Traditions are not all to be treated equally. Some should be kept. Some are best forgotten. And others are to be cherished; honored year after year for their heritage, merit, beauty, or all three.
Today’s activity, for me, falls into this third category; one to be honored, cherished, and most importantly, passed on to the next generation.
In the 90’s, we called it “The Resurrection Egg Carton.” We filled bright, plastic eggs with little trinkets we gathered around the house or from the dime store (because those were still a thing) and hid in our hearts the symbols of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
For a child there is nothing more magical than a story brought to life, whether through a puppet show, a game of make-believe, or even a collection of little, everyday treasures you can hold in the palm of your hand.
I have never, ever forgotten this humble egg carton turned into a sort of 3D, Easter-Story Pop-Up Nest. When my mom mentioned it a few weeks ago, I realized that it was high time to give this craft a little update and share it with our kids, and YOURS!
We went for a rustic, farmhouse look to put a fresh face on the classic craft, swapping plastic eggs for the real deal, watercolor images to replace cartoon graphics, and as many natural items from around the house and homestead as we could find. Finally, we renamed the egg carton, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus!”
“Tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart every word;
tell me the story most precious,
sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell of the cross where they nailed him,
writhing in anguish and pain;
tell of the grave where they laid him;
tell how he liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
clearer than ever I see:
stay, let me weep while you whisper,
Love paid the ransom for me.”
-Tell Me the Story of Jesus, by Fanny Crosby
SUPPLY LIST:
- The PRODUCT FILE (link included in instructions)
- 1 EGG CARTON with a flat, solid top
- 12 EASTER EGGS or empty eggshells like we used for farmhouse vibes!
- 1 SMALL BRANCH/LEAF to represent the waving of palm branches at Jesus’ triumphal entry (with Story Slip #1)
- 3 DIMES to represent the thirty pieces of silver Judas Iscariot was paid for his betrayal of Jesus (with Story Slip #2)
- 1 WAFER/PIECE OF BREAD & DOLL’S CUP to remember the Last Supper (can use a thimble or Tacky Glue cap in place of a doll’s cup) (with Story Slip #3)
- 1 SCROLL made of a small strip of paper rolled up and tied to represent the prayer of Jesus in the garden (with Story Slip #4)
- 1 WHIP cut from a strand of leather to represent Jesus being whipped before the crucifixion (with Story Slip #5)
- THORNS from a twig, wound into a wreath to remember the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head (prickly weeds or wild rose twigs work well) (with Story Slip #6)
- 2 TOOTHPICKS/SMALL CROSS and/or a STRIP OF SCARLET CLOTH (with Story Slip #7)
- 3 SMALL NAILS to remember the nails that pierced Jesus’ hands and feet (also with Story Slip #7)
- DICE or 6 SMALL STICKS to represent how the soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes (with Story Slip #8)
- 1 SPEAR; a toothpick, sharpened popsicle stick, or Lego sword to represent the spear that pierced Jesus’ side (with Story Slip #9)
- STRIP OF THIN WHITE CLOTH (cheesecloth, linen, or thin cotton) to represent how Joseph wrapped Jesus for burial (with Story Slip #10)
- 1 STONE for the stone that was rolled in front of the tomb (with Story Slip #11)
- *The 12th Story Slip sits by itself in an empty egg to symbolize the empty tomb
“Tell Me the Story of Jesus” Egg-Carton-Craft Tutorial
1.) Have a house hunt with your kids to assemble the supplies listed above.
“Hmm, we need three little nails. Where might we find some?” Goldilocks (our six-year-old) LOVED this. Her favorite activity right now is to destroy a stack of “I Spy” books, so this real-life, around-the-house version was her cup of tea. If you don’t have an item on the list, don’t fret. Get creative and improvise with things you have on hand.
2.) Print our Product File:
*Choose a carton cover to print
*Select a verse strip translation to print
3.) Cut out the Carton Cover & Verse Slips.
4.) Paste on the Carton Cover!
You may choose to paint the carton first like we did! If you don’t paint the carton, we recommend printing the cover onto cardstock for fuller coverage.
5.) Read & Match!
Read each verse aloud together with your children. As you read, allow your kids to take turns finding the appropriate symbol and placing it on top of the matching verse slip. Make it a guessing game or little treasure hunt!
6.) Fill the eggs!
Place the verse strips and items into the eggs as shown here, beginning top left for #1 and moving all the way to bottom right for #12.
7.) Display! Tell the Story of Jesus! Celebrate! Sing!
Keep this carton out and available to your kids to practice telling the story of Jesus leading up to Resurrection Sunday! Consider teaching your kids (or learning together) the hymn at the beginning of the post, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus!” Or get our favorite Easter hymn printables for your feast table here: ✝️Holy Days on the Homestead🌷
Thank you for reading! Please share with another family, and if you do this project with your kids, I’d love to hear (and see) how it goes!
Love, ~Candace Arden~
