How to make a pyramid

Ancient Egypt is one of the most exciting civilizations your class could possibly leap into. Mummies, unusual medicine, Pharaohs, and of course – pyramids! That’s what this craft idea is all about. Recreate those stone-built marvels with just a handful of clay and some gold paint with this seven-step craft. Catch the video guide below, or follow the written step-by-step guide to help your class create their own wonder of the world.

Video guide

What you'll need

• Air dry clay

• Gold paint

• Paintbrush

• PVA glue

• Ruler

• Rolling pin

• Sand (optional)

Method

Step 1

Grab your rolling pin and roll out the clay.

The thickness is up to your but we went for about 1cm.

Step 2

Using a ruler and craft knife, cut a square out from the clay.

Again, size is up to you but ours measured 12×12 centimetres. This is the base of your pyramid.

Note: Always ask an adult to help you.

Cut away the excess clay to leave you with a perfect square.

Step 3

Take the excess clay and repeat the process again.

Make sure your squares get progressively smaller. Our second square measured in at 10×10 centimetres.

Create as many tiers as you like (ours had five). Once you’re done, place each tier on top of each other.

Your pyramid is starting to take shape.

Step 4

Use your rules to flatten out any bumps or unevenness in your pyramid.

Don’t worry about it being perfect. Given the ease at which the clay can be manipulated, you’re unlikely to make it absolutely symmetrical.

Step 5

Using a craft knife, make small incisions into the clay. We separated each incision by about 2cms. These represent the stones that make up your pyramid.

Once you’ve gone all the way around each tier, leave the clay to dry for 24-48 hours.

Step 6

Once the clay is hard and isn’t manipulated when you apply pressure to it, it’s ready to paint.

Grab some gold paint and apply it to your pyramid. You might want to give it two layers for a nice, deep gold colour.

Leave it to dry.

Step 7

Your pyramid is complete!

As an added extra, you could stick your pyramid to a piece of cardboard, which we painted yellow to emulate the desert.

For an extra layer of authenticity, scatter some sand over your pyramid and glue it down.