Craft

Rich Man and Lazarus Craft for Kids

A free rich man and Lazarus craft for kids in three levels. Open the rich man's gate to see his table and the crumbs that fell (Luke 16:21). Printable template.

Preschool–Grade 5

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⬇ Craft template + instructions (PDF) · 5 pages

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: Luke 16:19–31
Bible story: The Rich Man and Lazarus

What you need

The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
Crayons or markers in light blue, gray, yellow, light brown and brown, a purple crayon, plus any colors for drawing Lazarus and the dogs
Scissors and a glue stick
The printed harder page (page 3), one per child, plus a red crayon (harder level)

Steps

Color the card: the sky light blue, the wall gray, the gate frame yellow, the ground light brown, the table brown, and the bread and crumbs yellow. Leave the two windows and the rest of the inside of the gate white.
In the top window inside the gate, draw the rich man in purple clothes (Luke 16:19). In the long window by the gate, draw Lazarus lying at the gate, with the dogs beside him (16:20–21).
Color the two gate doors brown and their round handles yellow.
Cut out the card, the two gate doors and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Don't cut out the windows.
Fold the tab on each door back on the dotted line.
Put glue on the back of each tab. Press the tabs on the two dotted spots on the gate frame, so the doors close over the gate and meet in the middle.
Glue the verse strip on the back of the card. Read it together.
Tell it: Lazarus was laid at the rich man's gate (Luke 16:20). Open the doors: there is the rich man in purple, and his table (16:19). Point to the crumbs: Lazarus wished he could be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table (16:21). Then say Abraham's words: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them" (16:29).

This rich man and Lazarus craft turns one printed page into the rich man's gate, where a beggar named Lazarus "was laid at his gate, full of sores" (Luke 16:20). Kids draw Lazarus by the gate, then open the two gate doors to find the rich man "clothed in purple and fine linen" (16:19) at his table, with the crumbs that fell from it, the crumbs Lazarus wished he could eat (16:21). The memory verse, Luke 16:31, goes on 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, a glue stick, crayons and scissors.
Kids find the crumbs: open the gate and point to the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, right beside the gate where Lazarus lay (Luke 16:20–21).
It teaches Jesus' point: Abraham said, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them" (16:29). The harder level adds a scroll to unroll and read.
It stays gentle: the craft shows only the gate on earth. Jesus is not drawn.
It carries the verse home: Luke 16:31 (KJV), the memory verse for the whole set, is glued on the back of the card.

Three ways to make it

Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces and glue the doors on. Kids color, draw and open the gate. No scissors.
Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, draw, cut out the pieces, fold the tabs and glue the doors.
Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids add a scroll from page 3 with Luke 16:31 inside, rolled up in the sky and held by a red paper ring, for "Moses and the prophets" (Luke 16:29).

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what the rich man wore (Luke 16:19), who was laid at his gate (16:20), what Lazarus wished for (16:21), who carried Lazarus (16:22), how many brothers the rich man had (16:28) and what Abraham said they already had (16:29). Then read Luke 16:31 together.

Tips for the classroom

For preschoolers, cut out the pieces and glue the doors on ahead of time, so all they do is color, draw and open the gate. Cardstock makes the doors stand up best. Tell the rest of the story calmly, the way the lesson does; the craft itself shows only the gate on earth.

Teaching the story first? Use the free rich man and Lazarus lesson and the word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple rich man and Lazarus craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's card, gate doors and verse strip ahead of time, and glue the doors on the gate frame for them. Preschoolers color the card, draw Lazarus and the rich man in the windows, and open and close the gate. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this rich man and Lazarus craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page, a glue stick and crayons you already have. The template is free to print. The harder level adds a second page.

What Bible verse goes with this craft?

Luke 16:31 (KJV), "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." It is the memory verse for the whole rich man and Lazarus set, and it is printed on the verse strip that kids glue on the back of the card.

How can older kids make this craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids add a paper scroll from page 3 with Luke 16:31 inside. It rolls up in the sky above the gate and slides out of a red paper ring to read, because Abraham said, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them" (Luke 16:29).