Faith Based Easter Craft For Kids- Make An Empty Tomb

Check out all of my faith-based Easter crafts for kids here!

We made an Easter craft that celebrates the true meaning of Easter- empty tombs! He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Empty tomb craft for Easter- fun and easy!

This is so easy to make, and mostly involves supplies you have around your house at Easter time anyway! To make this craft, you are going to make your own air dry clay, but it’s really not hard to do- trust me. 🙂

Supplies Needed:

  • Plastic Easter Eggs
  • Easter Grass
  • White Glue
  • Green Paper
  • Small Paper Plates (or something else to mount them on, such as a piece of cardboard)
  • Wooden Skewers (or popsicle sticks to hot glue into crosses)
  • Ingredients For Air Dry Clay (baking soda, corn starch, water)

First, you want to go ahead and cook your air dry clay. We used a recipe that my mom has been making for me since I was a little girl. 🙂

Recipe For Air Dry Crafting Clay:

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 3/4 cups water

Start by mixing the baking soda and water in a pot. Then add the water.

how to make air dry clay from baking soda and corn starch at home

Stir over medium heat.

how to make air dry clay- baking soda and corn starch recipe

If you want it to be the color of rocks (and for this craft, you do) this is where you’ll want to add a squirt of black tempera paint.

how to make air dry clay at home

Stir it in.

diy air dry clay

You stir constantly while it’s over the heat. Stir and stir for several minutes until it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes, then remove from heat.

how to color diy air dry clay

Allow to cool before working with the clay. You can cover the pot with a wet rag to keep it from drying out while it cools. Kneed it together, and store in a ziplock bag. It can really be stored in a bag for weeks as long as it’s well sealed, so definitely make your clay the night before so it’s not too hot to work with. 😉

homemade air dry clay to look like rocks

Post continues after this brief information about the Catholic Icing Monthly Membership


Monthly Liturgical Membership

Catholic Liturgical Monthly Membership

Perfect for families! Each month you gain access to printable activity pages, crafts, home altar pieces, and more.
 
Never has living the liturgical year been so easy and affordable!
 

Now comes the fun part! Take a handful of the clay, and stick your egg in the middle of it, working the edges around the edge of the egg. Your egg will become the inside of the tomb.

egg tomb craft

preschool easter craft- empty tomb

Glue a piece of green paper on top of your base (in this case, an upside down paper plate). Place the “tomb” on top and flatten the bottom so it sits well. Then, glue the Easter grass around the bottom.

empty tomb easter craft for kids

If desired, you can cut wooden skewers and glue them (I used hot glue) into crosses. I also did this ahead of time since I work with preschoolers. This way, each child can add a cross to the top of their empty tomb. Just stick it right in the clay!

empty tomb craft for easter

Here are all the colorful empty tomb crafts that my preschoolers made.

easter tomb craft for kids

They were so excited about these!

easy easter tomb craft for kids- Jesus is risen!

I love using air dry clay in a classroom environment because it doesn’t need to be baked. Look at the awesome rock-like texture the clay gets as it dries!

air dry clay that looks like rock- tomb craft

Anabelle loved hers! I have plans to make these with the rest of my kids as soon as Lent is over. 🙂 I made these with my preschool class when we covered the letter “E”. E is for Easter!!!

he is risen craft for kids- easy and fun!

Find My Lenten Resources For Kids here

Silly rabbit! Easter is for Jesus!!!

You can find all of my Christ-centered resources for Easter here.

Make it about the lamb, not the bunny!

Comments

  1. I LOVE this!! I have never worked with air dry clay. Can you give me a hint as to how long it takes to dry?

  2. Excited about trying this project!
    Question – How many empty tomb crafts can you complete with a single batch of air dry clay?

    Question – Does the recipe work with same results if doubled? Tripled ?
    Thank you for sharing !
    – b

  3. Did you use regular eggs or the large ones? Did you use both ends or just the long ends?
    Thank you so much for this craft. We are going to make these at Vacation Bible School with the preschool through 2nd grade. I am always checking your website for crafts to with my grandchildren and for VBS. My grandchildren made the Jesus Sock Doll at Christmas and we will be making it this year at VBS.
    Thanks again! God bless you for sharing!

  4. Cathy kirby says

    I noticed in your supply list you mentioned easter grass
    but you used cut paper strips. Is it easier to glue the paper on the plates rather than the easter grass?

  5. Felicia Maholmes says

    Can you use regular play dough? And did the tomb stick to the paper to not roll over? Trying to see how they could carry these home without being destroyed…