer leave it to dry and then repeat this step again. Leave the whole thing to dry between layers. You’ll need three layers for maximum strength. 7 When the entire structure is dry, paint the rocks. I did a layer of black paint first, then I took a large, dry brush and gave the rocks a very light dusting of white/ light grey paint to highlight the angles. You can add as much colour as you like, but don’t sweep with your brush, instead you want to tickle, stipple and smoosh (yes, that is the technical term) . 8 Leave to dry. I know, waiting is annoying, but the more patient you are, the better your final result will be. 9 Paint the lava. Paint a blob of white in the middle, Blend as you go to get a smooth transition between colours. Isn’t it amazing to think that our entire planet once looked like this? TAKE IT FURTHER: Why not have a go at recreating a crystal geode using the same techniques? Be sure to send us photos of your makes. We love to see your handiwork! where the heat would be most intense. Then work outwards from light yellow, through orange to bright fluorescent red where the lava is beginning to cool and harden.