Author: Crafting The Word Of God
2013 In Review
As the year has come to an end I have been astonished by what God has been doing with my little blog.
I have been truly blessed to get to know some of the other children’s ministry leaders in this online world, whether it be on Facebook, by email or through their websites and have received great advice from all of you. There are too many of you to thank to list you individually.
Secondly, I would like to thank my readers for this great year. Your words of encouragement and appreciation have helped me keep this little blog chugging along.
I started this blog with the intention and hope of it serving as a tool to help and inspire you and your children’s ministries. I just hope that this blog is living up to that expectation.
As the year has come to a close, I thought it would be fun to share the crafts visited most often this year.
The Perfect Homemade Playdough
Are you looking for the perfect homemade playdough recipe. Look no more.
This playdough recipe is simple and the results are fantastic; silky and smooth playdough.
If you are looking for a recipe that does not include cream of tartar, good luck. I have spent years looking for that elusive unicorn with no luck. If you find a recipe that does not include cream of tartar the results are not as ideal. The dough is either too crumbly, sticky or lumpy.
Keep your eyes out for when cream of tartar goes on sale in your local supermarket or buy it in bulk on Amazon. The extra cost is really worth it.
This recipe will make enough playdough for four medium sized balls or you can make large batches of a single color.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup salt
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Food Coloring
- Add the flour, salt, and cream of tartar into a large saucepan.
- Add in the oil and water. Make sure that there are no lumps.
- If you will be doing one large batch add in your food coloring until you get the desired color intensity. If you will be doing a variety of colors leave the food coloring out.
- Place the large saucepan on medium heat and continually stir. You know it is done when it forms into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.
- If you did not make a large batch, divide the dough into four equal pieces.
- Add a different color of food coloring to each piece.
- Kneed the dough to incorporate the food coloring.
The Writing On The Wall
“4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. 5 Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.” Daniel 5:4-6
King Belshazzar’s actions were sinful before the eyes of God. He allowed himself to be guided by his pride, but even the most powerful and richest king is nothing compared to God. King Belshazzar learned that God has power over all things, and that whatever power King Belshazzar had, it wasn’t his own doing. God gave it to him.
“It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.” Daniel 2:21
God’s message to Belshazzar came true that night. God punished the king for his sin and his kingdom was taken from him that very night.
Instructions
- Print the template. (Template)
- Color everything on the page, except the walls, with markers.
- Color in the walls with color pencils.
- Finally, with glow in the dark paint and a small brush, write the message God delivered to King Belshazzar: “MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN“
Lying Lips Are An Abomination To The Lord
God hates it when we lie! When we lie we are going against His very nature John 14:6. God hates lying so much that He included it as one of the Ten Commandments.
We can clearly see how serious God is about lies and this is what we want our kids to learn as well. They need to understand that God hates it when we lie. That lying is a serious sin.
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.” Proverbs 12:22
It ruins friendships and characters. It hurts others and it can even influence others to sin as well.
Take this opportunity to correct the worlds false view of lying. The world believes in half-truths and “white” lies, but Gods Word shows us that a lie is a lie. They need to comprehend that when we lie we hurt others.
Tell your kids that it takes love to tell someone the truth, even when they know they will be hurt by their response; making an emphasis on the fact that the truth needs to be said lovingly. Teaching them that we need to practice sincere honesty with our family, friends, and in the church.
Instructions
- Print the template onto card stock. (Template)
- Color and cut out all of the pieces.
- Take the tongue piece and fold on the solid line, creating a crease.
- Glue the tongue to the lips.
- If your have boys they can glue on the mustache.
- Glue a large popsicle stick to the back of the lips. It will serve as a handle.
This craft might look silly, but it will help your kids remember this important biblical truth.
Basic Christmas Wreath
Why spend 40 dollars on a Christmas wreath, when you can have one decorated by one of your kids?
This is a very basic Christmas wreath craft. Its great to do with your kids because you can easily build on it and decorate it as you wish. Let your kids use their imagination.
Directions
- Print the template. You will need at least two of the leaf pattern pages. (Template)
- Color and cut out all of the pieces.
- Cut out the center from a paper plate, leaving a ring.
- Glue the leaves in random order onto the paper ring.
- Finally glue on the ribbon.
Here’s were you get to use your imagination. You can use practically anything to decorate this wreath: pompoms, stickers, glitter, beads, craft feathers, string, foam stickers, ribbon, tissue paper, sequence, buttons, cranberries, popcorn, craft jewels, jewel garlands, plastic poinsettias. The possibilities are endless.
Dipped Pine Cone Ornaments
Today’s post comes from a guest blogger, Mary-Kate Warner from Christianity Cove, sharing how a simple pine cone can teach our kids a great message this Christmas season.
The pine cone is the only Christmas ornament that can be found on the forest floor. It is simple, free and beautiful, just like our salvation. But it is also complex like God’s wonderful universe. While making pine cone ornaments, kids can come to better understand our relationship with the Almighty.
Materials
- Pine Cones, Different Sizes
- Acrylic Paint, Variety Of Colors
- Paint Brushes, One For Each Child
- Wax paper
- Glue
- Glitter
- Red Or Green Ribbon, Thin
Instructions
1. Paint the pine cone in whatever paint combination you choose. You can either just paint the tips or paint by immersion—whichever works best for you. (Immersion is messier!)
2. Place the pine cone, wide side down, onto wax paper.
3. Allow it to completely dry.
4. Brush the dry, painted tips with smaller bits of white, if desired. Or you can brush tips with glue and sprinkle with glitter to add some extra sparkle.
5. Thread a piece of red or green ribbon through the pine cone on the bottom of the base. Tie a knot and leave enough length of ribbon so it can be tied to a tree branch or bow of a Christmas package.
Discussion
Pine cones make great Christmas decorations. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? And we can find them on the forest floor…they’re like free gifts from God! How is a pine cone like our salvation? Our salvation is also a free gift from God that is very beautiful.
Do you know what a pine cone actually is? It is a seed pod. It carries the seeds of the pine tree to make other pine trees. It’s amazing! The pine cone just tumbles around…being its beautiful self…and other pine trees are born because of it. If we are Christians, what can happen if we act like a pine cone? We can share God’s love and make others aware that God loves them.
When we place our pine cones on our Christmas trees, or gift wrap presents using our pine cone, let’s remember that people can see God’s love and reap God’s great reward of salvation by watching us!
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Mary-Kate is a regular blogger at Christianity Cove. You can often find her writing about Christian Motherhood, Homeschool Teaching, Bible Study and Sunday School Activities, Faith and inspiring children to love God.
Update: My First Ever Giveaway!
A few days ago I received my 100,000 page view. I am trully appreciative and the ones that deserve all the thanks are my great readers. Without your support and words of encouragement I don’t think I could keep this blog going.
As a sign of my appreciation I decided to hold my first ever giveaway. I can’t give away much, but as a little thank you from me to you, you can enter for a chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card.
Click on the link below and you will be taken to Rafflecopter’s website where you will enter the giveaway. When the contest is over a winner will be chosen at random. I will then contact them letting them know that they have won. You will then shortly receive your gift card.
The giveaway has ended.
(Only one winner will be chosen. Only residents of the United States my enter, not by my choice, Amazon restrictions.)
Candy Cane Jesus
The Legend Of The Candy Cane…
Look at a candy cane and what do you see? Stripes that are red like the blood shed for me. White for my Savior, who is sinless and pure. “J” is for Jesus, my Lord, that’s for sure! Turn it around and a staff you will see- Jesus, my shepherd is coming for me!
Many times during this Christmas season we get caught up in material things. Presents, decorations and food. It’s important to take the time to remember that those things have trully nothing to do with Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is Christ. And that is exactly what this craft will do.
“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
Instructions
- Print the template. (Template)
- Color and cut out all of the pieces.
- Glue the baby onto a sheet of yellow construction paper.
- Cut out the baby from the construction paper, leaving a border of yellow construction paper.
- Cut slits along the border of the construction paper at different intervals and angels.
- At this point if you like, you can decorate the candy cane with glitter. Allow the enough time for the glitter to dry.
- Finally glue the baby onto the candy cane.
Christmas Dove
This is one of my favorite Christmas crafts to make. It looks great hanging from a window or a doorway. You can even place it on your Christmas tree.
Instructions
- Print the template. (Template)
- Cut out the body and wings.
- Color and cut out the holly and berries.
- Trace the body and wings onto a paper plate.
- Cut out all of the pieces.
- Glue and then cut out the holly and berries from a piece of construction paper.
- Glue one wing to the front of the body and glue the other one to the back.
- Finally glue the holly and berries to the body of the dove.
If you don’t have paper plates you can print the template onto card stock.
You can also print this smaller version and make this craft into ornaments for your Christmas tree. (Template)
Snowflake Sun Catcher
Hang these beautiful sun catchers in your window for the Christmas season.
Instructions
- Print the template onto card stock. Print as many snowflakes as you want. (Template)
- Glue the template sheet to the back of a sheet of black construction paper.
- Cut out all of the white from the template. You will be left with the snowflake border shape.
- Place the snowflake shape onto a self laminating sheet or contact paper, construction paper side down.
- Fill in the inside of the snowflake with squares of white, yellow or shades of blue tissue paper. If you wish you can do a green and red combination.
- Cover with another sheet of self laminating sheet or contact paper.
- Cut out the snowflake from the laminating sheet or contact paper.
- Stick the snowflake/ snowflakes to your window with double sided tape.
Crafting The Word Of God 
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