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Joseph Coat of Many Colors Craft for Kids

An easy Joseph coat of many colors craft for kids in three levels, a striped paper coat and a sack of corn, with a free printable template and steps.

Preschool–Grade 5

Joseph Coat of Many Colors Craft for Kids
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Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages
Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5)
Time
15 to 30 minutes
Scripture
Genesis 37–50
Bible story
Joseph and His Brothers

What you need

  • The printed coat, sack of corn and verse strip template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • 1 sheet of dark blue construction paper per child (9 by 12 inches)
  • Crayons or markers in many colors, including light brown and yellow
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed dream sky page (page 3), one per child, and an orange crayon (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color each stripe of the coat a different color. Use any colors you like. Color the sack light brown and the corn at the top of the sack yellow.Color each stripe of the coat a different color. Use any colors you like. Color the sack light brown and the corn at the top of the sack yellow.
  2. Cut out the coat, the sack of corn and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Cut carefully around the neck and the sleeves. Help younger children with the cutting.
  3. Hold the dark blue paper the wide way. Glue the coat on the left half, near the bottom.
  4. Glue the sack of corn on the right half, near the bottom.
  5. Glue the verse strip on the back and read it together.
  6. Tell the story with your craft: point to the coat, then to the sack of corn. Joseph's brothers took his coat and sold him, but God was with Joseph and used him to save many people from the famine.Tell the story with your craft: point to the coat, then to the sack of corn. Joseph's brothers took his coat and sold him, but God was with Joseph and used him to save many people from the famine.

This Joseph coat of many colors craft turns one printed page into Joseph's story from start to finish: the coat his father made him, because Jacob made Joseph "a coat of many colours" (Genesis 37:3), and a sack of corn, because his brothers came to Egypt to buy corn in the famine (42:3). Kids color every stripe of the coat a different color, cut out the pieces and glue them on dark blue paper. The template includes Genesis 50:20 (KJV) on a verse strip for the back.

The finished craft, easy and medium level

The finished craft, harder level

What it looks like finished: easy and medium (first photo) and harder (second photo).

Why this craft works

  • Cheap and simple: one printed page, one sheet of construction paper and crayons.
  • It tells the story the way the Bible does: the Bible doesn't name the colors of the coat (Genesis 37:3), so every child picks their own. The sack of corn shows how God used Joseph to save many people from the famine (41:49, 50:20).
  • It carries the verse home: the template includes Genesis 50:20 (KJV) on a strip to glue on the back.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces. Kids color the stripes and the sack, and glue them on the paper. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, cut out the coat, the sack and the verse strip, and glue them on dark blue paper.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): kids add the dream sky from page 3, with the sun, the moon and eleven stars from Joseph's second dream (Genesis 37:9), count the stars and glue the sky across the top. Then they say the verse from memory.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask who made Joseph's coat (Genesis 37:3), what his brothers did with it (37:23), and why the brothers came to Egypt (42:1–3). Joseph knew his brothers, but they didn't know him (42:8). At the end Joseph told them, "Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good" (50:20).

Tips for the classroom

Print page 2 on cardstock if you can, so the sleeves don't tear. For preschoolers, cut out the pieces ahead of time, so all they do is color and glue. Let kids choose their own colors for the coat: the Bible doesn't name them.

Teaching the story first? Use the free Joseph Sunday school lesson and the Joseph word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Joseph's coat craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's coat, sack of corn and verse strip ahead of time. Preschoolers color every stripe of the coat a different color, color the sack, and glue both on the dark blue paper. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Joseph craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page (cardstock is best), one sheet of construction paper and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.

What colors should Joseph's coat be?

Any colors kids like. The King James Bible says Jacob made Joseph "a coat of many colours" (Genesis 37:3), but it doesn't name the colors. So each child colors every stripe a different color of their own choosing.

How can older kids make this Joseph craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids also cut out the dream sky from page 3, with the sun, the moon and eleven stars from Joseph's second dream (Genesis 37:9), count the stars, and glue the sky across the top of the paper. Then they say Genesis 50:20 from memory.

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