This post is a part of the Bible Christmas Crafts for Kids series.
The Three Wise Men Christmas Ornaments for Kids to Make was created especially for you by Nadine Best from Making Her Mama. Just a note from me, Scripture doesn’t tell us how many wise men there were, nor does it tell us their names, but we do know the wise men brought three gifts. ~ Danika
Bible crafts are something that I have spent a lot of time doing during the early years of having children. We were part of a wonderful mothers group that supported, encouraged, and crafted!
It’s been a few years (plus the edition of several children) so our crafting has slowed down quite a bit. As my children get older, our focus on crafts is also changing. We are Charlotte Mason inspired homeschoolers and as my kids age I want to incorporate crafts and activities that teach them basic handiwork (knitting, sewing, baking, sketching, woodwork, etc.)
Charlotte Mason believed in teaching children handicrafts and life skills that would help support and enable them as they grew into adults.
I love the idea of teaching these often lost arts as a way of passing along family traditions, making memories, and teaching valuable life skills.
We’re going to be exploring basic hand stitching.
One day while he saw me stitching, my 9 year old asked if he could learn how too. He was fascinated by the ability to create something by stitching it together.
If you are new to hand stitching, don’t fear! There is an excellent tutorial at Red Ted Art to teach all the basic stitches we will be using: running stitch, overstitch, back stitch, blanket stitch and french knot. You’ll find the individual links by each step in the instructions.
As the Christmas season approaches, our focus is on projects that teach the Christmas story.
I love the Christmas story, and especially the tale of the 3 Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12). Not a whole lot is really known about the three men who have traditionally come to be known as Gaspar, Malchior and Balthasar, which I think is good. It doesn’t distract from their role in the story.
These men were wise and important, learned men, which wasn’t very common in their day. They read the stars and the scriptures and were able to recognize the signs of the coming of the Messiah.
They brought with them gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The symbolism in their gifts is really fascinating.
- Gold – This highly valuable precious metal would have been a great commodity to Joseph and Mary. But gold also represents Divinity–showing Jesus as the Son of God–or God in the flesh.
- Frankincense – This white gum or resin is taken from the bark of the tree and was historically used for burning as incense and an offering to God because it is highly fragrant. It represented holiness and righteousness. It is representative of Jesus, our burnt offering, making a way for righteousness again.
- Myrrh – This is also a spice taken from the bark of a tree. It is a bitter one that was used for embalming, or mixed with wine to form gall–a numbing drink. It is believed this is what was offered to Jesus just prior to his crucifixion, though he refused. Myrrh represents bitterness, suffering and affliction.
Together these three gifts show us the importance of the one that the wise men came to worship. He was God in the flesh, who would make a way for righteousness through his suffering and affliction.
Our craft focuses on Matthew 2:11 and the beautiful gifts given to our Saviour.
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Three Wise Men Christmas Ornaments for Kids to Make
Check out this quick video showing you how to assemble your three wise men Christmas ornaments:
Three Wise Men Christmas Ornament Craft Printable Template
You’ll find the the download registration for the Printable Three Wise Men Template right below this sentence! This template is FREE to Thinking Kids newsletter subscribers, courtesy of Nadine Best.
Supplies Needed to Make Three Wise Men Christmas Ornament Craft
- 6 pieces of felt (brown, tan or peach, white, green, yellow and blue)
- The brown and tan/peach are for the wise men’s skin and hair
- The other 3 colors are for the garments and gifts so you could choose any colors you like
- Printable template
- Embroidery needle
- Scissors
- White or clear school glue (or felt glue if you’re feeling fancy!)
- Embroidery thread to match your felt colors
- Ribbon
Elmer’s Washable School Glue
Polka Dot Craft RibbonFelt Fabric Sheets50 Skeins Embroidery Floss and Embroidery NeedlesWestcott Recycled 8-Inch Straight Scissor (16451)
Creating Your Three Wise Men Christmas Ornaments
Your kids can memorize Scripture from every book of the Bible with the Bible Road Trip™ Bible Memory Verse Cards!
1) Print Out Your Free Christmas Ornament Craft Printable Template
2) Cut Out the Three Wise Men Felt Pieces
- 3 full bodies and 3 sets of hands in tan or peach (skin colour)
- 3 robe pieces in white
- 3 beards in dark brown
- 1 cloak, 1 hat and 1 gift in each of your 3 other colors
- 6 circles to make the front and back of your ornament (color doesn’t matter – we just picked from what we had left in felt)
3) Sort the Three Wise Men Pieces into Sets
You need three sets (one for each wise man) and each set should have a body, robe, cloak, set of hands, beard, hat and gift. We mixed and matched the colored accessories so they were spread across the three sets.
4) Glue Your First Wise Man Together
- Glue the white robe onto the full body piece.
- Then, glue the cloak onto the white robe.
- Glue the beard onto the face.
- Next, glue on the hat onto the top of the head
- Glue the gift to the white robe just below the top of the cloak
- Glue the hands onto the cloak and gift so that they cover both items
Allow the glue to dry. This will make the next step easier by holding the pieces in place while we start our stitches.
5) Stitch the Eyes and Nose onto the Wise Man’s Face
For children that have attempted hand stitching before or like a challenge, let them try a French knot for the eyes and a line for the nose. This is the video tutorial for creating a French Knot. Have your child practice on a scrap piece of felt until they are comfortable with the stitch.
We use only two strands of embroidery floss when stitching. Click here to learn the easiest way to separate embroidery floss.
6) Glue the Wise Man onto the First Circle
7) Add Decorative Stitches to the Three Wise Men
Now we add the decorative stitches to the wise men. Because the wise man is glued, you can add as much or as little as you like in terms of embellishing him. Here is what we did:
Add a Running Stitch to the hat in either a matching or contrasting colour.
Secure the beard using an Over Stitch in a matching color thread.
Choose either a matching or contrasting colour embroidery floss and use the running stitch to go around the edges of the cloak.
Secure the hands using an Over Stitch in a matching color.
Not sure how to tie off your stitches? This video tutorial will help!
8) Pick the circle that you would like to use for the backing
Use the Back Stitch to embroider the letter(s) in a contrasting color.
9) Cut a Length of Ribbon 4-5 inches Long
10) Place the Two Circles Together, Right Sides Facing Out
Attach the circles using a blanket stitch in a contrasting colour all around the edges. Have 1 stitch go through the ribbon to help anchor it. To make the edging stand out more, we used all 6 strands of embroidery floss.
Tie off (use this tutorial to learn how).
11) Repeat Steps 4-10 so You Finish All Three Wise Men Christmas Ornaments.
Uses for this Christmas Ornament Craft:
These sweet three wise men felt Christmas ornaments make great Christmas tree decorations to keep or give. They also look wonderful on a Christmas present wrapped in brown paper. Our wise men are going to travel around our house as we review the Christmas story this advent. The children will get to search for the wise men and identify them by their gifts.
We had a great time making ornaments and making memories. I hope that you and your children will enjoy this crafts as much as we did!
Nadine Best is a follower of Jesus, wife, mother to 4 wonderful boys, homeschooling mom, homemaker, homesteader wanna be and the creator of Making Her Mama. Her desire is to reach out to other homeschooling families and provide tips and tricks, support, and encouragement as they walk along their own homeschooling journey.
Your kids can learn about the Bible, who God is and more with this fun daily devotional for kids. With 12-months of Bible verses calendar printable sheets, your family will concentrate on a monthly focus. There are six days of reading each week, each day with it’s own focus within the monthly theme.
Your 12-month Bible verse calendar has themed devotions focusing on:
- The Bible
- Love
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- Resurrection
- Jesus
- Prayer
- The Holy Spirit
- The Fruit of the Spirit
- Salvation
- Our Father
- Thanksgiving
- Advent
Want a sample calendar? Grab your free Christmas Advent calendar here.
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