Make a Papyrus Scroll

Ancient Egypt was a papyrus culture. It was used for many things, including the first portable documents.

Papyrus is brittle, so it cracks if you try and fold it. But it is practical as a scroll. To make your own scroll, cut a 2 ½ inch length of cardboard tube (the tube from a roll of gift wrap works nicely).

Cut a 2 ½" wide strip of papyrus, about 18 inches long. You can use a glue stick to glue the papyrus around the cardboard. Hold it with a paperclip until the glue dries. The remainder of the papyrus strip can then be rolled around the tube to create a scroll.

At the end of the strip punch a small hole and tie a piece of raffia or hemp twine through, so that you can tie your scroll into a closed position.

Use the papyrus scroll to write a message in hieroglyphs, or create your own hieroglyphic symbols for your name.

Sheets of Egyptian papyrus paper can be purchased as art stores such as DickBlick.