Our Jesse Tree

We are starting a new tradition this year!  It is called the Jesse Tree!  I ran across the idea earlier this year and though it was an awesome idea!  We have always done a countdown to Christmas but this just seemed more meaningful.  The idea comes from Isaiah 11:1

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

This gives us the promise that another King will come from Jesse's family again.  We see that fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  The Jesse Tree works by each day taking an ornament with a symbol and reading Bible verses to go along with it.  The ornament symbols represent different times through out the Bible, going back all the way to Creation.  The idea is to remember important people in the Old Testament and ancestors of Jesus Christ.  Our goal in doing this is to not only focus on the true meaning of Christmas but to learn more as we read about each person.  Each night we will read bible verses and open an ornament to hang on our Jesse Tree.  We will finish the Tree on Christmas Day as we celebrate Christmas.  My prayer is that we can not only enjoy all of the fun of this time of year but also to celebrate the birth of our Lord!

There are lots of ideas and ways to do the Jesse Tree.  If you want to learn more or see more examples go here or here.  I am very excited and hope that the boys enjoy it this year! 

Below you will find some pictures of our Jesse Tree.  Again, you can do it lots of way!  I just found materials we had on hand (I am impatient like that!).  I used old plywood, fabric, mod podge, and salt dough. 

The start of the Jesse Tree.... fabric was mod podged onto the board.



Letters added and 25 nails put in the board.



Salt Dough ornaments ready to paint

Ornaments painted, I am not an artist but was pretty happy with them!

The Tree is ready and the ornaments are in the bags, numbered 1-25

We have our first ornament!