Best Materials for Model Making: A Starter Kit for Design Students

Model-making is how designers think in 3D. It's essential for the NID studio test, the NIFT Situation Test, the NATA 3D composition task, and your first year at any design college. Knowing your materials well lets you turn ideas into models quickly and confidently.

Essential materials

Paper and card

• Chart paper and coloured paper — folding, curling, layering
• Ivory sheet / mount board — strong, clean surfaces and bases
• Corrugated cardboard — structure and volume, easy to cut
• Tracing paper — translucent effects, layering

Good for: quick forms, geometric structures, pop-up mechanisms.

Clay

• Modelling clay / plasticine — reusable, good for organic forms
• Air-dry clay — sets hard, good for final models

Good for: organic shapes, figurines, ergonomic forms (like handles).

Wire

• Aluminium wire (1–2 mm) — bends easily, holds shape
• Florist / binding wire — thin details, joining

Good for: skeletons, line sculptures, frames.

Foam

• Thermocol / EPS foam — light, easy to carve
• Foam board — rigid flat panels

Good for: architectural models, volume studies, product mock-ups.

Fabric and thread

• Cotton scraps, felt, jute, wool, embroidery thread

Good for: soft forms, texture, the NIFT Situation Test.

Sticks and found objects

• Ice-cream sticks, toothpicks, bamboo skewers, straws, bottle caps, buttons, beads

Good for: structures, details, playful compositions.

Essential tools

• Cutter (snap-off blade) and a spare pack of blades
• Cutting mat (A3)
• Steel ruler
• Scissors (one large, one small)
• Glue: white PVA glue, glue stick and a small glue gun
• Masking tape and double-sided tape
• Pliers (for wire)
• Pencils and an eraser
• Sandpaper (fine grit)

Tips for better models

1. Plan before you cut. Make a quick sketch with rough measurements.
2. Build a strong base first. Most collapses start at the bottom.
3. Use glue sparingly. Excess glue looks messy and takes long to dry.
4. Cut with several light strokes, not one heavy one — cleaner and safer.
5. Mix materials thoughtfully. Contrast (hard/soft, opaque/clear) adds interest.
6. Finish the edges. Clean edges make a model look professional.

Safety first

Always cut away from your body, keep blades capped, and be careful with glue guns. Work on a cutting mat, never on a table or your lap.

Practise regularly

Set yourself small weekly challenges: a chair for a mobile phone, a lamp from paper, a sculpture called "joy" from wire. Read how to prepare for studio tests for timed practice ideas.

At The Design Habitat's Pune and Nashik studios, students get hands-on model-making practice with mentors who know what NID and NIFT panels expect. See our Studio Test programme.