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| The Jesse tree - Isaiah 11:1 "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots.". |
I was introduced to the idea of a Jesse tree last year through a friend's blog. And, as I am passionate about teaching the 'big story' of the Bible, I thought it was a lovely idea. I also love that between this and our Lent tree tradition of going through Christ's ministry, we are managing to do an overview each year. So this year, with the prompting of a friend who wanted to make one too, I decided to stitch up some leaves for a Jesse Tree.
The idea of a Jesse tree stems from Isaiah 11:1. "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots." It draws on stories from creation to the birth of Christ and shows how Christ is the shoot the springs forth to restore all things.
To make the tree I've been relying on these patterns as general guides and we have been using the devotionals provided as well. I chose to make holly leaves so the seasons tree on the nature tree will look Christmasy. Jonah loves finding a leaf in the advent calendar each night and while it is a bit time consuming it is the sort of tradition that will be easy in the future, as the pieces will be pre-made.
I'm making it as we go, so here are photos of the first half. I numbered them to give you a sense of what they are and where they go (I wish I had put them in order when I photographed them, but, alas, no such forethought.)
Note on Materials: I used felted wool felt (quite by accident a piece of green wool felt I was using as a table runner was put through with the kitchen laundry and came out half the size, but twice as thick) and a felted green wool sweater for the leaves. The pictures are made by squares of wool felt and embroidery floss. Rahab's red cord is a scrap of wool yarn.
To make the tree I've been relying on these patterns as general guides and we have been using the devotionals provided as well. I chose to make holly leaves so the seasons tree on the nature tree will look Christmasy. Jonah loves finding a leaf in the advent calendar each night and while it is a bit time consuming it is the sort of tradition that will be easy in the future, as the pieces will be pre-made.
I'm making it as we go, so here are photos of the first half. I numbered them to give you a sense of what they are and where they go (I wish I had put them in order when I photographed them, but, alas, no such forethought.)
Note on Materials: I used felted wool felt (quite by accident a piece of green wool felt I was using as a table runner was put through with the kitchen laundry and came out half the size, but twice as thick) and a felted green wool sweater for the leaves. The pictures are made by squares of wool felt and embroidery floss. Rahab's red cord is a scrap of wool yarn.
Bottom Row: 8. Jacobs Ladder, 9. Joseph's Coat, 4. Noah's Ark, and 12. the grain that Ruth gleaned.
See Part 2 Here.
2 comments:
I am so glad I found your blog. First off, I love this idea of the Jesse tree and think I'll put it on my to do list during the spring in prep for next Christmas. I can't tell you how excited I am to "meet" you. I have just recently discovered Waldorf and though I love it, I've been wondering how to balance it with our Christian beliefs. It seems that Waldorf celebrates lots of good things, but I'd rather celebrate more "direct from the Bible" things, so as not to confuse the kids. I would love to hear from you and any advice is welcome.
Jenny
www.peasandcarrotsjenny.blogspot.com
I'm so glad to see you have been using the Jesse tree--I had just been researching the Jesse tree to prepare to do one next year with Liliana and had just asked Mom if she knew if you did this! I'm glad I have internet access right now to see what you have been up to over the years! I love that you made them in the shape of holly leaves!
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