Fold and decorate a triangular gift box...

        The black silhouette designs below may be copied and cut by students and transferred to a triangular keepsake box. Although the design here suggests the use of traditional black papers, any color interpretation would be suitable as well... One box top design is of birds and lily-of-the-valley flower shapes the other of pine trees. The tinier design is of a Christmas tree. 

       Step-by-Step Instructions for the Templates:

1. Cut a triangle from folded paper. (see illustrations below in the printable)
2. Draw design on one side.
3. Cut out design with scissors.
4. Unfold and design is complete.
5. Use Mod Podge to decoupage the design to the top of the box.
   

       Above you can see the drafted version of a triangular box plus a diagram for the lid. 
       The template of the box may be used as printed or enlarged to the size you need. On the printable, the drafted version suggests sizing the box to measure 2 1/4" x 3 3/4" 
       For the lid, simply cut a slightly larger triangle from the one you cut for the lower half of the box and repeat the same steps. This larger version should then slip over the top of the former.

Craft a "Noah's Ark" paper plate pocket

"Noah's Ark" made using two paper plates; it will hold a paper animal menagerie
and Noah's family of course! 

       You will need the following supplies to make this ark craft: two paper plates, a stapler, magic markers, scissors and white school glue.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Draw a line through the center of the first paper plate. Color the lower half black and the upper half with the top of the ark, sky and rainbow.
2. Cut the second paper plate in half exactly and put the upper portion away for a future paper plate craft. You will only be using the bottom portion to complete this ark "pocket."
3. Turn the pocket over and color the back side of it so that once the ark has been colored and assembled there will be a distinctive pocket.
4. Cut three identical portholes for the side of the ark.
5. Next draw and color in the ark's hull a wood pattern just like the topsides.
6. On the rim of the paper plate draw and color water waves.
7. Squeeze out a thin line of white school glue around the lower pocket and then also staple it around the edges of both paper plates to create a pocket for paper dolls and/or finger puppets.
8. The dark interior of the ark should "show" through the portholes if you have attached the pockets correctly. 
9. You may wish to attach a string on the back of your paper plate ark pocket just behind the rainbow so that a child may hang it from a hook or nail in the wall of their room. 

See the interior of the pocket made by attaching two paper plates at the bottom, the second
cut in half to form the hull of the ship.

Go and see the entire video below.

The Tale of Noah's Ark from VeggieTales

Collage, Cut and Assemble a "Love Bug"

      This crafty caterpillar or "love bug" can be made from collaged stickers and pink tissue papers. Layer these with Mod Podge on top of a bright white background paper in order to make the colors brilliant. Let the glue dry before cutting out a series of heart shapes. I cut 14 hearts for this example. Then assemble and glue the hearts front to back in a long eruciform type body. Glue on a set of eyes and antenna from chenille stems. Your love bug(s) may then crawl all over the classroom walls or bulletin boards!

Left, the cut heart segments from the collage sheet. Right, face details of the teacher sample.

Left, the materials used to make the collage sheet. Right, the collage in progress.

Buggy Valentines:

• "Apple Of My Eye" Valentines
• "Bee Mine" Valentines
• "Love Bugs" lady bugs Valentines

Easter Booklet Craft for Spring Poems

Teacher's samples of the book covers or card designs.

       To make these Easter gift cards or booklets you will need the following supplies: typing paper, home printer, pencil for tracing, white watercolor paper, a set of watercolors and a black permanent fine tipped pen for outlining the designs.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Print out the black and white template below, enlarging the patterns as much as possible on a white piece of typing paper.
2. Cut out the designs carefully.
3. Fold a piece of watercolor paper in half lengthwise and trace around each card or the one design of your own choosing. Make sure the folded edge of the paper is even with the vertical,  left side of each card design.
4. Cut out the design leaving the folded left half sides intact so that the flower cover opens and has both an identical front and back. 
5. Trace the inside features of each Spring flower by placing the white watercolor paper over the designs while holding the papers against a back-lit window or on top of a light box.
6. Watercolor the flowers however you want to with either jewel tone colors or pastel hues. 
7. Insert extra pages inside the covers and staple these in place on the edge of the left hand fold.
8. Copy a lovely Easter poem or two and a private message about the holiday or person you are remembering.
   

Three different floral designs for the Easter project shown above include: daffodils and tulips.

"Consider the Lilies" sung by Anita & Sonica

Lullaby based upon scripture from Matthew 6:28-30

"God Is Love" heart shaped window craft

"God is love" 1 John 4:8

       To make a heart filled window cling, you will need the following supplies: tissue papers, black construction paper, a white crayon, a permanent ink marker, newsprint, white school glue, scissors, a home computer and paper for the printer.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Print out the pattern for the window "cling" decoration.
• Cut it out and then trace around all of it's parts on top of a piece of black construction paper using a white crayon so that the lines will show up.
• Cut out the window "tracery" carefully. 
• Carefully cut large enough tissues to glue behind each opening so that these look like "stained glass.'
• If you like, you can repeat step 2 and then glue a second black pattern to the backside of the heart window to give it two finished sides.
• To add the verse, "God Is Love" place the finished project face up on top of a newsprint paper to protect the table surface. Then use a permanent black marker to write the scripture in the center. 
• Tape the window cling to the Sunday School classroom window.

Pattern for the heart shapes cut from black construction paper.

How to make a little lamb using paper hearts...

The sample lamb has determined features. 
I gave his ears a bit of pink color with a
pencil as well...

     Construction paper lambs may be used any time of the year inside of a Sunday school class. Use them for bulletin board decorations or on greeting cards. 

     Teachers may also wish to include scriptures along with the lamb crafts. Here are a few that could be included inside of a card or on a bulletin board.

• Revelation 5:12
• John 1:29
• John 10:27-28
• John 10:11

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. To make a little paper lamb using heart shapes you will need to print out the template below. 
2. Cut out all of the shapes and trace around these on top of your paper of choice. 
3. I used plain white paper and then later drew in the features of the lamb shown here in the photo. However, you could choose to glue on additional cotton or use a decorative ivory on white scrap paper alternatively.
4. Give the lamb some pasture to feed on using green colored papers and blue for the sky beyond.

More Little Lambs for Sunday School:

• Jesus Tenderly Watches His Flock
• Watching The Sheep -coloring page and Caring for a lost lamb...
• "I know my sheep..." coloring page - stained glass
• More lambs for children to watch . . . 

Pattern for the heart shaped lamb.

"Teach Me To Pray" Praying Hands Craft

The Lord's Prayer in English pasted between the teacher's sample of praying hands.

 

       Jesus instructed his people to pray like this, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Matthew 6:9-24 KJV
       Take the time and effort to trace around each student's left and right hands to make their "praying hands" unique to this craft! They will be proud to show off his or her own hands to their family members afterwards. 
       Then print out The Lord's Prayer printables below in their own language. Cut out the printable in a neat rectangular shape and accordion fold this prayer. Paste each end to both the left and right inside paper palms of the hand cut-outs. 
       Parents or guardians can read and point to the prayer text as they recite it along with their child at night before bedtime. This practice teaches Bible memory work, word recognition, quality time spent together and most important how to pray to God respectfully. 

The Current Selection of The Lord's Prayer Printables are in The Following Languages: Chinese, Spanish, English, French, Hindi, Syriac and Zulu. Teachers may request additional languages to be below included below in the comment form.

printable texts of The Lord's Prayer . . .

 

The Lord's Prayer in English.

The Lord's Prayer in Chinese.

The Lord's Prayer in French.

The Lord's Prayer in Mexican (Spanish).

The Lord's Prayer in Hindi.

The Lord's Prayer in Syriac.

The Lord's Prayer in Zulu.

The preschool kid's five finger prayer.

"The Old, Old Story" Silhouettes

Both the cut-out black silhouette and the pastel painted
background are assembled in this teacher's sample. The 
silhouette is stapled on top of the sunset scenery.

       If you have four siblings in a family or at least as many in a Sunday school, each child can pick one of the four templates to make in this Christmas series. 
       A teacher may assign a different template representing the Christmas story to different students if they prefer this kind of assignment instead.

Supply List:

• standard sized construction papers: one black and one white 
• choose one of four templates below to print
• colored chalks or pastels
• inexpensive hair spray in can or a fixative for pastels may be used
• scissors
• white crayon or a white pencil or chalk to use when tracing around the stencils onto black construction paper

The old old story by our 5th grade Sunday school class. - Nearly two thousand years ago a baby was born in a stable in Bethlehem. This baby was Christ. 

Children long ago designed these silhouette pictures for their
Sunday school classroom wall. Now you can make them too.

        Below are the templates for the Christmas Silhouettes. Children may print these out on a home computer or at their church. Cut out the outline of each motif, trace around it using a white led pencil (or crayon) on top of a black sheet of construction paper. Look at the finished versions above to make certain that all of the details are correctly cut out.

       Color the white construction paper with chalks or pastels, blending these together with your fingers or a soft paper towel to make a lovely sunset. Spray the chalks with inexpensive hairspray to adhere the dust particles to the paper better. Staple the black paper-cuts onto chalk backgrounds. Now you can make a series of lovely illustrations for your Sunday school classroom this Christmas.

The wisemen were guided by a star to find the new King, a special King of kings.

The shepherds are the first to hear about Jesus, because they are the shepherds watching over
a very special flock of sheep. These sheep were used in the temple for slaughter to atone for
the sins of men. The angels are announcing that Jesus, lamb of God would take away the sin's
of the world and there would no longer be a need of the symbolic lambs of sacrifice. 

Mary, Joseph, and the three kings visit Jesus later in the story.

Angels with instruments announce the Messiah's birth to the shepherds watching
over their flocks in the fields.

How to memorize the books of the Bible with craft sticks

Each Popsicle stick is labeled with a 
book from the Bible.

        For this simple craft you will need a clean recycled can; the lid is not necessary. Cover this can with one layer of masking tape around all of it's sides. The masking tape makes the surface of any can or even plastic container rough enough to except white glue plus other materials like paper, clay, fabric and yarn. In this instance you will be gluing yarn to the surface to transform it into something more attractive. This process is good for young students because it develops small motor skills. It also uses up a material that plenty of ordinary folks have on hand and may no longer use to knit with. 

       The second half of this craft involves the painting of Popsicle sticks in brilliant colors. Use a quick, inexpensive paint for this project. Something that is commonly used by school aged children. After the paint colors have dried, use a permanent ink marker of some kind to label every stick with the titles of the book of the Bible. 

       To play the game of laying down the sticks in the order of the Bible books may be made a bit more interesting by playing with two students at once. Whoever gets them in the correct order first wins the game! 

       The necessity of memorizing the order of books in the Bible is all about being able to research scriptures quickly while a pastor, priest, or teacher is lecturing or preaching. Young students should not be made to feel guilty for not having this skill; it is merely helpful to their own personal study. However, it does make the taking of notes and comprehension of scripture easier in the long run.

Left, the recycled can is covered with yarn for a decorative feature.
Right, see the wooden, labeled tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks in the can.

 

• Books of the Bible Bookmark Templates Too...

"Books of the Bible Song and Lyrics by Mary Rice Hopkins.

"Noah Leaves the Ark" mixed media collage

"And God said, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man or send a flood to destroy all living things, even though mankind's heart is evil from childhood." And God blessed Noah and his family saying, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." Genesis 8:20-22

       Noah's family rejoices once the have finally the ark and set their feet on dry land! To make a mixed media collage similar to this one, you will need all kinds of supplies: white tacky glue, foam core board, colorful foam sheets, embroidery floss, water color pens or paint, a home printer, and brown/tan paper to print on or draw on.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a piece of foam core board to any size you wish to make your mixed media collage. Foam core board is very rigid and won't warp as easily as cardboard while working with glue.
   
2. I chose to base this mixed media collage on an illustration by Dore. In our blog here there are many subjects to choose from. I chose to print the figures of Noah, his wife and children on a beige paper. Then I cut out the parts of that print to fit inside of the collage of the ark, pasting them down of a rigid, strong piece of foam core. 
3. Then I sketched the outlines of the larger elements of my design like: the ark, the swirling sands and sky and then the flow of the rainbow colored foam tiles.
4. Glue in the embroidery floss for the sand and sky in a swirling pattern. I chose to contrast very bold colors: blue, red, orange, hot pink and yellow, as accents against the majority of the other elements like the ground, clothing of the people and ark, in a soft neutral color palette: tans, browns, beige etc...
5. I cut the tiny mosaic tiles from craft foam as these were glued down in rows.
6. Then after giving the floss and tiles plenty of time to dry, I used a brown pen to draw on the woodgraining of the ark and small window.
   
7. Next, I applied a soft tan shading to the skin tones of Noah, wife, sons and daughters.
   

Left, the rainbow, a sign God sets in the sky to remind himself not to flood all of the earth. Right, the flesh of the people is colored a soft desert sand color with a large pen tip. The sands beneath their feet are beige embroidery floss.

Left, the contrast between textures is subtle but effective. Right, the tiny tiles continue the from the sky and down in front of the ark.

Search our Genesis coloring sheet for more ideas relating to the flood story...

Draw an Idyllic Stained Glass City or Landscape

       To make this art project, students will need to gather the following supplies: white school glue, a very large sheet of black construction paper, a piece of white or pale yellow chalk and a student grade box of pastels or oil pastels, one or the other. If you should decide to use the soft pastels, you will also need either a can of fixative or hairspray to keep the chalk in place at the end of the exercise.

Illustration of glue outline on construction paper.

 

       Using your chalk lightly press down and sketch out either a city on a hill or an idyllic representation of a landscape, depending upon which of the scriptures you intend to illustrate. You may rub out any of the mistakes with a tissue as you draw. Once you have a composition you like, take the tip of a glue bottle and squeeze out the glue next to your chalk marks to recreate the entire drawing in glue. Let the glue drawing dry over night so that it is "transparent" but still visible to the eye.
       Now fill in the spaces between the glue lines using pastels. The soft pastels will not adhere to the raised glue lines. However, if you are using oil pastels for this art exercise, you will need to carefully avoid coloring around these. 
       Once you have completed the project, it should look like stained glass. Hang it on your classroom wall after your teacher has sprayed the artwork with fixative. Teachers may use a hairspray as an alternative, less expensive replacement to ''fix'' the powdered pastels in place.

Matthew 5:14-16

    "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5: 14-16

Psalm 23:1-6

    "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalm 23:1-6

 

"Light of The World" from Godspell recording (1973)

Valentine Chain Pattern: arrows, hearts and children

       Two Valentine chain patterns for Sunday School children: one with arrows and hearts and the other with children and hearts. The patterns below should not be redistributed from alternative websites, but these are free for classrooms and home use.

Examples of what the paper chains should look like.

Two chain patterns, cut on the dotted lines after folding the paper like an accordion or screen.

An unusual couples Valentine event at a United Methodist Church!

Color these stained glass Christmas baubles...

 

Click to enlarge and download the largest available size.

Description of The Coloring Page: stained glass ornaments, Christmas printable, tree decorations, silhouettes, 

• Color Bell Ringer Chrismon
• The Virgin Holding Baby Jesus Chrismon 
• The Eagle With Her Eaglets Chrismon Symbol...
  

Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

Three Crosses Silhouette Craft

 "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

        Many folks have included a craft similar to this one in their Bible craft lessons online. Mine uses acrylic paints instead of soft pastels. I also have cut one of two paper plates into a silhouette and have painted it black. However, some parents may find that it is easier to cut black construction paper instead.
       This craft is often made during Lent or Easter. Children often display it on a cupboard or at a table during the formal meal of Easter Sunday along with their died Easter eggs.

Finished three crosses silhouette craft.

Supply List:

• acrylic paints: black, white, lavender, pink, yellow orange
• two paper plates
• scissors
• tin foil or wax paper
• paint brushes
• stapler

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Turn over the first paper plate and draw three simple crosses and a hill area on the back side of the paper plate.
2. Cut out the template of 3 crosses and paint this solid black. I covered my second paper plate with tin foil to keep it clean and painted the silhouette on top of this. The purpose of my method was to give the paper plate support while it dried, so that the painted silhouette wouldn't loose it's shape while drying.
3. Now paint the second plate using sunrise colors: orange, yellow, pink, and lavender on the front side of the plate. Let it dry.
4. Staple the two plates together so that there is a pocket space between the two. 
5. Slip an Easter dinner prayer inside the pocket to read at Easter dinner. (optional)
   

Left, the silhouette of three crosses drawn on the back side of one plate. Center, I used foil to protect my surfaces and keep things clean. Right, I painted the silhouette black.

Left, the painted silhouette of three crosses symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus along with two thieves, one repentant and the other a fool. Right, is the second paper plate shown just after it's paint has dried.

Left, a close up of the sunrise view of three crosses is actually traditionally practiced to honor the Easter Sunrise Services that take place all over the United States the Sunday after Good Friday. In the real history of crucifixion, Jesus' cross was taken down on Good Friday, shortly after his death. It is the tradition of believers to show Jesus' cross at the largest one in the center. Right, the two paper plates are stapled together.

Two of Each Were All Aboard Noah's Ark!

"Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark." Genesis 7:15 

 

       God told Noah there would be a flood that would cover the Earth. Noah and his family, who where faithful to God, helped in the species reintroduction or historical rewilding of the planet. However, ancient people did not understand this concept the way that we do today. They did not know about DNA in the way that modern people understand it now. So, they recorded events by faith which included the parts of those events that they understood from a limited perspective; just as children would do. This doesn't mean their records are untrue, it just means that the information recorded is in parts and pieces.

        Children will have fun crafting handy-shaped monkeys, giraffes and pigs for Noah's remarkable ark! Pin or staple one pair from each child in the Sunday school on a bulletin board display outside your classroom if you'd like.

       The following creatures are made by tracing around a child's hand on top of construction paper, cutting out the hand shape and gluing on addition body parts such as: tails, heads and ears for the monkeys, necks, ossicones and manes for the giraffes and the curly tails, hooves and snouts for the pigs.

Make two of each animals by using either handprints and paints or by drawing around the student's hands and cutting out construction paper handprints to decorate and turn into little monkeys, pigs or giraffes.

Two handy monkeys. Monkeys made with handprints.
More About Monkeys.

Two handy giraffes. Giraffes made using handprints or hand cut-outs.
More about giraffes.

Two handy pigs. Pigs made from handprints or cut-outs.
More about pigs here.

       The web is full of these popular hand crafts in every animal imaginable. Include some of these along with my versions to expand your classroom menagerie:

• Handprint Winter Animals from Homeschool Preschool
• Find Mallard Duck Handprint Craft 
  
• Alphabet Handprint Book
• See a example of flamingo handprint craft here . . .
  
• A handy little frog craft...
• Ladybug handprints or paper hand tracing here!
  
• A fun, colorful handy peacock pattern
• Walrus handprints or paper cuts from Thrifty Scissors
  

Craft a 3D Snowy Pine Scene

       “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry." Isaiah 55:10

        This fun little Christmas scene may be partially assembled prior to painting if you want to use it in a larger Sunday school class. Children from four to nine will enjoy painting their pine cone fir trees on the first Sunday. Let it the paint dry for a week so that on a second Sunday, students may decorate their trees with snowy cotton, glitter, and sculpt a cute, snow-white, woodland critter to sit beside each pine cone tree on top of the wooden base.

Finished snow scene.

Supply List for One Project:

• a pine cone
• hammer and nail
• small wooden block
• green and white acrylic paints
• two cotton balls
• white glitter
• white air dry clay for a winter snow-bunny, fox or bear
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• white school glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Pre-cut a hole through the center of a wooden block base either using a drill or by hammering one with a nail.
2. Hot glue the bottom tip of a pine cone into the hole.
3. Paint the pine cone tree green and the wooden block base white.
4. After the paint has dried thoroughly, trim the tips with glitter and fluffy cotton to look like snow. Apply this with white school glue.
5. Shape little mini snowmen, birds or Winter white, furry creatures using the air dry clay. Glue these to the wooden base. I shaped a small snow bunny for this scene.
   
6. Sprinkle the wooden base with white glue and glitter to make it look like it's covered with fresh fallen snow.

Left, a tin basket full of pine cones and a mounted pine cone that has been painted green.
Right, is the cone with added white cotton and a toothpick that has been mounted
into the wooden block. This step is optional, it will merely secure the snow bunny in
place. I will glue my beaded bunny parts through it after these have dried.

Above you can see the little shapes that students will need to make for
 a snow bunny. There are holes through the bottom two pieces to
secure these over the wooden toothpick.

.

Wrap a yarn cross and frame!

"And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" Luke 23:42

       Gather just a few craft supplies for this project: yarns, wooden crafts sticks, scissors, and white school glue. Cut two of the four craft sticks approximately 1 1/2" shorter. Round off the ends to match all of the others similarly. Glue these four tongue depressors together to shape a frame. Let this little wooden frame dry completely before wrapping the yarn cross across it's sides.

Left, the cross is wrapped across the frame sides.
Right the completed yarn frame and cross finished.

       Tie and secure the beginning of the yarn around one end of the frame and then wrap one side of the cross four or five times and secure the end with a knot or glue. Do the same for the other sides of the frame to shape a cross in the center of the wooden frame. Now wrap the sides of the frame and squeeze a bit of glue onto the surfaces as you go. Twist a accent of yarn around the center of the cross.

Left the sides of the frame are cut. Center, the ends are shaped to match.
Right, the frame is allowed to dry completely after gluing the ends
together in the pictured shape.

God will take care of you - Peacock Picture

Jesus said, "...they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? Matthew 6:26

       A hand-crafted peacock may be made either by dipping a younger child's hand in paint and printing the wings of the peacock or by drawing around an older child's hands and cutting these from construction papers or by coloring in a hand tracing instead. Use glitter, sequins or additional papers to further exaggerate the peacock feathers. Cut out a simple body shape for the bird's torso, a yellow or orange triangle for it's beak and tiny white eyeballs can be cut with a hole-puncher. Glue on a feather to the peacock's head and draw it's black feet. I've included a printable page below of Matthew 6:26 so that Sunday school teachers may print out multiple copies of the verse for larger numbers of children. Their students may then craft a peacock between the lines of verse, just like the example shown above.

Jesus said, "...they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds?

More Bird Related Handprints:

• See a example of flamingo handprint craft here . . . 
• Find Mallard Duck Handprint Craft  
  

More Peacock Activities:

• Peacock Heart Craft teaches true love from Corinthians 13:4-8
• "For the joy of ear and eye..." coloring the hymns
• Peacock coloring from Crayon Palace