We have made a
crown of thorns as a Lenten devotional for several years now. My sister-in-law was the first to share this lovely idea with us, and it was a such a meaningful one that it stuck! We LOVE our crown of thorns. It sits as a centerpiece on our dining room table, and throughout our day, we pull out thorns as we make sacrifices and perform acts of kindness. This serves as that visual reminder that our small acts of love take away some of the pain Jesus felt on the cross and can bring Him JOY.
This devotional means so much to us, that we branched out and shared with it with many others this year... My sister and her 3 boys came over on Ash Wednesday and we made one for each of our families. We had so much fun together!! Then yesterday, the first Saturday of Lent, I was able to share this devotion with my parish family at a Lenten workshop.
Here's how to make the crown of thorns and some fun, detailed pictures to go along with it....
First step:
Mix the dough with a wooden spoon and knead it (aka - play with it!!!)
The recipe we use is: 4 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, 1-1/2 cups of warm water
Second step:
Divide the dough into three balls, and again
, knead/play with it.
Third step:
Roll out into 3 ropes, braid them, and bring together the 2 ends to form the crown. Then transfer to a cookie sheet. You can actually place the 3 ropes on the cookie sheet before you braid them to make for a smoother transition.
(
NOTE: This is the hardest part, so be patient with yourself. I am
terrible at putting the 2 ends together and it always looks kinda messy. It doesn't have to be perfect. Remember what our Melody
said...)
Fourth step:
Break toothpicks in half, dip broken end of toothpick into oil (this makes it easier to pull out of the crown later on), and place into the crown. As we do this step, we always talk about the ways we hurt Jesus, because the thorns actually represent our sins.
 |
| Like I said, I always have a hard time putting together the 2 ends.... I had a jumbled mess this year, and actually tore out some of the dough and ended up with an extra ball. As you can see, our sweet Melody did not let it go to waste! |
Fifth step:
Bake at 350 degrees for a little over an hour and a half. You want it nice and firm. Once cooled, display as a centerpiece on your table, and include a bowl for the toothpicks to be placed in.
++ May God bless you during this Lenten season and help you unite your acts of sacrifice to His suffering on the cross! ++
