My Grandmother, on my Mom's side, was the very first arts and crafts person to influence me. I remember her making my baby and toddler clothes, paintings, etc. She was also a great cook. My father was a very close second. My very first memories include going to work with my Dad. He was a custom cabinet maker. Custom cabinets, hutches, tables, chairs, desks, you name it and he could make it out of wood. I remember the smell of saw dust like it was yesterday.
Unfortunately, both my Grandmother and my Father have passed. Now, fortunately, I am blessed to remember many of the things they taught me as a young child. One of the things my father taught me how to make, and I still have it, was a Jesus Plaque.
My Dad was a very dedicated Christian man of God. He raised my brother and I the same way. As many men of God do, my Father volunteered and dedicated a large majority of his free time to the church. He was especially fond of working with the Royal Rangers. The Royal Rangers met every Wednesday night. Daddy worked with the group my brother participated in so they could spend time together. The Jesus Plaque was one of the projects he shared with the Royal Rangers.
Daddy included me because he knew I loved to make things. He provided all the materials and invited the parents to attend as well. The project required fire so I believe he wanted the extra backup! LOL
Recently I decided it was time to try the project for myself. I must say. The results were awesome. I ended up making two plaques. One with a black background and one with a brown background. The hardest part was burning the pictures in the wind. The smell was terrible in my craft room so I had to move outside. Wouldn't you know it, I picked the windiest day possible to begin the project.
Something to keep in mind, after you burn the edges of the Jesus picture, the picture itself is very fragile and will crack easily. Also, I accidentally touched one of the pictures with a tiny bit of glue and it left a huge white blog. Lesson learned: use caution, do not touch your picture with sticky fingers before or after it is burned.
(*Please Note: Even though children are mentioned, this project requires adult supervision at all times and is not intended for children to attempt on their own. In addition, it is wise to keep a wet towel and extra water handy or fire extinguisher close at hand, just in case the fire gets out of control. It is very easy to drop the picture if it burns too fast.)
The Jesus Plaques look great on a simple stand. However, just in case, I had the Hubby drill nail holes in the back for hanging.
Taking it one step each day, the project was completed in 4 days. Not too bad considering I only spent about 30 minutes each day working on it. Including the picture search and edit time, it took probably three to fours to complete.
The Jesus Plaque my Dad helped me make still hangs in my kitchen right above his picture.
It looks the exact same as it did ... years ago. (A lady can't give
away her age, now can she!)
Thank you Daddy! You probably never knew what an impact you made on my
life with the simple things you taught me. To this day I love working
with wood, any kind of wood. The smell of saw dust brings back many
fond memories and more than likely always will.
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~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead
Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on
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