How to Make a Diorama from Scratch: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

A diorama is a miniature scene — a frozen moment in time. It can depict anything from a Spider-Man rooftop chase to a Pokémon forest clearing, a Stranger Things basement or a medieval fantasy battle. The techniques are the same regardless of the subject. This guide covers the complete process.

Planning: The Most Important Step

Before buying materials, sketch your scene. Decide:

• Viewing angle: will it be seen from the front only, or all sides?
• Scale: determined by your figure scale — 1:12 for most collector figures, 1:6 for large-scale pieces, 1:35 for military dioramas
• Base size: generally, the base should be slightly larger than the figures' natural "footprint" plus a border of terrain
• Story: what is happening in this scene? Good dioramas tell a story — movement, tension, atmosphere

The Base: Your Foundation

Common base materials:

• MDF board (3–6mm) — the most common choice. Rigid, cheap, available at any DIY store. Cut to size with a jigsaw or buy pre-cut rectangular pieces
• Foam board — lightweight, easy to carve for terrain, but less rigid
• 3D printed base — if you have a printer, you can design and print a custom base with built-in terrain elements
• Wooden plinth — for premium display, a routed wooden plinth with a recessed scene area looks professional

Building Terrain: The Landscape

Terrain is what separates a figure on a base from a true diorama. The main methods:

• XPS foam (extruded polystyrene) — carves beautifully with a hot wire cutter or heated knife. Use for rocks, ground level changes, walls, and architectural elements. Seal with PVA before painting — some spray primers dissolve foam
• Green Stuff / epoxy putty — see our dedicated Green Stuff diorama guide. Best for organic forms: roots, mud, cracked ground, bark texture
• Vallejo texture products — ready-mixed texture gels (Sandy Ground, Dark Earth, European Mud) applied directly with a palette knife or old brush. Fast and effective
• Real materials: fine sand, kitty litter for rocks, dried herbs for foliage, model railway static grass, cork bark for stone/tree bark texture

Painting the Base: The Right Order

1. Prime everything — spray primer on all terrain before any paint. This includes PVA-sealed foam and texture materials
2. Basecoat — large flat colours overall. Dark brown for earth, grey for stone, deep green for grass areas
3. Washes — thin dark washes (Vallejo Umber Wash, Citadel Agrax Earthshade) flow into recesses and instantly create depth
4. Drybrushing — a dry brush loaded with lighter colour, then wiped almost clean on paper, then dragged across the terrain. This edge-highlights raised surfaces and makes everything read as dimensional
5. Detail painting — individual stones, roots, patches of colour variation
6. Foliage and static grass — applied last, over finished paintwork, using PVA adhesive

Placing Your Figure

Position the figure before permanently attaching it — try multiple positions and view angles. When satisfied, drill a small hole in both the figure's foot and the base, insert a brass pin, and secure with two-part epoxy. Never rely on glue alone for figures on a finished diorama base — they will eventually detach.

Finishing: Varnish and Lighting

Unify the entire diorama with a varnish coat — this ties together different materials and finishes. Most dioramas look best with a satin or matte final coat. For wet effects (water, mud, ice), apply a dedicated gloss medium last, after the final varnish.

For display, consider adding LED lighting — a single warm spotlight dramatically elevates even a simple diorama.