How to Make Your Own Museum - a teacher’s guide.
What will I need?
A shoe box with a lid
A sheet of acetate the same size as the box lid
Material to line the inside of the box
Paper/paint/coloured pens/pencils to decorate the outside of the box
Glue/adhesive tape/scissors/blutack
Making your display case
1. Decorate the outside of your box in a way which is relevant to the theme of the museum. Use paper, paint or stickers and include the name of the museum on the outside.
2. Line the inside of the box with material, ensuring it is glued into all the corners.
3. Cut out a hole in the lid of the shoebox, approximately 2 cm from the edge. Use a craft knife or sharp scissors.
4. Cut out a rectangle of acetate as the window of the museum. Stick it to the shoebox lid using double sided sticky tape or glue.
Making your display
5. Place your exhibits in the display case using either glue or blutack depending on whether you want them to be permanently stuck down or not.
6. Number your exhibits using sticky labels or small pieces of paper.
Making your museum catalogue
1. Design a front cover for your catalogue using the computer or freehand. Include a logo and the name of your museum.
You can write a curator’s statement to go in the front welcoming visitors to the museum, detailing what the museum is about, how and why the museum was made and asking visitors not to touch the exhibits.
2. Write a numbered list of objects in your museum. Detail what the object is, where it came from, size, colour or any interesting information.
Marketing your Museum
In order for people to come and visit your museum you need to market it effectively. This could include making posters and leaflets which tell people about the museum, where to find it etc. You could also make tickets for your visitors. Creating a logo gives your museum a brand identity so it needs to be eye-catching and memorable.
