How to Make a Model Solar System

Paint the inside and outside of the shoe box with black paint and leave to dry. Draw some white dots inside the box with a paint pen.

For the larger planets, place the polystyrene balls on skewers and paint with different coloured paints, i.e orange and yellow for the sun, green and blue for earth, red for Mars, etc. Stand them in a jug or on a polystyrene block to dry.

To make Saturn's ring, find a tumbler or similar object with the same diameter as the polystyrene ball representing Saturn and draw around it on gold paper. Draw a second ring around the first, then cut out. Place the gold ring over the ball and glue around the middle.

For the smaller planets, mould some different coloured FIMO Soft clay into balls, and make a small hole through the centre of each with a large needle. Bake in an oven according to the packet instructions, then remove and allow to cool.

Thread all the planets with a length of clear thread, adding a blob of glue from a hot melt glue gun (adult supervision required) at the base of each to hold in place

Make some holes in the top of the painted shoe box, and hang the planets through. Hold in place on the top of the box with a little sticky tape, then cover the top of the box with black paper.

The finished project!