What to Save for Emerald Crossing

A desert full of cowboys seems to be the polar opposite of a lush, green Irish hillside, but with a little VBS creativity, there are many items that can cross over.

Not all of your Wonder Junction decor pieces will fit at Emerald Crossing. Your train, cacti, and bison likely won’t be needed. Store them for a future VBS or give them to another church. A desert full of cowboys seems to be the polar opposite of a lush, green Irish hillside, but with a little VBS creativity, there are many items that can cross over.

Rocks—Did you have any rocks or boulders at Wonder Junction? Irish hillsides have them, too!

Feed sacks—While sheep aren’t typically found in the Old West, you’ll need to make plenty of new ones for Emerald Crossing. There were, however, other animals at Wonder Junction, and many sets had feed bags. Those feed bags can carry over to this year for the many sheep and chickens in Ireland.

Horses, chickens, fences, haybales, and barns—The style of farming will be different next year, but there is some overlap. Bison, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, and longhorns won’t fit in, but many other farm animals and supplies are universal. Shepherds also use things like buckets, rakes, and shovels.

If your cacti include brightly colored flowers, you can turn them into Irish flower gardens, flowering trees, or even potted plants around the main house or barn.

Think about your large landscape pieces too. Can they be made into something else? For example, if you have desert red rock formations, turn them into grassy hills in the distance. Even your storefronts could be transformed if you don’t mind cutting them down and repurposing them into stone half-walls lining the hillside or old barns and stone cottages.

Repurposing and reusing decorations is a practical time and money saver, but don’t forget to think outside of decorations when it comes to what you can save. Craft baggies can be reused from year to year. Picture and video files should be properly stored and named for promotion. Volunteer rosters and registration addresses should be saved and used when planning begins for next year. Your training material and some of your communication to parents and volunteers can be saved and updated for the new year.

One of the most important things you can save for next year is your notes.

One of the most important things you can save for next year is your notes. Take plenty of notes as you finish preparing, leading, and storing away Wonder Junction. Where did you purchase too much or not enough? What went great? What needs tweaking for next year? Who was a great fit in a certain area? What games/songs did your kids love? What ideas do you have for next year? Your notes will be an invaluable tool for next year’s VBS, but unlike decor pieces, this isn’t something to store until set up happens. Keep your notes in an accessible spot so you can keep adding to them as ideas strike throughout the year.

Do you have any creative ideas of what you plan on saving? Share your tips in the Answers VBS Discussion Group on Facebook, and don’t forget to check and see what others are saving or planning. You never know when inspiration will strike!