• New Here?
  • About Me
    • Press & Honors
    • Friends of Feels like Home
  • Archives
    • Home Cooking Index
    • Homefolk Index
    • Homemade Index
    • Homemaking Index
    • Homegrown Index
    • Healthier Mom Index
    • Reviews & Giveaways
  • Policies
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Contact
    • Sponsorship Inquiries
    • PR Inquiries
  • Mobile version
  • Subscribe in a reader
  • Subscribe by email
« « Baked Brie
Decorating for Christmas » »

How to Make a Jesse Tree

December 7, 2009

As part of our simplified Christmas, Joe, Grace, and I have been decorating a Jesse tree.

Our Jesse Tree

Jesse Tree

How We Use the Jesse Tree Each Night

As I explained in my earlier post, the Jesse tree has become part of our nightly ritual. Each evening, before dinner, Grace helps me to light the candles in our Advent Wreath. We eat, and then Grace opens her Advent box.

jesse tree box

Grace picked this box at the craft store a few weeks ago. There were several different styles, but she wanted the one that had a family on the top. It has a Momma, a Daddy, and a baby gingerbread man.

The baby gingerbread man doesn’t have a coat, and this distresses Gracie Anna.

Each night, Santa puts the next day’s ornament and devotional into the box, along with three Dove Peppermint Bark candies.

Advent box for Jesse tree

When Grace opens her box, she distributes the candy to me and to Joe. She’s never tried to keep it all for herself, a fact I find astounding. I struggle with sharing candy even today, and my 2-year-old passes it out like no big deal.

Anyway, after Grace passes out the candy, she gives Joe the ornament (and tells him where to hang it on the tree) and gives me the notebook. I read our Bible story from either our children’s Study Bible or from my Bible (depending on whether the story is in the children’s Bible or not, and whether the story in the children’s Bible conveys the message that we want).

We say a prayer, eat our candy, and Grace blows out the candles.

Our Jesse Tree Ornaments

I made all of our Jesse tree ornaments. It’s been a job, and I’m still not finished.

Nonetheless, I am happy with my obviously homemade and slightly kitschy felt-and-glitter ornaments. Here are the ones I’ve finished so far (in no particular order):

Jesse Tree Earth

Creation - Earth ornament

Noah and the Flood - Ark & Rainbow ornament

Noah and the Flood - Ark & Rainbow ornament

Joseph - The Coat of Many Colors ornament

Joseph - The Coat of Many Colors ornament

Isaac - Ram ornament

Isaac - Ram ornament

Isaiah - Rose ornament

Isaiah - Rose ornament

King David - Crown ornament

King David - Crown ornament

Daniel - Lion ornament

Daniel - Lion ornament

Hope - Watchtower

Hope - Watchtower

Rahab - Rope ornament

Rahab - Rope ornament

Ruth - Wheat ornament

Ruth - Wheat ornament

Moses - 10 commandments

Moses - 10 commandments

Abraham - Ten & Camel ornament

Abraham - Ten & Camel ornament

Sarah - Cradle ornament

Sarah - Cradle ornament

Adam & Eve and the Forbidden Fruit - Serpent ornament

Adam & Eve and the Forbidden Fruit - Serpent ornament

Jacob - Ladder ornament

Jacob - Ladder ornament

Samuel - Horn of oil ornament

Samuel - Horn of oil ornament

Jess - Tree stump ornament

Jess - Tree stump ornament

Obviously, these are in various states of completion. I’ll add the rest as I get them done.

Jess Tree Resources Around the Internet

  • Simple Mom‘s post that started it all.
  • Rocks in My Dryer used real items to make her ornaments (not felt like I did). Photos of her ornaments.
  • Tired, Need Sleep has a great Jesse tree PDF that I used to create most of my ornaments.
  • Almost all of the sketched Jess tree ornaments I’ve seen are based on sketches from the Reformed Church of America. Their daily Jesse tree devotionals are the best I’ve seen.
  • A comprehensive explanation of the Jesse tree
  • Printable ornaments and devotions

Happily submitted to Do It Yourself Day, Tackle It Tuesday, and Works for Me Wednesday


MckLinky Blog Hop

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Print

Share the love:

View Comments »

  • amylynbishop said:

    I love it! That is such a great tradition!

    # 7 December 2009 at 8:18 pm
  • Kelli Miller said:

    This is a really neat idea! As a homeschooling mom, I am always looking for neat way to teach.. I can see us adapting this to fit our needs – maybe have the boys make their own ornaments, etc.

    Thanks so much for linking this at 5 Minutes for Mom so that I could come across it!

    # 8 December 2009 at 6:22 am
  • HeathersHodgepodge said:

    I think your ornaments look great! The ornaments for our Jesse Tree are homemade as well.

    # 8 December 2009 at 6:44 am
  • pamelamkramer said:

    That is really cool! Happy Tackle.

    # 8 December 2009 at 11:58 am
  • Miss V said:

    What a fun story! I love what you guys are doing, it's very special and great family time! Good job!

    Love the ornaments! You're very talented!

    Praying you and your family have a very Merry Christmas! ;)

    # 8 December 2009 at 1:00 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    Thank you very much :)

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:20 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    Start now. Or in January. The ornaments really have been time consuming. I've easily spent an hour on each one, so I'm really glad I started a few weeks ago.

    I still have a few to stitch and 6 or so to start.

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:21 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    Bless you, New England Girl! I'm not sure they're amazing, but I'll take lovely compliments any time!

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:22 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    You are very welcome. I have seen a lot of people who simply printed the ornament patterns and let the kids color them on paper. You could punch a hole and string the colored papers up on the tree with a ribbon loop. Wouldn't the kids love that? Then, you could put their ornaments away and let them look them over year after year. I think that's awesome!

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:24 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    Sometimes, I prefer store-bought and polished, but for this, I like the homemade look.

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:25 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    You are so welcome! It will take a long while to make the ornaments, so definitely start early.

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:28 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    Thank you! :) Grace sometimes talks over the Bible reading or colors instead, but it's okay. She's still getting the idea and learning the habits.

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:28 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    Thank you! :)

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:28 pm
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    Thank you! I don't know about talented, but it's working for us. :) Merry Christmas!

    # 8 December 2009 at 5:29 pm
  • mjroberson5 said:

    What a very creative way to celebrate the Lord and His Word! Love it for this time of year!

    # 8 December 2009 at 7:22 pm
  • Mandy the Trench Mommy said:

    Wow. I love your ornaments.

    # 9 December 2009 at 5:23 am
  • FeelsLikeHomeBlog (author) said:

    And I love you! Thanks for the ego boost. :)

    # 9 December 2009 at 4:39 pm
  • AmysFinerThings said:

    You did an excellent job with those ornaments. Wanna make some for me?! :)

    # 13 December 2009 at 2:28 pm
  • Finer Things Friday: Dining by Candlelight | The Finer Things in Life said:

    [...] Tags) 7. It Feels Like Chaos (starting earlier) 8. K @ Prudent and Practical {Christmas Baking} 9. Tara @ Feels like home (Jesse tree) 10. Kitchen Stewardship (ONE reason to love a Michigan Winter) 11. Lisa @ Sweet Sweet Reality (A [...]

    # 13 December 2009 at 5:12 pm
  • AmysFinerThings said:

    You did an excellent job with those ornaments. Wanna make some for me?! :)

    # 13 December 2009 at 10:28 pm
  • Hooked on Holiday House Tours: Party Time! said:

    [...] Door Tour! 75. Stacy@RedDoorHome 76. Tracey @ Girls to Grow 77. Girls In White Dresses 78. Tara @ Feels like home (Jesse tree) 79. ::cottage instincts:: 80. FRESH POPPY DESIGN a christmas Craft 81. Tammy of Yarborough House [...]

    # 25 December 2009 at 6:39 pm
  • How to Make Resurrection Eggs (and Why I Didn't Make Any This Year) | Feels Like Home said:

    [...] Lenten traditions back in February. I wanted to come up with a tradition in the same vein as the Jesse Tree, religious and significant but also uplifting and fun and [...]

    # 29 March 2010 at 9:22 pm

Leave your response!

Add your comment below, or trackback from your own site. You can also subscribe to these comments via RSS.

Be nice. Keep it clean. Stay on topic. No spam.

You can use these tags:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

This is a Gravatar-enabled weblog. To get your own globally-recognized-avatar, please register at Gravatar.

CommentLuv Enabledshow more
blog comments powered by Disqus

Connect

Subscribe in a reader Subscribe by email Follow me on Twitter Like Feels Like Home on Facebook Visit my Blog Frog community Google Friend Connect Stumble Feels Like Home Fave Feels Like Home on Technorati

Featured Sponsors

Search & Win

Order and print your own door hangers online

www.savvysource.com

Recent Posts

  • Dad, We Have to Have a Little Talk
  • Farewell Summer
  • 10 Uses for an Icing Decorator
  • Grace’s New Bedroom: Done (For the Moment)
  • Zucchini Parmesan

Archives

Categories

Grab a button


Feels like home

Recent Comments

  • Jenn @ Frugal Front Porch on Dad, We Have to Have a Little Talk
  • Anonymous on Farewell Summer
  • Mindy411 on Farewell Summer
  • Liz @ Sugarplum Creations on Farewell Summer

My Favorite Posts

  • How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
  • She Just Needed to be Heard
  • They Bless My Heart
  • Get Up and Exercise
MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected Creative Commons License

© 2006-2010 Feels Like Home Blog. All rights reserved. No content, text or images, from this site may be used without written permission at any time.