With a perfect blend of creativity and time we created a beautiful set of DIY Jesse Tree ornaments. We based the ornaments on the 25 characters in our children’s book Bible Characters for Advent, which we wrote after our son was actually born on the first Sunday in Advent!
We used an inexpensive hot glue gun to attach the ornament hooks and to put together most of the ornaments.
1 God the Father – Earth
For this ornament, we bought a styrofoam ball and some green and blue acrylic paint from Walmart. No one really knows what the earth looked like when God first made it, so it gives you some leeway on the continents you make. =)
2 Adam & Eve – Apple & Snake
We let our local Dollar Tree do the heavy lifting for us on this one. That’s where we got the apple. The rest was just pipe cleaners and wiggly eyes from Walmart. We attached it all with the hot glue gun.
3 Seth – Mirror
The circular mirror came from a cheap makeup kit from the Dollar Tree. Then, we just hot glued the gold and silver pipe cleaners around it to make it look nice.
4 Noah – Rainbow
For the rainbow we attached colorful pipe cleaners and cotton balls to each other with the hot glue gun. Very simple. Very cute.
5 Shem – Grapes
Instead of slaving away on this craft, we took the simplest route possible. We purchased this perfect cluster of grapes at the Dollar Tree. Works perfectly. =)
6 Abraham – Stars
For the twelve stars we made some origami stars and hung them from sticks with thread to show them off. For instructions on how to make the stars, check out this video from a Daily Origami youtube series.
7 Jacob – Ladder
This simple ladder just attaches six small sticks with twine. We double knotted the twine to make sure it didn’t slip.
8 Joseph – Coat of Many Colors
For Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors, we started with a small square of colorful fabric from Walmart. We cut a shirt shape with a neck hole out of the fabric. Next, we hot glued it inside out and then flipped it back right side out to hide the seams. Then we bent a pipe cleaner into a hanger shape.
9 Moses – Tablets with 10 Commandments
We molded the tablets with the 10 Commandments out of some home-made play-do. Next, we carved roman numerals and let it dry out to harden. But of course, you could use a number of different materials to get this effect.
10 Joshua – Wall of Jericho
For the Wall of Jericho, we cut out a wall shape with construction paper and then attached pipe cleaners in the shape of bricks.
11 Rahab – Red chord
For Rahab’s house, we used a row of popsicle sticks supported by a few more popsicle sticks going the other direction hot glued on the back. We used small sticks for the window. Brown acrylic paint, and a red piece of fabric that we found lying around for Rahab’s red chord. We glued the red fabric in place.
12 Samson – Scissors & Hair
Made scissors out of pipe cleaners and used the hot glue gun to attach pieces of twine to it.
13 Ruth – Wedding Rings
For the silver wedding ring we left extra pipe cleaner at the top where the circle attaches so that we could twist it into a diamond on top. Then we looped the gold ring through the silver one.
14 Jesse – Sheep
This ornament is just a cotton ball, construction paper, and wiggly eyes glued on.
15 David – Crown
To make this pipe cleaner crown, start with a circle piece of pipe cleaner for the base of the crown. Then use a separate piece of pipe cleaner for each of the points. Twist the pipe cleaners at the top for the circle, and attach at the bottom to the base circle. Cut each piece that you use according the size that you want for the crown.
16 Solomon – Temple
For this temple we used a thin soda can to support the construction paper. Then we glued on doors and windows out of pipe cleaners. Finally, we attached a pipe cleaner to the tab of the soda can as a more attractive ornament hook.
17 Elijah – Fire
For this one, we started by glueing the sticks together as a base. Next we glued together a few v-shaped pipe cleaners and attached them to the sticks. Finally we filled in more pipe cleaner v’s as needed to make it look full.
18 Jeroboam & Rehoboam – Broken Crown
This crown is the same as David’s crown above. We just bent down the points.
19 Isaiah – “I” Scroll
20 Jeremiah – “J” Scroll
21 Ezekiel – “E” Scroll
For these scrolls, we started with white construction paper and smeared it with coffee grounds mixed with water and let it dry. After it dried, we hot glued a stick to the ends of the paper, rolled it part way, and then glued it again. We finished it off by writing the first letter of the name of each prophet.
22 John the Baptist – Dove
This dove was in a two for one pack at the Dollar Tree. Great deal and works perfectly for this craft.
23 Joseph – L square
This L square is made out of a thin piece of cardboard. You could, of course, just as easily use construction paper.
24 Mary – Rosary
This one is just a simple rosary made out of pipe cleaners. Each bead is another small piece of pipe cleaner wrapped around the big piece.
25 Jesus – Cross
This cross was two small sticks securely attached with twine.
