A coffin-making community group has popped up in Tasmania’s north-west, allowing people to make their caskets dirt cheap.

The Community Coffin Club meets once a week at the Ulverstone Community Shed, where mentors help people make coffins for themselves and their family.

Sheree Whittington has been working on her coffin for the past month.

“I’ve always had a bit of a morbid side to me and loved the Addams family and that sort of thing,” Ms Whittington said.

“When I found out about the Coffin Club I thought what better way: make my own coffin.”

Ms Whittington said she planned to put her coffin to good use before she needed it.

“It is going to be a coffin for when my time eventually comes, but in the meantime I’m going to have shelves put in it so I can use it as a CD and DVD rack.”

“It’s an actual, functional piece of furniture.”

Facing death ‘easier if you’ve got coffin ready’

Caskets can cost thousands of dollars to buy, and are even being sold in some major supermarket chains. But at the Coffin Club, members only need to supply their own materials.

Russell Game is a club mentor but he is also making a coffin for himself.

“It’s so much cheaper than buying a coffin,” he said.

“I don’t know what the funeral directors think about it, but we can make them for probably a tenth of the cost.”

When Mr Game’s is finished, his casket will have cost less than $200 to make.

“You’ve got to face death, so it’s a lot easier if you’ve got the coffin ready,” he said.

Declan Banim has a similar idea as Ms Whittington’s for his coffin.

“This is actually going to be a bookcase, so it’ll be in my lounge room,” he said.

“When I cough it or someone I know wants it, I’ll just put the two pieces together,” he said.

“I think it’s a good idea for people to think about end of life and it’s a nice thing to do, it’s fun.”

-ABC