Lenten plans

Here are our 2012 Lenten plans.
Since my little guy really enjoyed the Jesse Tree this Advent, I made us a Jesus Tree for Lent. The tree is from our local Dollar Tree, in the Easter section. I have a jewelry tree for our Jesse Tree, but I wanted something I could also take into Religious Education without concern about it getting damaged. For our Jesus Tree I used the ornaments found on http://stbrigidsacademy.blogspot.com/2011/03/jesus-tree.html. Thank you Melissa! I used the black and white images and watercolored them, hung with ribbon according to litergical colors of purple, red or white, and laminated them to last. I found it best to use a lot of clear scrapbooking tape to stick the two images together as the painting onto cardstock makes for a less than smooth sticking surface. That's also the reason for the larger than I'd like edging as the clear stickiness doesn't want to stay stuck together near the edge. Maybe Modge Podge would've been a better choice? Oh well, lent isn't about perfection right?!

Here's our lenten prayer table. Instead of a bean sacrifice jar, I found some purple plastic hearts (table scatter) at Target on clearance. The purple straw bucket and purple felt bin are from Target as well. I set out the plain cross from Michael's to represent the crosses we bear. My son last night picked up the cross and said "I could be a priest!" with a big smile on his face. We shall see, but his enthusiasm was a wonderful gift. He's equally excited to paint it with bright colors for Eastertide. (This idea also came from Melissa at http://stbrigidsacademy.blogspot.com/2010/03/crosses-we-bear.html.)

We are also participating in the Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure at www.holyheroes.com . This is our first year and so far it's a hit! We are using the Lenten calendar found at http://hfclassicalacademy.blogspot.com/2011/02/approaching-lent-and-preparing.html for the cover of his Lenten activity folder for all the printables from Holy Heroes and others we may find along the way.
Our Lenten wreath on the front door...

Happy Lent! For more wonderful ideas go to www.catholicicing.com for her Lenten Linkup!

How time flys...

So I haven't been posting...too busy gathering ideas from other wonderful sites like Catholic Icing and The Catholic Toolbox.

This week we had our second prayer testing. So to keep them busy and learning in a fun way, I prepared some crafts while they were waiting for their turn.

I had the kids decorate crafted lenten offering banks.

Supplies:

* small white plastic cups (Dollar General $1/50 cups). This may also work with paper or styrofoam, but not sure if they'll hold up throughout the lenten season or not.

* hot glue gun and hot glue

* 1 inch white cardstock circles

* 1/2 inch purple paper or ribbon strips (optional, cups will hold without it)

* purple foam stickers (I used Valentines pack from Dollar Tree with hearts, circles and "x's" that come in purple, red and pink.

* razor blade knife

1. Hot glue white circles onto outside bottom of cup

2. Cut slot large enough for quarter into bottom of cup/circle

3. Hot glue slotted cup and regular cup, rim sides together

4. Hot glue puple strip/ribbon around middle to cover glued edges

5. I wrote words on some of the foam stickers: heart - "lent", circle - cent sign, double heart - "give alms", flower - "pray" and "fast". I also trimmed "x" into a cross.

Kids decorated their banks with stickers. Some also colored their banks with markers, but be aware the washable markers were a little messy as the cups are plastic.

I kept my demo really plain as I like the kids to use their own imaginations to express themselves. They could really use some dolling up with glitter glue or sequins or something. I have to admit, I really thought twice about even using them as they are pretty goofy looking. Not the prettiest things I've ever done, but they got the point across and I hope having the sayings on the stickers will be a more constant reminder at home about lent.

Also created a hanging Valentine/theological virtues craft:
Supplies:
* paper plate
* doilies (either 6in red and pink or 10in white)
* ribbon to hang (used red gift wrapping ribbon)
* hole punch (punched two holes on top to thread ribbon for hanger)
* glue stick
* marker
* if using 6in doilies, I used 1 purple foam heart sticker for space in center

1. Write scripture verse I Corinthians 13:13
2. color doily lacy edge as desired
3. glue doily to backside of paper plate
4. punch 2 holes at top, thread ribbon for hanger

We also made heart shaped one decade rosaries with pipe cleaners and pony beads from Lacy at http://catholicicing.com/2012/01/sacred-and-immaculate-heart-rosaries-a-fun-catholic-craft/

Hopefully as time marches on I will get more of the hang of this blogging stuff. Until then...

For more Lent crafts and ideas, go to Catholic Icing at http://catholicicing.com/2012/02/lenten-link-up/