how can i make a miniature globe?? like the size of a baseball or softball???

Question

i'd like to make a small globe (two actually)....i could probably paper mache the globe shape, but how do i put the map part of the globe on....is there a website where i can print it out maybe??? (my painting skills aren't good enough to try and paint all the continents, etc on a globe!)
thanks for any ideas!!

whoa...Diane B....you totally rock!!...you have some great ideas! thanks!

Answer 1

It's not all that easy to create a sphere from flat paper. The general way though is to do the map as a series of "orange peel" or "gore" shapes which are connected at their middles (equator area).

There are patterns online with the world map already printed on them that you could copy out then reduce to whatever size you need before putting together, or before gluing around another ball (though the size would have to be exact, so you might want to go with a core of scrunched aluminum foil or paper --or a combo of the two after you see exactly what diameter your map sphere would be).

I'll see if I can find any of those:

Here's one that shows the general idea, but you wouldn't have to do the actual drafting if you just print one out:
http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/imaging/globe.html

Here's one, though it doesn't have much detail of geography or landmarks:
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/TudorExploration/shipmates/globe_template.html
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.8267
Here's another:
http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Normal/ProjInt/Img/ipc12-s120h.png

(and here are some for planets:
http://www.vendian.org/mncharity/dir3/planet_globes )

Or you could fold them from other geometric shapes besides gores:
http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Normal/ProjPoly/Foldout/foldout.html


Another idea would be to make a sphere first, then attach the continents which you'd cut out from other maps (you'd have to be careful of the relative sizes though if you took the continents from different maps).
You could just glue them on, or decoupage them (using glue on top too)... the thinnest paper would work best for the larger continents which would need to curve most.


Good luck!

Diane B.

Answer 2

How accurate do you want it to be? You could use scrapbooking paper with a map or globe theme to get the effect.