God's Attributes Treasure Chest

Materials   

• God’s Attributes Cards Pattern (download below)
• 2 x 2 boards, one 2-in. long piece per child
• Yellow 9-x-12-in. sticky back craft foam, 1 sheet for every 32 children
• 1⁄4-in. (or 6-mm) dot stickers, approximately 15 per child
• Skinny chenille stems (any color), 1 per child
• Brightly colored card stock

Tools and Basic Supplies   

• Power saw
• Power sander, sandpaper, or wood file
• Hand drill with a 1⁄16-in. drill bit
• Office paper cutter
• Scissors
• Brown washable markers (large tip)
• Glue sticks

Pre-Prep

1. Cut 2 x 2 boards into 2-in. pieces and lightly sand the edges, 1 per child.
2. Using a 1⁄16-in. drill bit, drill a center hole deep into the top of each block. (The “top” should be one of the long sides.)
3. Cut the sticky back craft foam into 3⁄8-x-9-in. strips, 1 per child. Then cut the strips in half. Next, cut a 1 1⁄4-in. piece from each strip. Finally, cut the 1 1⁄4-in. pieces in half. Each child will need two 3 1⁄4-in. strips and three 5⁄8-in. pieces. The one remaining 5⁄8-in. piece is scrap.
4. Wrap one end of each chenille stem around a marker three times to make a loop.
5. Photocopy the God’s Attributes Card Pattern onto brightly colored card stock, then cut out 1 set per child.

Teaching Tie-In

Show the sample craft and say:

If I said to you, "God is," what word would you use to finish that? Take responses, and give them help if needed, such as God is love, God is kind, God is good, God is perfect, God is patient, God is truth. There is a never-ending list of words to describe our amazing God. It's so important to think a lot about God and his goodness because it makes us want to thank him and praise him. It also helps us through tough times. All people have tough times because we live in a broken world. But remembering who God is and that he is trustworthy makes all the difference. He is to be treasured! Our little treasure chest craft has notes about God to help you remember what a treasure he is. Let's get started making it.

Class Time Directions

1. Take a brown marker and color the entire block of wood. For best results, color in a horizontal direction only.
2. To make the block of wood look like a treasure chest, add the yellow strips. First, make sure that the block is positioned with the hole on top. Then, starting at the bottom of the back side, about 1⁄8-in. from the edge, apply the strip up the back, across the top, and over the front as far as it will go. Repeat with the other strip, trying to make the ends of the strips even on the front of the chest.
3. For the “lock,” take one of the small yellow pieces and apply it vertically to the middle of the front of the chest, centered between the yellow strips.
4. For the “handles,” take the two remaining small yellow pieces and apply them horizontally to the middle of each side of the chest.
5. For “rivets,” add small round stickers, evenly spaced, to the long yellow strips.
6. Rub glue stick onto the end of the chenille stem. Then insert it into the hole in the top of the chest.
7. Finish by placing a God’s Attribute Card in the “circled” end of the chenille stem.

Tip Corner

• Kids can use the same color small round stickers or multiple colors.
• Only one card should be on the chenille stem at a time. You may want to have snack-sized baggies to put the extra cards in.

Super Simple Idea

Try one of the following Oriental Trading Company craft kits. (Call 1-800-875-8480 or visit orientaltrading.com.) Note that these are available at the time of printing and may not be available later.

• "Trust in the Lord" Magnet Craft Kit (Item Number: 48/9597)—Manufacturer does not recommend for children under three years of age.
• David and Goliath Ornament Craft Kit (Item Number: 13694820)—Manufacturer does not recommend for children under three years of age.