I found this square picture frame at a flea market. It is perfect for a shadowbox. I made a wooden box to fit behind it. The wooden box I made is approximately 3 inches deep. You can easily make a box out of wood or out of sturdy cardboard to fit your picture frame. Shown here I have masked off the glass of the the picture frame with tape and have painted it and the box white.

Background Materials - The backgorund of the shadowbox is all the walls including the ceiling and floor.

For my shadowbox I cast plaster brick walls of two different types. Notice the ones in the bottom half are more rough than in the top half. The bottom half feels more like a dungeon and the top half is more like a castle. The greenish floor right across the middle is styrofoam covered with a nice green texture.

You don't have to use plaster casts. You can buy sheets of paper with brick patterns or any type of pattern you might like to use. You can also download patterns and print them up on paper. There are plenty of patterns to find on the web. Use the keyword "Textures" when searching.

Here are some of the materials I used to make the Shadowbox Diorama. It is difficult to see what the materials are so let me describe them.

Foam, styrofoam, little pieces of wood, plaster castings of brick walls (white and yellow) Sponge and plenty of different types of paper with medieveal type patterns printed on them.

Continue on to Tools and More Materials

Will's Book on Diorama Making

How to Make Fantasy and Medieval Dioramas

This books shows you how to make fantasy and medieval dioramas using many commonly available tools and materials. There are over 100 pictures and illustrations showing you how to make great dioramas in fantasy and medieval styles. Chapters include basics, water effects, terrain tips and special effects like electricity and small motors. Tutorials include how to use foam, plaster of paris and paper mache to make great looking dioramas.