Remove the lid from a shoebox, and place it on a large sheet of newspaper.
Paint the inside of the shoebox, covering the entire inner surface with the main background color using a large paintbrush and acrylic craft paint. Choose blue for an outdoor or underwater animal or green for an animal who lives in a forest.
Allow the paint to dry.
Paint in other colors necessary for the background such as touches of grass, trees or dirt, applied with a smaller paintbrush. Opt for bright colors like lime-green grass and a bright orange sunset for the most lively results.
Draw the animal in pencil on a piece of construction paper that matches its color. Add features and additional colors to the animal with markers or crayons. Give the animal cartoon-like details, like round and colorful eyes, for added creativity.
Draw food sources and objects present in the animal's daily life on construction paper. For example, if the animal is a cow, draw a bucket of grains and a milk pail.
Cut out all drawings with safety scissors.
Cut small tabs out of construction paper -- one for each drawing in the diorama. They should measure about 1 inch long by 1/2 inch wide; the size can vary, as long as the tab's width is not larger than that of the drawings.
Fold each tab in half, and glue one folded side of each tab to the back of every drawing.
Arrange the drawings in the shoebox. Secure the bottom half of each tab to the bottom of the shoe box. Place them in a realistic manner, so viewers get an accurate glimpse into the animal's life.