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.

How To Make A Necklace!

For younger children, a wooden necklace is a great craft to make, during vacation Bible school or even at home. If you are looking for vacation Bible school crafts, you have come to the right place! In this article you will learn how to make a simple craft like a necklace and will be able to instill valuable life lessons in your children.

Before you begin this craft you should have several items handy. Those items are:
1. String (or yarn)
2.Wooden beads, these can be found online or at your local craft store)
3. Paint or anything to decorate your beads with
4. Paper plates- give one of these to your kids individually with the exact number of beads they will need.
5. Craft paper to cover your work space with so it will not get messy.
6. Craft Wire if you want a simple necklace of too had jewels or other ornaments.

Now that you have the above items you can begin helping your children assemble their necklaces.
As they walk in to the classroom, have them sit around the table. Explain to them the craft that they will be making today and give them a short speech on the importance of sharing. You can incorporate a Biblical message into your craft, or if at home you can make a list of all the people you would like to make a special necklace for. Making crafts with kids can be a tremendous amount of fun not only for them but for you too.
Explain the craft to them and pass out the paper plates to each child gathered around the table. Tell them to paint their beads or color them with assorted markers or crayons. Once your children have finished decorating their beads you can set aside the paper plates so they can have time to dry (if you used paints or glue). Allow at least 20 minutes and while you are waiting you can get the class involved in a Bible story or family time. Get them to use their imaginations and brainstorm about what they think kids did for fun thousands of years ago.
When your beads are dry, you can begin making your necklace. Ask the children to string one wooden bead at a time and encourage them to make patterns. When they are finished stringing their beads, help them tie the loose ends.
If you want more ideas for crafts with wooden beads, look online to find other beads made out of Christian symbols. You might be able to find things like hearts, crosses, stars, etc.
This project is great and simple for children 6 and up.