To celebrate Advent, our family likes to read through the Jesus Storybook Bible Advent plan. This year, I’m planning creative ornament crafts related to some of the animals in the Bible stories we’re reading. If you’re up for simple, fun Animals of Advent weekly activities using things you probably already have around the house, follow along here for the full list of ornaments!

My kind-hearted five year wanted to make an extra ornament for her kindergarten teacher, whose class theme this year is redbirds.

For our first Animals of Advent ornament, I chose the redbird. Birds are featured in the first five stories from week one of the Jesus Storybook Advent plan: The Story and the Song (Day 1), The Beginning: A Perfect Home (Day 2), The Terrible Lie (Day 3), A New Beginning (Day 4), A Giant Staircase to Heaven (Day 5). My girls and I also love to watch our “cardinal friends” in our backyard whenever they come to visit, so it seemed like a great fit!

I initially found a super cute ball-shaped bird ornament online, but in the spirit of using materials we already had on hand, went with an embellished paper version instead. I’d also encourage you to be resourceful and think how you might modify any of my directions below using things you already have!

Materials:

Red or white cardstock, copy paper, or construction paper (If white, can color or paint red)
Red feathers (or make paper “feathers” using this tutorial)
scissors
glue
yarn, cord, or thin ribbon (for ornament hanger)
googly eyes (optional)
hot glue gun (optional)

Redbird Ornament Directions:

Download this redbird shape from Red Ted Art, and print on red or white cardstock, OR freehand a redbird shape, and trace to make a second copy. (We used the medium sized bird pattern from page 2 of the Red Ted Art download.)
Cut out 2 bird shapes. (If using white material, color red with markers, crayons, or paint.)
Cut out a piece of cord/ribbon for the ornament hanger - about 5-6” long.
Spread glue onto the back of one of the two bird shapes, loop hanger, and glue down near top.
Press the other bird shape on top.
Embellish your bird with wings and tail feathers by gluing on actual or paper feathers. (We used hot glue for this part, to save time.)
Glue on googly eyes, or draw on eyes.

Discussion Prompts:

Find the birds in each of the first five Jesus Storybook Bible stories. What are they doing in each one?

Choose one story. How did the story characters look from a bird’s perspective?

How do you think the birds felt during their time inside the ark? How did they feel when the door opened?

What important task did Noah give to a bird have after the flood?

Read Matthew 6:25-27. What is God using the birds to teach us here?

In what ways do you see God’s creativity, love, and grace displayed in birds?

Would you like to be a bird for a day? Where would you go? What would you do?

Want to learn more about birds? Check out this neat All About Birds website!

I’ve always loved birds and am drawn to birds in art and decor. Each year when I was a child and we’d decorate our Christmas tree, I looked forward to hanging two special birds’ nest ornaments complete with little birds and eggs. As we hung them, my mom would always share the old saying, “A bird in the tree makes for a happy New Year.” I recently read that, unlike other migratory birds, redbirds do not go south for winter but remain in their homes. This reminded me of God’s constant faithfulness and presence in our lives, and at Christmas, of His presence as Jesus, Emmanuel, God With Us.

As you hang your special redbird on your tree this year and in years to come, I hope you’ll be reminded of the Lord’s steadfast presence and love through Jesus, and of His great care for us - even greater than His faithful care over the birds.