Because I am just a bit crazy, I thought it would be fun to do our Jesse Tree a little differently this year. To that end, I have bought some of those transparent plastic baubles – the kind that you can take apart and put things in – and we are going to use them for our Jesse Tree symbols. Here’s what I have planned so far:
1. Creation – we’re going to press blue and green play dough into the two halves of the bauble, to make a vaguely earth-patterned sphere. We’ll get one of the littlest children to do this one.
2. Adam and Eve – my daughter has very kindly made me both a snake and an apple out of loom bands! We’ll supplement it with a green and blue play dough background.
3. Noah – Yep, it’s a blue play dough bottom half to the sphere, with a loom band rainbow!
4. Abraham and Sarah – I’m hoping to get a small amount of play sand and stick it to the inside of the sphere using PVA glue (or, let’s face it, , stick some stars in the top half of the sphere, and put footprint stickers round the edge.
5. Moses – this is the easy one: two small stones, with I, II, III etc written on, for the ten commandments. The sand and footprints might be used again too….
6. David – a loom band sheep (because he was the shepherd-king), a tiny tinfoil crown, and some small pebbles (from his slingshot). And possibly also a star of David if I can find one small enough. I think the playdough background for this one might be red or purple (nice royal colours!)
7. Prophets – scrolls with a favourite quotation on them – possibly making a backdrop from a scanned and printed out bit of bible….
8. John the Baptist – I am really trying not to involve locusts here! I’m thinking sand, and blue playdough for the Jordan. Maybe some hessian sackcloth? Any other ideas?
9. Mary and Joseph – a lily, and a nail and some wood, and a heart.
10. Jesus – a small baby from a nativity set, and a cross, with a star at the top. And a small pile of straw in the bottom of the bauble.
So….. am I crazy trying to put these together with a bunch of kids? Or will it be very cool? And, more to the point, if you have any suggestions for better things to put in the baubles, please do let me know! Thank you!
reverendally.org 
Hi, it is a lovely idea, and can think why not to do it. When using play dough beware the baubles could get VERY HEAVY. A lighter alternative, still providing you with the right colours, would be air dough, that is heavy (not as much as play dough) when you mould it, but then dries almost weight less.
Enjoy it!
THat should read… CANT think why not to do it. Fingers, and iPads…
there’s an air drying clay called jumping clay which is much much lighter than playdough and comes in all the lovely colours and can be blended to make new colours etc .http://www.jumpingclay.co.uk/worcester/
Looks wonderful – I wonder if there’s a US equivalent? (I feel a trip to Michael’s – that’s a USA art and craft shop – coming on!)
granddad says John the Baptist could have honey and a loom band bee
I like it! I had wondered about honey comb, but not sure where to get it in small quantities.