A Celebration of Saints Tree Craft: Advent to Epiphany (or The Presentation)

With Advent upon us we are so blessed to have many many beautiful Saints to celebrate during this time.  This is a time when we can truly capture our childrens awe and wonder and bring the Saints lives alive for them as we get closer and closer to the birth of Christ. 

Continuing with my theme of Keeping the Company of the Saints I thought it would be appropriate to come up with a meaningful way to display our beloved Spoon Saints and Saintly Clothes Pin Dolls as well as create many more from our feasting between now and the Epiphany on January 6th.

A Celebration Saints Tree is the perfect envoy!!  The Saints will always be with us, and the vivid recollection of their deeds big or small will help us during this time of waiting for the Infant Jesus to be born.  Then we will all rejoice in His glorious birth together with all the Angels and Saints and Choirs in Heaven.  As we journey with the Wise Men our Celebration Saints Tree continues to blossom and we devote our thoughts and prayers to Epiphany when adoration stirs up images of these Kings and fine jewels. (This could be a beautiful finished project at this point, if however you want to continue through the Presentation then follow on...)

As the Wise Men return to their own countries we will continue to discover and feast and be blessed by those who have gone before us, filling our lives with thoughts of heaven as we read about the lives of more great Saints.  The culmination of our project comes into full bloom when Mary and Joseph present their blessed babe to Simeon and their offering of two small doves, showing us that even the Mother of Our Lord and her husband, the Good St. Joseph humbled themselves before their mighty King and the throne of God.

To begin with the First Sunday of Advent and the Saints of this week you will create a Spoon Saint (linking Alice's St. Nicholas at St. Nicholas Center) or a Clothes Pin Saint (linking an adorable St. Lucy that Helen linked in her post here Advent Dreams and Traditions) and then apply a hanger of some sort to attach it to your tree (we're using thread)!  Now let me preface this by saying this tree can be as simple as a piece of Felt cut out like a tree, or a construction paper tree taped to the wall. We have chosen an artificial evergreen that we have had for several years to use as our Celebration Saints Tree.  A Live Evergreen or even a Fruit Tree would be exquisite!!!  **Updated to add this project could easily be carried out with Holy Cards and minimal "craftiness" if you prefer!!

We are beginning our tree officially with the Feast of the Immacualte Conception of the Virgin Mary on Dec 8th where will create a devotion of love and splendor, our Celebration Tree of Saints!!  We will bless the Tree and say the Litany of the Saints!

As an example, here is a tree we made up for you to see it partially decorated:

(I have left the top of our tree bare for Mary to be placed on Saturday, Dec. 8th)

Here are all of the Saints Feasts between now and the Presentation (see Litutrgical Calendar):

• December 3rd - Feast of St. Frances Xavier, priest
• December 4th - Feast of St. John Damascene, priest and doctor
• December 6th - Feast of St. Nicholas, bishop
• December 7th - Feast of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor
• December 8th - Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception
• December 9th - Second Sunday of Advent, Feast of St. Juan Diego
• December 11th - Feast of St. Damasus I, pope
• December 12th - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
• December 13th - Feast of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr
• December 14th - Feast of St. John of the Cross
• December 21st - Feast of St. Peter Canisius, Optional
• December 16th - Third Sunday of Advent
• December 23rd - Fourth Sunday of Advent
• December 24th - Vigil of the Solemnity of Christmas
• December 25th - Solemnity of Christmas
• December 26th - Feast of St. Stephen, 1st Martyr for Christ
• December 27th- Feast of St. John, Apostle & Evangelist
• December 28th - Feast of the Holy Innocents
• December 29th - Feast of St. Thomas Becket, Optional
• December 30th - Feast of the Holy Family
• December 31st - Feast of Pope St. Sylvester I, Optional
• January 1st - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• January 2nd - Basil the Great; Gregory Nazianzen
• January 3rd - Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
• January 4th - Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
• January 5th - Feast of St. John Neumann
• January 6th - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
• January 7th - Raymond of Penafort, Optional
• January 13th - Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
• January 17th - Feast of St. Anthony, Optional
• January 21st - Feast of St. Agnes
• January 22nd - Feast of St. Vincent of Saragossa Optional
• January 24th - Feast of St. Francis de Sales; Our Lady of Peace
• January 25th - Feast of Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle
• January 26th - Feasts of Sts. Timothy and Titus
• January 28th - Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas
• January 31st - Feast of St. John Bosco
• Februaruy 1st - Feast of St. Brigid of Ireland
• February 2nd - Presentation of Our Lord; Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Here are the Saints we have thus far and of course any Saints can be added to your Celebration Tree, especially keeping in mind your Patron Name Saints or those of your sweet children!

(St. Joseph by Matthias)

(St. John Damascus, by Violet)

(St. Barbara, by Violet)

(St. NIcholas, by Seamus)

(Our Lady of Guadalupe by Violet)

(St. Lucy by Violet)

As you can see, this project can be as grand or as simple as you choose. (Truth be told this little tiny tree is not going to be large enough for a complete project, but as we have moved twice in the past 18 months, our larger tree seems to be MIA at the current moment)  Not to worry however, as it's all about Keeping the Company of the Saints in Advent to Epiphany or the Presentation.  I hope some of you will try this with your families and enjoy the company of those beautiful souls of whom we ask for intercession to Our Lord and Savior!!  Many blessings to you during this beautiful time of waiting!!

Related posts:  Keeping the Company of the Saints and More LIturgical Year Resources

Comments

[aussieannie]

That is a wonderful idea Meredith! I would like to incorporate that in our plans for next year.

[Eileen]

You are such a smartie! I remember a thread on 4Real where a mom said she was decorating a branch or tree with holy cards in celebration of All Saints Day, and I thought that was a wonderful idea, too--this would really bring it to a whole new level! It would be a lot of fun to make these spoon/clothespin saints all year, and then put them on a tree at All Saints Day, through Christmastime.

What full files I am building--every year it just gets better, and I don't even have to be very creative myself!!!

Thanks--again!--Meredith!

[Michelle]

Your saints' tree is lovely. We've got our hands full with our Jesse tree this year!

[Mary Ellen Barrett]

I love this, it's a beautiful tree. I'm going to link it on OND!!!

[Meredith from Merchant Ships]

I love this! I always seem to be one step behind when it comes to feast days, but having a seasonal tree would make the deadlines less important.

Thanks for the handy calendar, too.

[KC]

What a lovely idea!! I love all the saints y'all have made so far.