Diorama and Model Making Materials

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In brief

Diorama and model making materials include boards, plastics and foam for building bases, terrain, buildings and windows. Build architectural study models quickly from foam board, detailed painted buildings from foamed PVC clad with HIPS, windows from clear PET and durable gaming terrain from EVA foam. Choose board thickness to suit the scale: a 30 cm-thick wall is 3 mm thick at 1 : 100 scale.

A diorama is a three-dimensional scene – vehicles, figures or buildings in a modelled landscape on a base; an architectural model shows a building or site to scale. Find out which material to use for each part of your model, which scale to choose, and how to build a massing model, ruin or gaming terrain. Learn more about each material in our sections on foam board, PVC and plastic sheets and EVA foam; a rigid aluminium composite panel also provides a firm base that will not bend.

Diorama and model making materials by type of model

White foam board urban massing model of blocks and tiny trees in warm raking light

Architectural models

A competition massing model at 1 : 500 scale made from white foam board blocks; a presentation house model at 1 : 100 scale with thin plastic walls and PET windows; or a contour model of a site made from layers of 3 mm foam board. Common scales: 1 : 500 for surroundings and urban planning, 1 : 200 for massing studies, 1 : 100 for detailed buildings, and 1 : 50 for interiors and cross-sections.

Pick: For blocks and contours, use white 3 mm foam board; for façades, white 1 mm HIPS sheet; for the base, 5 mm Celuka PVC.

Grey-primed ruined brick building walls on a thick white plinth with plastic offcuts and a file

Military and vehicle dioramas

A street corner with a ruined building at 1 : 35 scale, or a small plinth for a single vehicle (a vignette). Cut the walls from 3 mm foamed PVC, scribe bricks into HIPS cladding, and use a rigid base so plaster or water effects will not warp it. A 30 cm-thick wall is about 8–9 mm thick at 1 : 35 scale, so laminate two 3 mm sheets with HIPS cladding.

Pick: For walls, use 3 mm foamed PVC; for the plinth, 10 mm Celuka PVC.

Painted rocky foam hills and a dry stone wall with grassy tufts on tabletop terrain

Gaming tabletop terrain

For 28 mm figures (roughly 1 : 56; 28–32 mm depending on the manufacturer), build modular ruins and buildings from 5 mm foam board or 3 mm PVC with HIPS details, hills and rocks from layered EVA foam, and sci-fi containers from black or white HIPS. Design terrain for play: include flat spaces for figures, removable roofs and bevelled edges.

Pick: For hills and rocks, use black 5 mm EVA foam or 10 mm; for sci-fi parts, use black 1 mm HIPS.

Model railway station at dusk with warmly lit windows, platform canopy, lamp post and trees

Model railways

Make a station building and platform from 3 mm PVC with a HIPS façade, low-relief background buildings from PVC or 3 mm foam board, and module fascia boards from 3 mm PVC. The most common scales are H0 1 : 87, TT 1 : 120 and N 1 : 160. Glaze windows with clear PET, or use milky PET for illuminated windows.

Pick: Use clear 1 mm PET sheet for glazing and milky white 1 mm PET sheet to diffuse light.

Hand fitting a silver mirror panel into a white foam board roombox beside a clear pane

Doll’s houses and roomboxes

The standard scale for doll’s houses is 1 : 12, with 1 : 24 as the half scale. Build a roombox shell from 10 mm foam board or 5 mm PVC, cut mirrors from mirror polystyrene, use clear PET for window panes and milky PET for light panels.

Pick: For the shell, use self-adhesive white 10 mm foam board or 5 mm foamed PVC; find mirror polystyrene among PVC and plastic sheets.

Hand placing a cut-out tree in a box diorama with green foam ground and white hills

School projects, museums and figure photography

Make a natural habitat diorama in a box, a model of a historic town or a volcano from layered foam board. Toy and figure photographers use foam board walls and a PVC floor to build tabletop scenes as backdrops.

Pick: For school models, use white 5 mm foam board, 70 × 100 cm; for scene floors, 3 mm foamed PVC.

Diorama and model making materials: which board for each part

What forPick
Base that must not bendCeluka PVC or foamed PVC 5–10 mm, or 3 mm aluminium composite panel; 10 mm foam board only for lightweight, dry projects, painted on both sides
Terrain and contoursLayer 3–5 mm foam board (layer thickness = contour interval); use 3 mm PVC for durable contours and EVA foam for gaming terrain
Walls for study and massing modelsWhite 3–5 mm foam board
Walls for detailed, painted models3 mm foamed PVC with 1 mm HIPS cladding, or 3 mm Celuka with a harder surface
Roofs, floors and ceilings1 mm HIPS or 3 mm PVC, or 3 mm foam board
Windows, water, ice and coversClear 1 mm PET; use acrylic sheet for thicker and larger covers
Frosted windows and illuminated interiorsMilky 1 mm PET; use black HIPS or black foam board inside to prevent light showing through
Durable gaming terrain, sci-fi and industrial parts5–10 mm EVA foam; use 1 mm HIPS or 3 mm ABS for sci-fi parts

How to make a foam board architectural massing model (1 : 200 or 1 : 500)

A massing model shows only the volumes of buildings. Start with a scaled plan and a rigid base, then cut the walls in batches.

Hand cutting white foam board along a steel ruler, a white massing model behind

You will need:

cutting mat · steel ruler · craft knife (snap-off blade knife) and spare blades · set square · PVA glue · dressmaking pins · plan printed to scale · low-tack tape

  1. Print the site plan and building floor plans at the model scale, then use a ruler to check one known dimension.
  2. Cut the base from 3 mm aluminium composite panel or 5–10 mm PVC; for a lightweight study model, 10 mm foam board painted on both sides is sufficient. Fix the plan with low-tack tape or mark out the main points.
  3. Calculate the volume height by dividing the real height by the scale: 15 m at 1 : 200 scale is 75 mm.
  4. Build the volumes from layers of 5 mm sheets or as hollow boxes with ‘remove foam, leave paper’ corners (see the method for foam board).
  5. Cut all walls of the same height in batches against a stop, using a new blade and 2–3 strokes.
  6. Glue the boxes with PVA, secure them with pins, check with a set square and fit the roofs flush with the edges.
  7. Keep the model abstract: use white for proposed buildings and distinguish the surroundings with grey or black board or another material; trees can be simple balls or sticks.
  8. Fix the volumes to the base with small dots of PVA and weigh them down lightly while the glue dries. You can protect the model from dust with an acrylic cover.

How to make a ruined building diorama at 1 : 35 scale

A street corner with a ruined house is a classic diorama for a vehicle or figures. Make the walls from foamed PVC, the details from HIPS and the windows from PET.

Hand gluing a clear window pane into a white ruined wall with a fine nozzle

You will need:

fine-toothed saw or craft knife · steel ruler · small drill · files and pliers · PVC adhesive · liquid plastic model cement · cyanoacrylate adhesive · PVA glue · texturing paste or sand · plastic primer and acrylic paints · safety goggles

  1. Plan the composition on paper: choose one focal point, position the building at an angle to the edge of the base (diagonals look more natural than parallel lines), and leave space for a vehicle or figures.
  2. Cut a rigid plinth from 10 mm Celuka PVC or 3 mm aluminium composite panel, or edge it with wood. Plaster and water effects must not make it bend.
  3. Cut the walls from 3 mm foamed PVC. A 30 cm-thick wall is about 8–9 mm at 1 : 35 scale: laminate two 3 mm sheets with HIPS cladding. Wear goggles when sawing.
  4. Drill the window corners and cut out the openings. Break the top edge of the ruin irregularly with pliers or a knife, and scribe rows of bricks into the HIPS cladding.
  5. Glue PVC to PVC with PVC adhesive or cyanoacrylate; glue HIPS details with liquid plastic model cement. Check the right angles and work in a well-ventilated area.
  6. Fix the building to the base. Make the terrain from texturing paste, sand or fine gravel bound with diluted PVA; use offcuts to make rubble.
  7. Fix clear 1 mm PET behind the window openings with a thin line of cyanoacrylate or clear tape around the edges. Never use plastic model cement – it will cloud the PET and will not bond it.
  8. Prime everything with plastic primer, then apply a dark base coat. Use lighter tones and dry-brush to pick out the edges, and apply diluted washes in recesses. Finish by adding a vehicle or figures, weathering and matt varnish.

How to make EVA foam hills and rock faces for gaming terrain

EVA foam is impact-resistant and lightweight, and heat lets you press a stone texture into it. It is a more durable choice than foam board for gaming terrain.

You will need:

5–10 mm EVA foam · 3 mm PVC or 5 mm foam board for the base · sharp knife and cutting mat · heat gun and heat-resistant surface · ball of crumpled aluminium foil · contact adhesive or hot glue gun · PVA glue or acrylic gesso · acrylic paints and sand

  1. Cut the base from a rigid board (3 mm PVC or 5 mm foam board), slightly larger than the hill, and bevel its edges so figures do not topple over.
  2. Cut successively smaller layers from the EVA foam and bevel each edge to make a slope.
  3. Glue the layers with contact adhesive or a hot glue gun. Test solvent-based adhesives not intended for foam on an offcut first.
  4. On a heat-resistant surface, heat a section of foam with the heat gun on its lowest effective setting until it becomes slightly glossy and soft, then press a ball of crumpled aluminium foil into it to create a stone texture. Reheating smooths it out.
  5. Briefly heat the whole surface to close the pores and stop paint soaking in. If the foam bubbles, it is too hot.
  6. Seal the surface with a mix of PVA glue and black acrylic paint (about 3 : 1) or acrylic gesso, and let it dry completely; this protects the foam from solvent sprays too.
  7. Stick sand to flat areas with PVA and seal it with diluted PVA so it does not rub off.
  8. Apply a dark base coat, dry-brush lighter grey and brown tones onto the raised areas, add grass and finish with matt varnish so the terrain stands up to gaming.

Tips for building a diorama or architectural model

  • Choose the scale first – it determines wall thickness, window size and figure size. A 30 cm-thick wall measures 1.5 mm at 1 : 200 scale, 3 mm at 1 : 100 and 6 mm at 1 : 50.
  • Build on a rigid base: a base that bends can crack scenery and water effects.
  • Angling buildings and varying the heights of features make a diorama look more natural.
  • Paint foam board bases on both sides or they will bend.
  • Lighting: plan the wiring before gluing the walls and use LEDs – they run at low voltage and produce little heat, which matters with foam board, as it does not tolerate heat. Put milky PET behind the windows and make the interior walls black to prevent light showing through.
  • Cut identical parts in batches against a stop so they are all the same size.
  • Keep architectural models monochrome – white, grey or black – so light and shadow define the form.
  • Test every combination of glue, paint and material on an offcut, and keep the offcuts: they can become rubble, crates and steps.

✓ Good practice

  • Use PVA glue on foam board, liquid plastic model cement on HIPS, PVC adhesive on PVC, and cyanoacrylate or tape on PET.
  • Ventilate when using solvent-based adhesives and spray primers.
  • Use a rigid base under plaster, water effects and heavy parts.
  • Wear safety goggles when sawing plastic.
  • Plan lighting cables before gluing the walls.

✗ Avoid these mistakes

  • Do not spray solvent-based paint directly onto foam board or EVA foam – seal the surface first.
  • Do not burn or laser-cut PVC – it releases hydrogen chloride.
  • Do not use foam board for outdoor or wet scenery.
  • Do not glue PET windows with plastic model cement – it will cloud them and will not bond them.
  • Do not leave models near a radiator or in direct sunlight: foam board does not tolerate heat, and PVC will deform in a hot display case.

Storing materials and protecting a finished model

Store boards flat, in a dry place at room temperature, and keep plastics in their protective film until you are ready to use them. Paint foam board on both sides to stop it bending. Protect a finished model from dust with an acrylic sheet cover or in a closed display cabinet, away from direct sunlight – polystyrene (HIPS) yellows in sunlight.

Working safely

  • Cut on a cutting mat, directing the blade away from your body, and replace blunt blades immediately.
  • Solvent-based adhesives are flammable and some contain dichloromethane; ventilate, keep them away from flames and read the safety information.
  • A heat gun can easily cause burns: work on a heat-resistant surface, do not overheat EVA foam (bubbling means it is too hot), and ventilate.
  • When children are working, keep knives, heat guns and solvent-based adhesives in the hands of an adult.

Frequently asked questions

What is a diorama?

A diorama is a three-dimensional scene in which models – vehicles, figures or buildings – are placed in a modelled landscape on a base to capture a moment in time. A very small diorama is called a vignette.

What should I use for a diorama base?

Use a rigid material that will not bend: an aluminium composite panel or thick 5–10 mm foamed PVC or Celuka. Foam board is suitable only for lightweight, dry projects and must be painted on both sides.

Foam board or PVC for a house model?

Foam board is for quick study models. Foamed PVC with HIPS details is for detailed, painted and durable models.

How do I make windows for an architectural model?

Cut out the window openings and glue clear PET or thin acrylic sheet behind them with a thin line of cyanoacrylate or clear tape around the edges, not plastic model cement.

How do I make hills and rocks for gaming terrain?

Layer EVA foam, bevel the edges, press crumpled aluminium foil into it with heat, then seal and paint the surface. Finish by dry-brushing lighter tones onto the raised areas.

What glue should I use for a model or diorama?

Use liquid plastic model cement for polystyrene (HIPS), PVC adhesive for PVC, cyanoacrylate for joining different materials, and PVA glue for foam board and terrain textures. Glue PET with cyanoacrylate or tape.

Which scale should I choose for a model?

Architectural models: 1 : 500 for surroundings, 1 : 200 for massing studies, 1 : 100 for detailed buildings and 1 : 50 for interiors. Common vehicle scales are 1 : 35 and 1 : 72; 28 mm gaming figures are roughly 1 : 56; model railway scales are H0 1 : 87, TT 1 : 120 and N 1 : 160; doll’s houses are 1 : 12.

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