Wheel of the Year Paper Sun Catcher

You will need semi-transparent origami paper for this craft. You can use tape to hang the completed sun catcher in the window so you can see the light shine through the paper.

Start with a square origami paper.

Fold in half on the diagonal. Open back up.  You have made a guideline crease down the middle.

 

Fold left and right corners in to line up with middle crease.

This is your completed “petal” shape.   Make 8 of these.

Start with one petal at a time.  Line a second petal up against middle crease of the first and use glue stick to paste them together.

Alternating each petal as you go around the circle makes something like this.

Another possible arrangement of petals to show main seasons on top and cross quarter points in between.

 

You could make each petal in a different color to match the simple vector wheel of the year.  Depending on how you pasted them together, they could look something like this.

 

Or like this.

If you would like to have an open center, fold the top point in to touch the other folds.

When glued, there will be an opening in the center.

If you liked making this one, consider getting the Paper Suncatchers kit by  Christine Gross Loh. You can also get more paper.   You can store unused paper in a plastic box. 

Enjoy!

“Element Chant” Beads

This design is inspired by “Element Chant” by Spiral Rythmn.

SUPPLIES

• scissors
• a 1″ split ring
• 8 ft purple satin rat tail cord 2mm thick
• 12 white pony beads
• 10 purple pony beads
• 2 beads each of green, blue, yellow, red
• 4″ x 6″ white organza bag (optional)

DESIGN

Make sure you understand the basic skills required.

Fold the cord in half and tie a lark’s head knot to attach it to the split ring. This design has knots in between sections.

The sections go like this:

• 4 purple
• 4 white
• green, blue, yellow, red
• 4 white
• 2 purple
• 4 white
• green, blue, yellow, red
• 4 white
• 4 purple

Trim ends to desired length. It should look something like this. You can add a label or charm to it if desired.

 

Ritual Tools as Photos (2″ x 3″)

I made this set of ritual tool mini cards from various photos I found online. They are approximately  2″ x 3″ big and can fit into a 2.45 x 3.9″ rectangular hinged tin.

Ritual Tools As Photos PDF

You can print the cards on to white card stock and laminate them if desired.  Then cut them out.

Print the cover on plain white paper. You can glue it to the tin with rubber cement, white school glue, or tacky glue.

Enjoy!

Simple Vector Wheel of the Year

Simple Vector Wheel of the Year PDF

This round design matches the Wheel of the Year Cards. You can use the various sizes on tins or wooden boxes to decorate them.  Print on plain white paper and use rubber cement, white school glue, or tacky glue to attach to your container.

Enjoy!

Simple Wicca Ritual Words (2″ x 3″)

Over at Hoopla, I borrowed the book Simple Wicca by Michelle Morgan.

 

I thought the words in the ritual chapter were easy enough for kids to learn so I turned them into 2″ x 3″ mini cards with little icons to match the altar buttons and coins to help you teach your kids how to create sacred space and cast the circle clockwise, do the energy work for the ritual, and then begin to wind it down and open the circle counterclockwise.

Simple Wicca Ritual Words by Michele Morgan PDF

Print the cover page on plain white paper. Use rubber cement, white school glue, or tacky glue to attach it to a  2.45″ x 3.9″ by rectangular tin.

Print the cards on to white card stock.  Laminate if desired.  Cut out and store in tin when not being used.

Enjoy!

 

 

Moon Phase Mini Cards (2″ x 3″)

I found this clipart online and decided to turn it into simple moon phase mini cards.

Moon Phases 2 x 3 PDF

You can print the labeled set or a wordless set on to white card stock.  You can either leave the backs white or run them through the printer again to make them have grey or black backs. You can laminate them and then cut out.  These will fit nicely in a  2.45″ x 3.9″ by rectangular tin.

The cover image you can print in plain white paper and use rubber cement, white school glue, or tacky glue to attach to the tin.

Enjoy!

Favorite Wordless Set

This is my Favorite Wordless Set in one PDF. These 2″ x 3″ mini cards contain the wheel of the year, element candles plus a few extra, element symbols, element tools, sun, moon, spiral Lord, and spiral Lady.

They all fit nicely in a  2.45″ x 3.9″ by rectangular tin.

You can print the cards out on white card stock, laminate them, and then cut out.

The cover image you print on plain paper.  Use rubber cement, white school glue, or tacky glue to attach it to your tin.

Enjoy!

Divine or Diety Cards 4″ x 6″

Unitarian Universalists believe that each person is free to search for their own personal truth on issues —  such as the existence, nature, and meaning of life, deities, creation, and afterlife.  Our shared covenant is found within the 7 Principles and the 6 sources of our living tradition.

Children need different kinds of support at different times as they navigate the stages of faith development. Some of James Fowler’s work may be helpful to read:

• http://www.eruuf.org/files/youth/teacher/Stages_of_Faith.pdf
• http://www.psychologycharts.com/james-fowler-stages-of-faith.html
• http://schools.alcdsb.on.ca/teachers/carnphil/hhs4m/Shared%20Documents/James%20Fowler%20-%20Faith%20development.pdf

As a child’s first religious education teacher, a parent sometimes needs some help or tools to get the conversations started.

DIVINE OR DIETY CARDS

Toward that end, I made various simple Divine or Diety cards in 4″ x 6″ that can be printed and slipped into dollar store or craft store picture frames for ritual play or group ritual.

Divine or Diety Cards 4 x 6 PDF

Decoupage Glass Jars & Mini Altar Stools

Over at my Unitarian Universalist church our pagan group shares space with other people so space is always at a premium.

A long time ago we made a “basic kit” to keep in a classroom.  It consists of colored table cloths we made from Kona cotton that are about a yard square to go over bentwood stacking stools.

These stools are useful in a religious education classroom because they are stackable, can be seating, small tables, and so on.  The cloths are in elemental colors — green, yellow, red, blue and purple.

We also got some quart jars and used gift wrap tissue in elemental colors to decoupage them.  You can buy the jars outright or spend some time collecting spaghetti sauce jars or similar.

The process is simple — you tear the gift tissue into smaller pieces or invite the child you are doing this with to rip it up. Help the child to paint the outside of a glass jar with Modge Podge using a 1″ foam or craft brush.  Then attach the tissue chunks so the outside of the jar is covered.  It is helpful to put the pieces with straight edges first along the top and bottom edges of the jar so it has a clean line.

You can seal as you go, coating each piece as added.  When the whole jar is covered, you coat the whole thing one more time and allow it to dry.

The results are inexpensive but cute candle holders that have a cheerful glow to them when lit from within. We use votives in smaller glass votive holders or battery votives. We sometimes put vase filler to set the votives level.  This way candle wax does not melt inside the jar itself.  Washing the jars with hot water could damage the decoupage.

To put them out, you can screw the lid back on the jar and it will extinguish itself.  Or use a snuffer. The Ikea Tratt snuffer is one we all like. (At $2.50 it was inexpensive to get a lot so every classroom could have one for putting out the UU Chalice.)

When not in use, we wrap the tablecloths around the jars and put them all into a 30 qt Sterilite tub along with four basic click lighters.  These tubs happen to fit into the Ikea Expedit or Kallax shelving that we have in the church classrooms for storing supplies and children’s toys.

People might bring special stones, feathers, origami, tarot cards, or other trinkets to add to the mini altars when we celebrate a Sabbat. But even if they bring nothing, our group can relax knowing that “basic mini elemental altars” are already on location.

Perhaps this gives you ideas for your own pagan group at your Unitarian Universalist church. Enjoy!

Wheel of the Year 3.5″ x 5″ Cards

I made a simple set of “wheel of the year” cards for kids from clip art I found online.

Wheel 3.5″ x 5″ Cards

In this variation the cards are 3.5″ x 5″ so they can fit into those plastic frames you find at the dollar store or craft stores.

All you have to do is print them on to card stock and cut out.  For simple kid’s altar play, add a battery candle.

If you like, you can laminate the cards before cutting out. They can be stored in a 3.7″ x 5.5″ rectangular hinged tin.