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In ancient Egypt, kings were laid to rest in tombs situated inside grand pyramids, which still stand today. These fascinating structures capture the imagination of children, who enjoy crafting their own clay pyramids. Follow this easy guide to create your own.
Required Materials:
- Modeling clay
- Rolling pin
- Ruler
- Knife
- Pencil
- Fork
Follow these steps to craft your pyramid:
- Take about three pounds (1.36 kilograms) of clay and shape it into a large ball.
- Use the rolling pin to flatten the clay into a slab that’s ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) thick.
- Place a ruler along one edge of the slab and draw a straight line.
- Cut along the drawn line with a knife, creating a straight edge on your clay.
- Draw a triangle on the clay, using the straight edge as one of its sides.
- Cut out the triangle with a knife.
- Place the triangle you just cut on top of the slab and use it as a template to trace another triangle.
- Cut out the second triangle.
- Repeat the process until you have four triangles in total.
- Use the ruler to press down on the edges of the triangles, beveling them for a better fit.
- Create slight grooves on the beveled edges by pressing a fork into them.
- Stand two triangles upright and press them together to form a corner.
- Stand the third triangle and press it against one wall to form another corner, then repeat with the fourth triangle. Press all sides firmly together to form the pyramid.
- Pinch and squeeze the joints together tightly to seal them.
- Use a pencil to carve a stone-like texture into the surface of the pyramid, giving it a stone design.
[sources: Big Ceramic, Crayola]
