How to Make Mummies

Mummy

Whether Halloween is coming up and you'd like to make some fun decorations with the kids, or you're preparing a classroom activity on ancient Egypt, mummy-making is a fun project. Mummies are also a great gateway in talking to kids about ancient cultural death practices, and how they influenced the way we prepare the dead in our culture today.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 yard of off-white fabric or medical gauze strips
• 3 popsicle sticks
• 1 wooden ice cream spoon
• White glue
• Exacto knife
• Craft foam hands and feet
• Googly eyes

Instructions

1. Tear your off-white fabric into one-inch strips. You may need to start the tear with a pair of scissors, but don't cut these strips--you will want a slightly aged and ragged look, and tearing is the best way to achieve this.

2. The ice cream spoon will form the head and body of your mummy. Cut one of the popsicle sticks in half with your Exacto knife and paste the two halves midway down the body of the wooden spoon, one in front and one in back. These will be the arms on the body of your mummy.

3. The remaining two popcicle sticks will become the legs. Attach them, using white glue, so they extend at 45 degree angles on either side at the bottom of the spoon.

4. Glue craft foam hands and feet in place. You can find foam body pieces in most craft stores, but if your local store does not carry them, you can make your own from a pink piece of craft foam. Stencil appropriately-sized hands and feet onto the foam and cut them out, then glue them into place. Allow all the glue to try before proceeding with the project.

5. Dab a dot of glue above the left foot on your body frame and attach a strip of off-white fabric. Begin winding the fabric around the leg, alternating to the second leg once you reach the hips. Glue the end piece into place above the right foot.

6. Add a dot of glue at the waist section of your body frame and attach another strip of white cloth. Wind this cloth up the body and down the right arm. Secure it above the right hand with glue. Dab glue above the left hand and finish wrapping your mummy by running the cloth up the arm and around the neck and head. Allow all the glue to dry.

7. Dot the backs of the googly eyes with white glue and paste them into place on your mummy's face.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not allow children to work unsupervised with Exacto knives, as they could cause severe injury.

References

• Disney Family Fun
• Activity Village