Omega (New Testament) Quiet Book - by Steph

This is the second in a series of two no-sew quiet books made by my friend Steph.

She has used an Alpha symbol over the cross for the Old Testament and an Omega over a cross for the New Testament covers, which I thought was a terrific idea.

To save time and effort, and for motivation that it would actually get achieved, Steph used glue instead of sewing the books. I am going to share the pages with you that have been completed so far, but this project (Like the Bible Quiet Book Project of mine) is an ongoing one, at least for now. 

The books are bound simply using a hole punch and ribbon. The front and the back of the felt pages can be used since glue does not show through to the other side like sewing does. 

Page one is a hand drawn maze (using a Posca fabric marker) depicting the Nativity journey.

Page two is a peek-a-boo style manger with a star and baby Jesus inside. The donkey can move back and forth along the cord.

Page three is for building on the Rock (Jesus Christ). Steph had her son in mind when she made this page with various tools and a builder's vest complete with side release buckles to do and undo. You can see the plans in the background with a house built on a rock with a big tick and one built on sandy land which has been crossed out.

Page four was designed by another friend who was wanting to teach good money management - to divide your income between spending, saving, and tithing. I have to confess there are only 9 coins featured here because I lost one of them. How embarrassing. Steph says it is very easy to make another and she has more felt to do it with. Sorry Steph! Also, I'm not sure why I arranged them this way, with all the money going to tithing... it is not very accurate or true to life. Oh well, at least they are learning generosity?

Page five was inspired by my Luke 12 - Where is Your Treasure? Quiet Book Page. Instead of using a heart button closure, Steph included a heart bangle inside.

Page six is an I-spy page for "if you seek Me you will find Me" (which is actually from the Old Testament) but let's not get caught up in semantics - there might be another reference elsewhere too. it was inspired by my Deuteronomy 4 - Seek Me Find Me Quiet Book Page.

Page seven is Zacchaeus up in his tree waiting to see Jesus.

Page eight is the lame man who had faith and was healed when Jesus told him to take up his mat and walk. I love the use of a dishcloth here. Such a simple and effective material.

Page nine is a little out of order but it is the story of after Jesus was resurrected and appeared to the disciples who had gone back to their fishing boats. They had been fishing all night and caught nothing, He told them to cast their net on the other side and they caught the biggest haul of their lives!

Page ten is the empty tomb with a cross in the background. You can learn to spell the word "RISEN" and open the door of the tomb to find the graveclothes which were left (something a robber in their haste would not do).

Page eleven is a dress-up page with the Armour of God from Ephesians 6. Steph hand drew hers with a Posca fabric marker, but there is a free template from the Laura Thoughts blog.

Page twelve has two racing cars, a race track and a medal. There are a few Bible verses that talk about running a race (Hebrews 12:1, 2 Timothy 4:7, and Galatians 5:7).

Page thirteen is very fun and bright! Tell the World (the good news of Jesus Christ)! Steph used my Matthew 24 - Gospel to the Nations Quiet Book Page tutorial as inspiration.

Page fourteen is to do with the Second Coming, but remains a secret for now because it deserves it's own post (link at the end of the post once published)!

Page fifteen and sixteen are a tissue box and dress-up face for God drying all our tears. The tissue box was made by inspiration from my Isaiah 25 - God Will Wipe Away Our Tears Bible Quiet Book Page, but Steph has used it for a Revelation 21:4. You can find a free tissue box pattern at my link, but Steph like to free cut her pages because it is quicker.

I like that she included a booger (snot) for her son's enjoyment! Boys will be boys.

Also another confession - I broke the beautiful eyelashes. But I did give Steph some stronger felt to make another pair. I know I should have made them for her myself, but I didn't want to hold the books back from her for any longer than I already had.

Page seventeen is a mirror page for God loves me.

There are an odd number of pages because this project was planned to keep growing.

You can see the Alpha (Old Testament) Quiet Book and the secret page that got it's own feature post by clicking on the links below (once published): 

• Alpha (Old Testament) Quiet Book - by Steph
• Felt Bible in 8 Verbs - Interview with Steph
• Simple Bible Second Coming Quiet Book Page - by Steph

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What inspires you most about the Omega (New Testament) Quiet Book?

Ecclesiastes 4 - Three-Stranded Cord Quiet Book Page

 In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon praises the value of a friend.

Memory Verse: "And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NRSV).

Materials needed to create the Three-Stranded cord quiet book page:

• my free Ecclesiastes 4 - Three-Stranded Cord Bible Quiet Book Page Template Pattern
• A4 felt background sheet - I used a marle grey
• three coloured shoelaces in blue, yellow and pink
• shank button
• sewing threads to best match the page
• scissors!

Firstly, measure the length of shoelace you will need to fit your page. Insert pins to mark the spot where you want to sew them to the page, and one on the page where the button at the bottom will go. Plait the strands so you can see what length you will need to reach the place where you want to put a button at the bottom and mark with a pin on each strand. Once unplaited again, I found my pins were at the length of the bottom of my page (about an inch or so below the position of the button).

Sew the top end of the shoelaces down to the page in the three positions marked on the pattern (or adjust as necessary to fit your page), using a zero stitch width zig zag stitch (so it goes back and forth over the same spot). Leave enough of a tail to tie a knot over the stitching to hide it. 

Fold the other ends of the shoelaces over themselves to form loops large enough to fit comfortably over the shank button. Sew the loop closed using the same zero-length zig zag stitch. 

Tie another knot over the stitching. Cut the remainder of the shoelace off with a short tail and melt the edges if made of suitable material - see my post on How to Stop Ribbons Fraying. 

Hand sew down a shank button where indicated on the pattern (or adjust to your page). The shank will allow enough room for all three loops to fit under the button.

Lastly, plait the shoelaces and loop them around the shank button to keep them in place.

Difficulty Level = Easy

One of the easiest pages to make!

Key Learning Areas and Skills

• Ecclesiastes 4 - God designed us to have friends and family - we are stronger together
• Plaiting - learn how to do a three-stranded plait
• Buttoning - learn how to thread a loop over a shank button
• Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
• Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination

Read the Chapter

Ecclesiastes 4

Devotional

I got the idea for this page from a myriad of Christian wedding knot-tying ceremony boards I saw on Pinterest. I loved how they incorporated an Old Testament verse with the image of a cross and the Trinity, for indeed these concepts can be found throughout the Bible.

Cord of Three Strands - Tony Elenburg

I guess a wedding is a perfect example of the Trinity because marriage should be a unity of three - a man, a woman and God. The word used in the Shema to describe God being one is actually the same word used to describe Adam and Eve being one, so it in no way proves a unitarian viewpoint. 

The word Elohim is very interesting. "El" is singular, but the "im" suffix is plural. Although there is a Jewish view that God was speaking to the angels when He said "Let Us make man in Our image", I can't see that we were made in the image of a mixture of God and angels. 

Different versions differ in how Malachi 2:15 is translated, but the ESV is pretty awesome. "Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth."

We were created in God's image, and I believe this includes a tri-une relationship in marriage.

A three stranded cord is not easily broken.

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Do your little ones enjoy learning to plait? Comment below!

Vintage Felts - Creation Circles Day 1

This is Creation Day 1 of a vintage Creation Circles felt board set.

The set is intended to be used over several weeks of Bible Class lessons. Unfortunately I don't have the lessons that go with them, although I'm not even sure if they originally came with lessons. Felt pieces are glued into position on the felt circles (although there are no pieces which are glued onto Day 1). They are displayed for the class to see on a felt board.

The set comes with a set of numbers to match with the creation circles. I have a feeling that the numbers are not intended to be glued down like the other pieces because there is no outline indicating where to attach them like there is for everything else.

I'd say after the series of lessons are complete and the sets have been all put together, that they can be continued to be used and the activity can be matching the correct number to each circle from memory. Revision activities are very important to children's learning.

On Creation Day 1, God created light and separated light from darkness.

Notice that the sun does not appear until day 4... but a space for it to fill has been created.

I believe this set is a vintage version of these Creation Circles by Betty Lukens. I have written to them and received permission to share them with you.

You can get a cartoon type version, Beginner Bible Creation from Little Folk Visuals as well.

Once published, I will link the other Creation Circle posts below (and try to include different information in each post):

• Vintage Felts - Creation Day 2
• Vintage Felts - Creation Day 3
• Vintage Felts - Creation Day 4
• Vintage Felts - Creation Day 5
• Vintage Felts - Creation Day 6
• Vintage Felts - Creation Day 7

Sabbath School Productions - Creation Circles Instruction Sheet

The information sheet suggests singing "This is my Father's World" as part of the lessons. I'm pretty sure this song forms the backbone of the music score used in the hopeful scenes of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy movies directed by Peter Jackson. Let me know if you can recognise it next time you watch!

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Romans 10 - Call on the Name of the LORD Quiet Book Page

In Romans 10, Paul explains what it means for us to call on the name of the LORD.

Memory Verse: For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 NKJV.

Materials needed to create the Call on the LORD quiet book page:

• A4 felt background sheet - I used turquoise
• my free Romans 10 - Call on the LORD Bible Quiet Book Template Pattern
• black hard felt
• white hard felt 
• sewing threads to best match the page
• black curly shoelaces - I bought this (not an affiliate link)
• wadding
• one large decorative button for the dial centre
• 14 smaller decorative buttons for the dial numbers
• 10cm of buttonhole elastic
• 2 small buttons to fit the elastic
• kam snap and tool and piercing rod (or darning needle etc)
• hot glue and glue gun
• scissors!

Firstly, cut out the pattern pieces. Cut out the back of the cradle (the larger cradle piece) from black hard felt and sew it onto your page (use the full phone pattern piece to position it where required).

Cut out two handset pieces and two layers of the slightly smaller wadding. Lay the wadding in between the two handset pieces and sew them together tucking in one end of a curly shoelace at the top left corner of the handset as you go.

Sew the smaller cradle piece to the top of your full phone piece leaving the bottom edge unsewn. Then sew the full phone piece onto your page along the top edge between the two pointy cradle pieces. Leave the two pointy cradle pieces as flaps to be used to house the handset. Sew from the bottom outside edge of one flap to around to the bottom outside edge of the other flap, tucking in the other end of your curly shoelace at the bottom right corner of your phone.

Use the full phone pattern piece to line up where to insert the piercing rod. Use the piercing rod to prepare a hole for your kam snap. Insert one half (male or female) of your kam snap. 

Cut out one side of your dial from the white hard felt and sew your large decorative button to the middle. Use the piercing rod to prepare a hole for your kam snap in the middle of a piece of white hard felt which is slightly larger than the dial. Insert the opposite half (male or female) of your kam snap. Add a little hot glue to the smooth back of the kam snap and glue it to the center of the white felt at the back of the button. Sew down the dial and trim off the excess. Sew down your smaller decorative buttons around the edge of the dial as buttons. I followed a North, South, East, West, etc pattern to try to keep the spacing even.

Lastly, sew a small button to the phone base behind the dial south-east of the kam snap, and another to the back of the dial north east of the kam snap. Button each end of the buttonhole elastic to opposite buttons and you are finished! The dial should spring back when you turn and release the dial.

Tahlia says Romans 10:13 and explains how to play with the retro phone quiet book page - call on the name of the LORD and be saved!

Difficulty Level = Easy

The most difficult part is lining the large button up on the dial with the kam snap underneath.

Tahlia shows off the retro phone quiet book page

Key Learning Areas and Skills

• Romans 10 - we can call on God anytime through prayer
• Imaginative play - making pretend phone calls is always a fun thing to do for a child
• Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
• Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination

The retro phone dial returns to the start like a real retro phone!

Read the Chapter

Romans 10

Devotional

God doesn't have favourites, and He will save those who call on Him.

Paul asks a series of questions:
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach unless they are sent?

♫ Jimmy Little ♥ Royal Telephone ♫

We have been given the privilege of telling people the Good News. If people understand the Good News, they will have faith to call on the name of the LORD. 

That name is Jesus. 

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Have you ever called on the name of the LORD? How did it work out for you? 

Mini Sealed Scroll craft for Bible Class

These are a great craft to do with your Bible class if you want to encourage them to learn memory verses in a fun way. The wax seals really give a certain charm about them.

A page I recently wrote about, Letters to Early Christians quiet book page - Interview with Jessica, has inspired a whole lot of scroll creations. This was not the first, but it seems to be the first I am going to post.

I kinda really like these Mini Sealed Scrolls and I kinda don't. 

They are really cute and fun, but they don't demonstrate that a seal can't be re-sealed after it has been opened...

(Have I mentioned before that I like toys that "work")?

Oh well, they are helping us learn more memory verses.

We used a Posca fabric marker to write the Bible verse. You need to iron it to set it so it doesn't wash out if you need to clean the scroll. But I have used regular pen before and it seems to work fine as well (not sure about the wash-ability though).

Here is a tutorial on how to do the wax seal (I just used felt instead of paper):

Wax Seals for Beginners - Everything You Need to Know! Channel: Katrina Crouch

For the first version I tried making I sewed press studs down on a single sheet of felt, but then I realised that the cotton showed through to the other side - right in the middle of where I wanted to write the Bible verse.

I tried hot gluing the press studs onto felt instead. That seems to have worked, but I am not confident it would last, and this is of course dangerous for small children, so I didn't proceed with that idea.

I tried using Velcro dots instead. Just make sure you set the pen with an iron before adding the Velcro dots or the iron will melt the hot glue and it may come through onto the side with the Bible verse written on it (as you can see below).

I had hoped that using a Velcro dot would make the seal sit flush with the rest of the felt underneath so it looked like it was doing more of the job a seal should be doing, but it is rather thick and the press stud actually looks better.

My stick of seal wax ran low pretty quickly, so I looked up if you can use candle wax instead. You can't - it's not flexible enough. So now I am hankering to try using cheese wax... wish me well!

Now we can't wait to make a bunch of these with everyone in Bible Class!

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Which Bible verse would you choose to write on one of these?