A sarcophagus (from Greek, meaning ”eater of flesh”) was a coffin made of stone, wood, or paper that the Egyptians used to house the mummies of all types of people – not just the pharaohs – and animals, too! Sarcophagi were covered with carvings or paintings showing the person (or animal) inside, important symbols, and hieroglyphic writings, all which helped the deceased enter and happily live in the afterworld. To make your own sarcophagus, follow the directions below. What secrets will you store inside?



What You'll Need:
  • 8-1/2" x 11" paper or cardstock
  • crayons, markers, or colored pencils
  • scissors

  • glue or tape



How You Do It:
  1. Click on the files below and print out the sarcophagus. You'll need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader to do this.






  2. Color in your sarcophagus however you want! Add a face, hands, patterns, or more decorations.


  3. Cut out the two pieces of the sarcophagus. Also cut inside the sarcophagus on the heavy black lines. This will make the tabs. You can ask an adult for help if you get stuck.


  4. Fold on the dotted lines.


  5. Glue or tape the tabs to the inside of the box.
  6. Place your secret stash inside and put the lid on the coffin. There they'll be safe. After all, no one wants to release the curse of the mummy!