A STEM Project: Making a Diorama as a Classroom Activity with Silhouette Studio

A Uganda Diorama

Students can design an idea in Silhouette Studio on a screen and then turn that design into something they can actually hold in their hands. They can begin with two dimensional artwork and expand into three dimensional design.

This project is inspired by the Sangala Initiative, and I have adapted its diorama technique for the Silhouette cutter. This concept can support a different way of learning. I will use a diorama inspired by Uganda to demonstrate what I mean.

Imagine a group of five students who are learning about Uganda. Instead of having every student complete exactly the same assignment, the group works together to create one diorama. Each student is responsible for a different slice of the finished piece.

The Sangala wrap-around frame is on the left and the slices of the diorama are on the right. The mountain scene has two slices to emphasize the hilly nature of the mountains.

One student creates the sun. Another creates the mountains. A third creates a savannah. The fourth creates a lion, and the fifth creates the native grasses.

But these are not simply five pictures that the students copy. Each slice represents a topic that the student researches.

The student working on the sun might investigate Uganda’s climate and weather. The student working on the mountains explores the country’s geography. The savannah becomes an opportunity to learn about local plants and wildlife. The lion leads to research about native animals and their habitats. The native grasses can introduce questions about the land, how it is used, and how people live in their environment.

Each student researches a topic, finds a simple visual representation, and designs a slice that communicates what they have learned.

Then comes the really interesting part. When the slices are assembled, they become one larger picture. The students can present the diorama together, with each person explaining their own contribution and how it connects to the work of the others. They are not just presenting five separate assignments. They are telling a story together.

And the learning does not end when the presentation is over. The completed diorama can be displayed in the classroom. Other students can see the work, ask questions, and be inspired to create their own projects.

What I like about this approach is that every student has a meaningful role. Everyone contributes something, and everyone has something to explain. Students learn from their research, from making their own pieces, and from listening to one another.

That is the heart of this classroom activity. We are using technology and creative making to encourage cooperation, curiosity, and the joy of discovering something new.

Now let me show you how to turn those ideas into a finished project with Silhouette Studio.

What You’ll Need

Materials:

• A computer with Silhouette Studio installed
• Silhouette cutting machine and cutting mat
• 65 lb cardstock for the slices
• Contrasting paper for the optional decorative border (Step 5)
• Weeding tool
• Scissors
• Glue (I recommend Aleene’s Tacky Glue)
• The Sangala frame (provided in the downloads below)

Step 1. Find and Prepare Your Image

1. Find a simple silhouette image on the Internet that represents your research topic. I recommend searching for “silhouette of a simple [subject],” such as a lion, mountain, or sun.
2. Take a screenshot of the image.
3. Open Silhouette Studio. Use the File Open command at the top of the screen to upload your image.
4. In the menu on the right side of the screen, select Trace to remove the background.
5. Adjust the area to be traced with Select Trace Area and select Trace.
6. Delete the original image, leaving the design silhouette.
7. Resize the design silhouette as necessary and set it aside.

Step 2. Create the Diorama Frame

1. Select the rectangle in the shapes tool on the right. Make a rectangle that is 5 inches high and 7 inches wide. This is the outer edge of the frame.
2. Set this rectangle aside.
3. Create a second rectangle that is 4 inches high and 6 inches wide. This is the window of the frame.
4. Select both rectangles and use the Align tool (it looks like crosshairs in the top ribbon on the screen) to center them together.

You now have the two rectangles needed to create the diorama frame.

Step 3. Combine the Image and Frame

1. Center the two rectangles on the page (the crosshairs with a box around it).
2. Bring the design silhouette you prepared earlier forward with Bring to Front (three squares with a large square in the middle).
3. Make sure everything is ungrouped so it can be combined.
4. Select the inner 4 × 6 inch rectangle. Hold down the Shift key and select the design silhouette.
5. Open the Modify tool and select Intersect. The inner rectangle acts as the window, and Intersect trims your silhouette so that it sits neatly inside it. This should create an opening in the frame in the shape of your design silhouette.
6. Group the resulting design.

Your design is now ready to be cut with the Silhouette machine.

Step 4. Cut Your Design

1. Turn on your Silhouette cutter and place a piece of cardstock on the cutting mat.
2. In Silhouette Studio, click Send at the top of the screen.
3. Adjust the cut settings as necessary and click the Send button to cut your design.
4. When the cutting is complete, remove the cardstock from the mat and carefully weed away any unwanted material.

Repeat Steps 1 through 4 for each slice of your diorama, using a different image for each topic.

Step 5. Create a Decorative Border (optional)

If you would like to add a decorative border to the frame, follow these steps:

1. Create a rectangle that is 4.25 × 6.25 inches.
2. Duplicate the rectangle and resize the duplicate to 4.75 × 6.75 inches.
3. Select both rectangles and use the Align tool to center them together.
4. Cut the resulting border from contrasting paper using the Silhouette.
5. Glue the contrasting border to the Sangala frame that I have provided below.

Step 6. Assemble Your Diorama

1. Stack the slices on top of one another, aligning their frames.
2. The Sangala wrap-around frame is wrapped around the stacked slices.
3. Glue the tab on the back of the frame to hold the slices together.
4. Center and glue the frame stand to the back to complete your Sangala diorama.

Back View of Diorama

Side View of Diorama

Cut Files To Recreate this Diorama

Here is the .Studio file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Gd_38j3nVKNniPyJRv4SjcZS8sTiOrz/view?usp=sharing

Here is the SVG. The file extends beyond the viewable area. Zoom out to see the entire file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1an8ZfZM8i0M-dSDV_DDIxXH8bfKnlyAb/view?usp=sharing

Another Frame Technique

There are two ways to make the frame for the diorama and each has its own strengths.

Sangala Frame #1 (the wrap-around frame). Each slice welds a design silhouette into its own frame. The frames are stacked, and a wrap-around Sangala frame holds the slices together. I used this method for the Uganda diorama, and it is the one I prefer because the result is reproducible. Every slice lines up, so a group of students can follow the same steps and get the same diorama every time.

Sangala Frame #2 (the build-first frame). This technique is simpler and more forgiving. You build the frame first, then glue the silhouette images wherever you like on the frame backing and layer them on top of one another. It is a great choice for younger students or for open-ended projects. Because the images are placed by eye, no two dioramas will come out exactly alike.

The Build-First Frame

In this design, silhouette images are placed on top of one another to create a diorama. The frame is created first.

The frame on the left is produced by folding all of the creases inward on all four sides. 

Fold and glue the left and right sides inward to create a box on each side. 

Fold and glue the top and bottom to complete making the frame.

Images are glued in place on the frame backing.

The layered design silhouette images create a diorama.

Files For the Two Types of Frames

Here is the .Studio file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P4P0M3Hmm5ujSDe3Eb5DrwUgD7CL_3NQ/view?usp=sharing

Here is the SVG. The file extends beyond the viewable area. Zoom out to see the entire file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15NR9xJXM7vMIxBRIuCBJklSRM4RVlPfq/view?usp=sharing

Whichever technique you choose, the reward is the same... children experience the joy of learning and making.