If you don’t have power tools, you can rent them at a hardware store or home improvement center. If you want a nicer-looking simple coffin for burial purposes, you could make it out of pine instead of plywood.
The resulting line will be the shape of a cross. This will help you create the outline of the coffin. Shelf paper is paper used for lining shelves that comes in big rolls. Tape 2 pieces together side-by-side to make a piece wide enough to create your template. Note that you can change the dimensions of the coffin by adjusting any of the measurements.
You will now have the completed outline of your coffin.
This will be the template for the base of the coffin. It needs to be 3⁄4 in (1. 9 cm) smaller so the sides can be screwed around it.
This will give the coffin a depth of 1 ft (0. 30 m). Feel free to make it shallower or deeper by using thinner or wider strips of shelf paper for the templates.
Make sure you are using the smaller of the 2 outline templates you made for the base or the sides won’t fit properly around it.
You can get the plywood pre-cut into 4 strips at a home improvement store if you want to save time. Keep in mind that you need to mark the short and long sides of the coffin twice.
You don’t have to cut out a lid if you want to make an open coffin as a decoration or prop. If you are planning to use it for burial, you need a lid.
You can either use a power miter saw or set the blade to different angles on your circular saw to make the cuts. If you use your circular saw, you will need to clamp the pieces to a flat work surface with the cut lines hanging off. If you use a power miter saw, you can secure the pieces in the built-in miter box to make the cuts. Even if you adjusted the measurements of the coffin, use these angles for the mitered cuts.
You can make any adjustments to the angles cuts on the side pieces here if needed to get everything to fit together.
Don’t worry about the exact number of screws you use and getting the spacing perfect. As long as the sides feel securely attached, it’s fine.
If you want to give people a scare on Halloween, you can dress up and hide inside a coffin with a lid attached by a piano hinge, then pop out to frighten trick-or-treaters or party guests. If you’re planning to use the coffin for burial, secure the lid in place after the deceased is inside it.
