Craft Parts Blog

Making a Wooden Fish

A great idea for a craft during vacation Bible school is a wooden fish. An Ichthys is a Greek word for fish. The symbol of a fish may have been used as a secret symbol of Christianity in the early years. The symbol is now vastly known as “Jesus’ fish”.
Before you make a wooden Ichthys you should be familiar with the history behind the fish. Here is a brief background history about the symbol widely used to depict Christianity. When Jesus chose His disciples He chose several that were fishermen. These were ordinary guys who knew a lot about their trade- fishing. Jesus did not pick priests or royalty to be His closest comrades rather he chose those who were just like everybody else. Jesus tells His disciples that He was going to make them “fishers of men,” meaning they were to be the ones to lay the foundation for bringing others to Christ.

As Christians, one way of sharing their faith is through the symbol of a fish. The Ichthys are a symbolic symbol that dates back many, many years and is profound as a symbol.

A wooden fish is fairly easy to make if you have the right tools. Here are some things to have handy before you begin:
1. Scissors
2. Wooden Fish Cutout
3. Markers or crayons (anything to decorate with)
4. Craft Wire

Now that you have the supplies needed you can have your children begin their project. To save time you might want to trace the outline of a fish on to your wood product. Help the younger ones cut out their design and ask them to wait until everyone is finished.

Once everyone has finished cutting out their fish they can decorate it however they would like.

When the children are finished with their project ask them where they can hang their fish so others can see it. Tell them they can hang it on the car’s rear view mirror, in their window of their room, on their refrigerator, their Christmas tree, etc.