Prepare your hearts for Christ's birth this Advent season by doing some of the following crafts as a family!

Click the photos below for various crafts:

Advent Activity Jar

Your family could decorate a jar of your choice and fill it with popsicle sticks or pieces of paper with activities written on them. Each day (or every few days), you could pick a stick or paper at random and do that activity as a family. Click here for a list of activities to inspire you.

Advent Tree of Kindness

Using this great resource from Loyola Press, your family can make Advent Trees of Kindness, which serves as a reminder to do small acts of service for others during Lent. Your family can brainstorm different acts of service and make a list to refer back to. 

Jesse Tree

The Jesse tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." The ornaments of the Jesse tree tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history. The Jesse tree helps us to connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events leading to Jesus' birth. We adorn a Jesse tree with illustrated ornaments that represent people, prophesies, and the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. (Loyola Press website)

Name of Jesus Chain

A new twist on the old construction paper chain is to make a Name of Jesus chain. The Bible uses many different names for Jesus, for example, Immanuel, Prince of Peace, and Bread of Life. Each name of Jesus tells us something more about him. Write the names on strips of paper, turn them into a chain, then have the children tear off one piece each day as Christmas approaches. Take some time to talk about what each name tells you about Jesus. (Ascension - The Faith Formation Leader)

Name of Jesus Ornaments

This beautiful idea consists of making 25 ornaments, each with a name of Jesus and a reference on them. Choose one ornament each evening, read the verse as a family, and place it on the tree. You could also choose to discuss the passage and pray together if you'd like. Click here for some examples of the names of Jesus and verses, as well as ornament templates.