Tear three newspapers into 1-inch strips by hand. Newspaper is preferable to other types of paper because it is absorbent and once transformed in paper mache makes a great 3-D mountain.
Put the torn up newspaper into a bucket and add some warm water -- enough to make the paper wet, but not to soak the paper. Mix the water and paper around using your hands until the water is absorbed; add more water if it’s too dry or more newspaper if it’s too wet and soggy. It’s correct when you squeeze the paper and very little water drips.
Empty the contents of a packet of powdered glue into a second bucket. It's best to check the instructions on the packet to find out how much water to add. To begin, add 2 to 3 cups of water to the powder and stir with a wooden spoon. If the mixture is very thick and it's hard to stir, add a little more water. The glue powder needs to completely dissolve in the water. Check if it's the correct consistency by lifting the spoon out of the glue; the glue needs to coat the spoon thickly.
Put 5 to 6 tbsp. of the glue into the bucket that contains the paper and mix well using your hands. Keep adding the glue until the paper strips have dissolved and the paste is homogenous. The paper mache mixture is ready when you can pick up a handful of it and mold it into shapes using your hands.
Put a 12-by-12-inch wooden board on a work surface; this is the base for the 3-D mountain. Draw the outline of the base of the mountain onto the wooden board using a pen. Draw a circular shape, but make the circle irregular, as the bases of mountains are not perfect circles.
Let the paper mache 3D mountain dry completely; this may take several days. It dries faster if you put the mountain somewhere warm.
Check that the paper mache is dry by inserting a thin pointed metal object into the side of the mountain. If it won’t go in or is hard to push in, it’s probably dry. If it goes in easily, it’s likely to need longer to finish drying. Pull out the object and see if any paper mache is stuck to it. Wipe the object using a paper towel to see if it leaves moisture on the towel. If it does, leave the paper mache to dry for another day and check again.
Use different color paints and paint brushes and paint the 3-D mountain. Use lighter colors first, as they can be painted over easily. Remember that the top part of the mountain doesn’t have trees and grass, so paint it gray, accordingly. Some mountains have snow on top, so use white paint. Near the bottom of the mountain there are trees and grass, so use different colored greens and browns. Use blue paint to make a waterfall or stream. Always let the paint dry before changing to a new color.