Chametz Hunt House - Easter Hat Parade

You may mistake this hat as the Easter Bunny's house, but that is far from reality. So without further ado, we present to you the Chametz Hunt House Easter Hat.

I didn't get around to sharing this Easter Hat we made for the Parade at school last year. It was close to not happening due to lock-downs, but it did go ahead, and parents were even allowed to watch. It was the first time I have been able to go to school for the Easter Hat Parade. I was able to take time off work for it because I have been permanent long enough to have some leave built up.

Anyway, it felt a bit weird sharing an Easter Hat too long after Easter, so I figured I would just keep it for this year and this year's hat can be shared next year too. It gives me a bit more time to get the blog post done.

After modifying the same paper mache hat we made for the last three years, it was time to make something new. The last three years were a sort of trilogy, with a prequel (Hosanna! Palm Sunday Easter Bonnet), the main event (Spectacular Spring Lamb Easter Bonnet), and a sequel (Magnificent Butterfly Resurrection Easter Bonnet). 

I intend to do another trilogy of hats for the next three (although not re-using the same hat), but we'll see if Tahlia remains interested.

The foundation of Jesus death, burial and resurrection is presented in the Biblical feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First-fruits respectively. In anticipation of fleeing Egypt, the Israelites ate unleavened bread as instructed by God because they did not have time to wait for the yeast to rise. Yeast also represents sin as it causes dough to puff itself up (like pride) and so when God gave the instructions for commemorating the flight from Egypt in the festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Israelites were told to rid their homes of any yeast (Chametz in Hebrew) and yeast breads ahead of celebrating those feasts.

As part of the festivities, a game for the children developed called the Chametz Hunt. The mother cleans out the yeast products from the house, but hides 10 pieces or crumbs for the Dad to help the children find. They go on a hunt using a candle for light and when they find the crumbs, they use a feather to scoop the crumbs onto a wooden spoon and take them out of the house to be burned.

In a similar manner, we need to seek out our sins and get rid of them. Perhaps there are 10 pieces of bread to remind us of the 10 Commandments.

There are plenty of hiding spots on this hat to hide bread. Thankfully, I had made way too much bread to go into Pharaoh's Baker's baskets in our Genesis 40 - The Baker's and The Butler's Dreams Quiet Book Page so we used that to hide behind doors and windows. 

Tahlia sewed the windows and doors on. The completed roof was hot glued onto the walls rather than sewn. 

I think I sewed the walls and roof together. The chimney idea worked, which was a relief! I sewed the chimney together leaving about 1.5cm open at the bottom to fold out underneath the roof and sew down around the edges of the chimney hole in the roof.

At Tahlia's request, rather than securing it we made the hat to fit over the top of this felt St Patrick's Day Hat we had in our dress-up collection so it could still be used separately from the Easter Hat. I covered it in plastic food wrap to prevent any hot glue accidentally getting on the other hat while we were gluing the roof and things on.

We made a bin to burn the bread by covering a plastic shot glass I obtained from a supermarket sampling stand with some grey corduroy, securing it with hot glue. We scrunched up some red cellophane for the fire. 

We added pom pom bushes, a rik rak vine, and embroidered flowers as a decorative touch. They were all hot glued onto the side of the felt house rather than to the base St Patrick's Day hat.

Our fake battery-powered candle, toy wooden spoon, and feather all fit nicely into the chimney for storage.

We hope you will use our free Chametz Hunt House - Easter Hat Parade - Template Pattern to make your own version. It is a great way to help your kids share their faith in an exciting way. Why not seize the chance to develop their witnessing skills?

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Inspire us with your Christian themed Easter Hat ideas!

John 13 - Jesus Washes the Disciple's Feet Quiet Book Page

In John chapter 13, Jesus washes His disciples feet.

Memory Verse: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” John 13:14 NKJV.

 

Materials needed to create the Jesus Washes His Disciple's Feet quiet book page:

• A4 felt background sheet - I used mid blue
• my free John 13 - Jesus Washes His Disciple's Feet Bible Quiet Book Template Pattern
• the free template (first one) available at Nederig zijn - voetwassing by Alie Holman on the geloven is leuk blog - for the feet and bowl
• felt in light blue and white
• 1mm elastic in white
• rooster button - I bought this (not an affiliate link)
• button which looks like communion bread, or painted with nail polish and varnish to resemble some
• nail polish in bread colours (optional)
• varnish (optional - be careful, some varnishes can dissolve nail polish)
• white face washer
• sewing threads to best match the page

Firstly, cut out your pattern pieces from the templates. You may need to print the wash bowl a few times to be able to cut all the pieces.

Cut out a right and left foot from skin coloured felt and sew them down onto more skin coloured felt. Cut them out.

To create the back section of the bowl, sew the light blue water section to the white bowl back. Then sew the white bowl back onto more white felt and cut it out.

To create the front bowl section, sew the white front bowl section to white felt and cut it out. Do not attach the front section to the back section yet.

Repeat this process for the water jug, sewing the front section to the back section along the sides and base leaving the top open as a jug would be.

I chose a square button for the communion bread because that is the shape used by my church, and also the shape used for matzah in a Passover Seder. Matzah must be both striped and pierced (just like Jesus was), so I figured a button is already pierced, and the button I chose also had ridges - I just accentuated them when I painted it. You can of course use a round button if that is what your church uses. I imagine that matzah was round back in Jesus's day because that is an easier shape for people to make it at home.

Paint your button with the nail polish to look like communion bread. You may need to do more than one coat. Seal it with the varnish. Try to keep the holes in the button from being blocked so you can thread them onto elastic. Create a circle with the elastic and tie a knot to secure. Fold the circle onto itself to create a double loop and pin it in place underneath where the bowl will be sewn. Roll up the face washer and check that you have the right length to pull the elastic loops over the buttons on the other elastic loops to hold it in place for storage. Use zig-zag stitch to secure the elastic to the page. Repeat this with the rooster button.

Sew down the bottom section of the bowl along the sides and bottom to form a pocket for the jug behind. Sew down the top section of the bowl along the sides and bottom to create another pocket (inside the bowl) for the feet.

Finished! 

Difficulty Level = Intermediate

There are quite a few layers on this page, especially if you like things double sided like I do. To reduce the layers and make it easier to sew, you could just use the bowl to store the feet and jug and only make a single layer of white felt for the bowl back, sewing it down around the whole perimeter.

Key Learning Areas and Skills

• John 13 - Jesus demonstrates the servant attitude He wants us to have at the Last Supper
• Imaginative play - wash and dry the Disciple's and one another's feet
• 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

John 13

Devotional

I had planned to have communion bread and wine as the buttons holding the face washer to the bottom of this page, but as I discovered when I read the chapter... there is no wine mentioned in this chapter! That was a surprise. I ended up switching the wine for a rooster, as the prediction that Peter would deny Christ before the rooster crowed three times is mentioned. 

I made another page for a church quiet book
using the bread button and wine charm

Rather than focusing on the communion aspect of the supper, John focuses on the foot washing, and the last instructions of Jesus (in this chapter, the New Commandment to love one another).

I guess when Jesus says that if the whole body is washed, we just need to wash the feet, He is giving advice and comfort for when we find ourselves sinning even after we have been baptised. 

Foot washing was offered to guests when entering a home as a common courtesy. To not offer it would have been very impolite. Rich people wore sandals, but I think commoners had bare feet, and no mention is made of soldiers gambling for Jesus' sandals... so I think He probably didn't own a pair of shoes. You can imagine how dirty sandal-ed feet would get, let alone bare feet walking along a dusty or muddy road. It was probably littered with donkey and camel excrement as well. So I imagine having your feet washed was something both the host and the guest would appreciate, as well as all the diners next to them. I'm sure the meal tasted much better without that stench around.

Sacrifice of Song ~ HE WASHED 

THEIR FEET ~ Michael Crawford, Vocalist

If Jesus didn't own a pair of shoes, and borrowed a room for the Passover meal, asking his disciples to prepare it, I imagine that the room was not furnished with servants to wash anyone's feet. Not that I can imagine Jesus using servants anyway. Nevertheless, Jesus took the servant's role and washed His disciple's feet - something they were shocked to see. As usual, Jesus took an everyday object and used it to teach a profound lesson - one we are still pondering today.

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Does your church participate in the practice of foot-washing?

Mischa's Felt Book - Interview with my 5 year old niece!

Today I would like to interview someone special - my five year old niece Mischa, who decided she wanted to make her own felt book. I sent my sister, Mischa's Mum, some questions for her to ask Mischa from me. She has clarified my questions in places below and sometimes I have included these remarks. I have tried not to do too much editing whilst making it flow well for reading purposes.

Carissa D: Mischa, you have made my heart swell with your desire to make a felt book, and it has turned out incredibly sweet. Why did you want to make a felt book?

Mischa: I thought it would be nice to have a look at it myself, at the pictures of it.

Carissa D: Can you tell me about the cover page?

Mischa: The front cover? Oh, a rainbow! 

Mischa's Mum: Does it have any writing on it?

Mischa: "Mischa's Felt Book".

My sister informs me that Mischa kept saying "Mischa's Felt Book - no writing" when they were titling the book. She thought that is what Mischa wanted to call the book, but thought better of it and left that part out, checking that she was happy with the end result. 

Mischa's Mum: Yeah, "Mischa's Felt Book - No Writing" (quoting Mischa from the labelling experience).

Mischa: It doesn't say no writing.

Mischa's Mum: No, but is that what you wanted it to say?

Mischa: No.

We'll come back to this topic later in the interview...

Carissa D: I see there are no bees on the bee page. Why is that? 

Mischa: 'Cause I didn't want to make one. 

Mischa's Mum: Too hard, or take too long, or just don't really like bees?

Mischa: Don't really want to make a bee. 

Mischa's Mum: Yeah, were you worried that it might sting you? 

Mischa: No!

I have offered Mischa two bees that Remy's Nanny made when we were making Remy's Quiet Book - My First One (but then decided against using them and opted for a bee button instead) to put in her felt book. She loves them, and who wouldn't!

Carissa D: The flowers are all beautiful. What do you like best about your book?

Mischa: Maybe the owl - it's cute. It looks cute when it's winking.

Carissa D: Which parts did you sew yourself?

Mischa: The stars. 

Mischa's Mum: Oh yeah, you did, didn't you. How was that?

Mischa: Fun. 

My sister says that the stars are a special stitch setting on her sewing machine. She says Mischa also hand sewed the buttons on and that she cut out half of the owl, but that the flowers were already cut. Mischa did some of all the sewing (except the rainbow), either guiding with her hands or pushing the foot (not both at the same time).

Carissa D: The other pages were inspired by things you found in Mummy's stash, but the owl was made from scratch. Why did you want to make an owl page?

Mischa: Cause I thought it would look  nice. 

Mischa's Mum: Yeah, what do you like about owls?

Mischa: 'Cause they look cute.

Carissa D: I really like how you paid attention to detail on the owl's eye and chose a sun patterned felt to get the effect of a real eye. What gave you that idea? 

Mischa: Well, I didn't really get the idea of it, I just found it. It would be the right thing for the felt book, for the eye for the owl. 

Carissa D: Why did you want the owl to be winking?

Mischa:  'Cause I thought it would look cute.

Carissa D: I have also noticed that there are no activities in this book. Is that for a reason?

Mischa: No.

Mischa's Mum: No, no reason?

Mischa: It's just I don't really want much writing in it cause I don't really know how to read.

Mischa's Mum: Oh, I understand, she doesn't want much writing in it cause she doesn't know how to read! That makes sense. Um, and what about things to do, like you didn't want the bee lacing thing or anything?

Mischa: Yeah, I didn't want the bee lacing. No.

Mischa's Mum: Why didn't you want anything to do in it?

Mischa: 'Cause I can't read it, what to say.

Mischa's Mum: Yeah okay, so you think activities have to involve writing?

Mischa: No, I just don't really want... (Here they get interrupted and we will all have to wonder what the answer to this question might have been). 

Carissa D: Which ways are you thinking about using to bind your felt book and do you have plans for any more pages?

Mischa: No.

Mischa's Mum: Nup, it's finished is it?

Mischa: Yep.

Mischa's Mum: And how did you want to join it together? (This was before we joined it). Do you like the way we joined it, or would you think another way might be better?

Mischa: I thought another way might be better.

Mischa's Mum: Oh, what way did you think to join it would be good?

Mischa: Well, like we don't have the right wire around through the button holes.

Mischa's Mum: Put wire around through the holes? Oh yeah, do you like the rings on the other ones, or just wire?

The "other ones" are the two books made for her sister Vashti and herself by my sister and I (and some friends in some cases). You can see some of the pages at Vashti's Quiet Book - Front Cover and Crown Pages, Vashti's Quiet Book - My Sister's Pages, (I haven't posted anything on Mischa's one yet) and an example of how I bound them in my post How To Ring Bind Felt Quiet Books - Free A4 Buttonhole Guide.

Mischa: I just like the rings on the other ones. 

Mischa's Mum: So you did want it to have rings on it?

Mischa: Yeah, but it's too late now, isn't it.

Mischa's Mum: Oh no, you could still put rings in them. Instead of the - just take the ribbon out and put rings in, couldn't you? 

Mischa: Yeah, but it doesn't really matter. 

But of course I have given her some rings so she can change it over.

Carissa D: Thanks so much for sharing your adorable felt book with us Mischa. I look forward to seeing your next creation.

My sister tells me Mischa has said that next she would like to make a dressing gown for toys - an actual one, not a felt page.

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Do you know a little friend who has decided to make their own quiet book? Ain't they the sweetest!

Job 38 - God Questions Job Snow Globe Quiet Book Page

In Job chapter 38, God questions Job from the midst of the whirlwind.

Memory Verse: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.... Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail," Job 38:4 and 22 NRSV.

Materials needed to create the God Questions Job Snow Globe quiet book page:

• A4 felt background sheet - I used grey marle
• My Craft Quiet Books - Felt Snow Globe free pattern (Thanks Irina!)
• my free Job 38 - God Questions Job Snow Globe Bible Quiet Book Template Pattern
• felt in dark blue, light blue, dark brown, mid brown, tan, green, orange, and white
• sequin organza scrap for the night sky
• clear fabric glue
• decorative fabric scrap for the ocean
• rik rak in various widths and shades of blue
• clear plastic (I used some from a packet that some new sheets came in, but you can also buy it as a tablecloth cover)
• snowflake sequins/buttons/beads - I bought this (not affiliate links) and other ones
• ruler themed ribbon - I bought this (not an affiliate link)
• sewing threads to best match the page
• scissors!

Firstly cut out a piece of dark blue felt for the night sky and glue a piece of sequin organza over the top, folding the edges over to the back of the dark blue felt. Once dry you can sew it in position on your page.You can use the outer globe outline to help you position it correctly. 

The sequin organza came from a wedding dress a friend
gave me to use in my sewing

Cut the decorative fabric for the ocean and glue it down on your page next. When dry, use a small zig zag stitch along the edges to prevent fraying. Sew down rik rak to form waves.

Finish the scene by cutting out your felt pieces and sewing them down in the following order, overlapping where necessary - the light blue sky, orange dawn sun, white cloud, brown cliff (with stitching detail to form longitudinal ridges), tan desert, and green grass.

My Craft Quiet Books - Felt snow globe

Снежный шар из фетра

Cut out some clear plastic using the outer snow globe pattern (not the inner section that is meant for the plastic for the My Craft pattern). Watch the above video to see how to stretch your plastic to allow more movement of the sequins. Stretch your plastic. 

I used a thermos lid to stretch my plastic once heated

Sew down the plastic to form the snow globe over your scene leaving the bottom edge open. Place scotch tape onto your sewing machine foot so the plastic will move through your machine easily. I also place paper underneath part of my sewing machine - see my set-up on my Psalm 46 - Be Still and Know that I Am God Tea Set Quiet Book Page post. 

Add sequins into your snow globe beneath the plastic. Try to add enough for a good effect without obscuring too much of the scene below. Then sew down the dark brown base from Irina's My Craft pattern to seal them in. 

Snowflake sequins - only one of the types I used.

Add the ruler ribbon to the base - you can tuck the edges under to keep the them looking nice. The number 12 only just fit across, but that is usually the number of a foundation in the Bible.

Finished - now you can shake away! 

Difficulty Level = Intermediate

The hardest part of this page is sewing the plastic - see my tips above.

Key Learning Areas and Skills

• Job 38 - this page is all about God's omniscience (knowledge of everything) and our inability to see the big picture
• Imaginative play - make it snow by shaking the snow globe
• 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

Job 38

Devotional

The Gospel OnGuitar -

Where Were You - with lyrics

Ghost Ship - Mars Hill Music

Job is told to brace himself "like a man" in this chapter - not because God is sending discipline, or council, or even telling him off. God is simply "questioning". Humanity is so weak in comparison to God, that God felt the need to prepare Job and ask him to brace himself so that He could even "question" him.

I think we all have questions we would like to ask God. I mean, Job certainly handled himself very well. I don't think I know anyone who could loose their entire business and family (bar one) and keep their words clean. And God honours Job by appearing in a whirlwind to speak to him. I think at that point, it would have been humbling enough for Job - but then he hears all the questions, and God has requested answers to questions that he in no way can answer. It seems the answers are classified at a level above his pay grade / rank (at least for now).

I wonder if we had the chance to ask God our questions, would we regret it?

The Brace Yourself, God Has a Few Questions - Job 38-42 Series post by Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro has some great things to say on this chapter (and it is fairly succinct). Interestingly, they must have counted the number of questions that God asked Job from the whirlwind... and it tickled my fancy. Here comes that number again - 77!

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Have you made a snow globe busy book page? Comment below!

Easy Peasy Train and Tunnel Pull-String Quiet Book Page

I will eventually have posted enough Easy Peasy quiet book pages that you can make a whole book full... this is number 5!

You might notice that it is very similar to my last post Matthew 24 - Gospel to the Nations Quiet Book Page. I made them at the same time, although I made two of this version for a couple of books I made for some friends.

This page is suited to the toddler age I reckon, and it is great because there are no loose pieces. And no loose pieces means that they can't get lost! 

This page was actually my sister's idea which I have copied. She made something similar for a page in a book she gave to a friend, and when I asked her to share her pattern with me, she said she didn't make one and that she didn't even take a photo before she gave the book away! Not happy, Jan.

My sister's page differed a little from mine, as she had an entrance to the tunnel at both ends (you can easily flip my template and make it an entrance at both ends if you like). She also had a mountain over the tunnel which it went through. I suppose that is better because there is actually a need for a tunnel in that case, but I wanted an Easy Peasy page and here it is...

How to make my Train and Tunnel Pull-String quiet book page:

Materials needed:

• felt scraps in gray
• thread to match
• window blind sample in stone colour to tie in with felt
• background fabric
• 30cm or less of 9mm wide ribbon
• train button
• hot glue and glue gun

Cut out the template from my Train Pull-String Quiet Book Page Free Template Pattern.

I used a pen to copy the template onto the back of my felt (just remember to reverse it if you want the tunnel on the same side as the template). Cut out the tunnel, sew it down to the same felt, and cut it out again. 

Measure the amount of ribbon you need to circle the tunnel easily and cut and melt the edges - see my post on How to Stop Ribbons Fraying.

Lay the ends of the ribbon on top of each other beneath the train button and sew it on in place. You can sew by hand or follow the instructions in last fortnight's post for the zig zag settings on your machine. I used a little hot glue on the back of the stitching just to be sure.

Position your tunnel on your background page with the ribbon running through it. Sew down the tunnel along the top and bottom edges, leaving the inner side of the entrance and the side edge of the exit open to allow the train and ribbon to slide through.

Cut out the stone sections from your blind sample and hot glue them around the entrance to your tunnel.

Finished!

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What do you think - are you tempted to make this Easy Peasy busy book page?