This year we are doing a Jesse Tree for the first time. I’ve always wanted to do one, but I wanted to buy real ornaments instead of attaching paper trash to the tree. This year I found many of the ornaments for 50% off at Hobby Lobby, and the kids had fun trying to find these specific objects that point to Christ:
Day 1 – Alpha Omega-A-Z
Day 2 – Word-Bible
Day 3 – Creation-Earth
Day 4 – Sin-Jesus has to come-black heart
Day 5 – Jesus sent to save sinners-cross
Day 6 – Jesus was the lamb of God-lamb
Day 7 – God loved us-red heart
Day 8 – Jesus was the first gift-gift
Day 9 – Jesus brings light to a dark world-candle
Day 10 – Jesus is the light of the world-sun
Day 11 – Good news of Jesus shouted-trumpet
Day 12 – Jesus is the Prince of Peace-dove
Day 13 – Jesus is King-crown
Day 14 – Jesus is our shepherd-shepherd staff
Day 15 – Jesus is the branch that grew from the line of David-tree
Day 16 – Jesus was born in Bethlehem-Bethlehem building
Day 17 – The birth of Jesus was a miracle-manger
Day 18 – Mary was the mother of Jesus-Mary
Day 19 – Joseph listened to the angel-Joseph
Day 20 – Angels announced the birth-angel
Day 21 – Shepherds praised the birth-musical notes
Day 22 – Wise men followed a star-star
Day 23 – Wise men brought gifts for Jesus-wise men
Day 24 – Jesus
I’m using Ann Hibbard’s book Family Celebrations for Christmas for the daily devotionals that go with each ornament. They are well-done.
Here is the video that I saw a couple of years ago that made me want to do do a Jesse Tree with my children. She uses slightly different ornaments. (No two Jesse Trees have the same symbols for some reason. As long as they point to Christ, it doesn’t matter what the ornaments are.) These ornaments were made by hand and are nicer than just paper trash hung on the tree:
Jesse Tree Demonstration from The Homeschool Channel on Vimeo
