Making MOON lamp | DIY moon 3D textured wall art

Posted by Raminta Sorokin on

I love space, stars, and the moon! 🌚 After seeing others make moon lamps, I just had to try making one myself. As a 3D artist, I really enjoyed creating this 3D textured wall art.

Video Tutorial on my YouTube channel

https://youtu.be/cWy7mNrgk5E

Actually, I made it last year as a Christmas present for a family member who wanted this exact piece. It was my first time making a moon, and throughout the process, I learned what could be improved for next time 😃.

I used a round canvas from the store and spackling paste (wall putty) for the texture. This paste is usually applied in thin layers on walls, but this project required quite a lot, especially in the middle, since it needed to be the highest point. Keep in mind that this wall art will be heavy.

I even used up some old paste for the texture. 

Since the paste is heavy, I placed cardboard underneath the canvas to make it protrude and to help hold the shape while using less paste.

First, I spread the paste all around the canvas, added the old paste, and tried to build up the middle. Then, I started to create various-sized craters and textures. However, as you can see at 0:52, the bottle got stuck in the paste. After that, I started dipping my tools in water before applying them to the canvas.

This helped, but if I were to make it again, after shaping it into a round form, I would wait about 2 hours for the surface to dry a bit before starting to shape the lunar craters. At 3:36, the paste is still soft and flexible inside, but the outside is dry and doesn't stick to the tools.

I also used cardboard in the middle to help hold the shape and use less paste. 

After shaping, I left the canvas to dry completely, which took about a week. For half of that time, it lay on my bathroom's heated floor to help evaporate the moisture.

While drying, it cracked in the middle. I anticipated this but didn’t have any paste left, so I used structure paste to cover the imperfections. Then, I painted everything with acrylic paint. I mixed the paint color myself to match the spackling paste as closely as possible.

I was expecting that, but haven't had any paste left so I used structure paste to cover imperfections. Then painted all with acrylic paint. The paint color I mixed myself. I tried to match spackling paste color as close as I could.

If I were to do it again, I would cover the imperfections with spackling paste and leave it at that, without painting. I really liked the texture and color of the paste.

Finally, I made a frame from cardboard, glued wiping paper all around it, and painted the inside white and the outside the same color as the moon. I mixed white, a little black, brown, and silver paint. Keep in mind that acrylic paint will dry a bit darker than your mixed color.

Glued wiping paper all around. Painted inside white and outside in the same color as moon. I mixed white, little black, brown and silver paint. Keep in mind that acrylic paint will get a little darker then your mixed color.

Lastly, I glued string lights with batteries, and that's it!

 

THE FINAL RESULT

 

Materials: Circular canvas board, spackling paste/wall putty, spatula, hot glue, string lights, cardboard, acrylic paint, various round objects, wiping paper, school glue, water, paint brushes.

AMAZON shop https://www.amazon.com/shop/rs.artcraftsdesign

Craft tools on AMAZON https://amzn.to/3slC6X5

Acrylic paint on AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3FPPNQZ

Spackling paste on AMAZON: https://amzn.to/49fYMrH

Fairy string lights on AMAZON https://amzn.to/3wglilH

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