This project is presented by members, staff, and students of Zion Lutheran Church and School, Greenleaf, Wisconsin. Thank you to our Life Team at Zion Lutheran Church for sharing this project.
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:6).
Now, gifts are not just spiritual gifts. The two projects in this edition of Directions involve a gift from God that we sometimes overlook: artistic talent! The first project involves graphic arts and the second involves textile arts.
Life Theme Mural Art Project
Lisa Kalscheur, Christine Wyman, and Hillary Krahn, members and staff at Zion Lutheran Wayside Church and School, enlisted the help of their first through eighth grade students to create a “stained glass” mural that is … are you ready for this? … twenty feet long by three-and-a-half feet wide!
Between all the classes, this example of graphic art took about ten hours to complete. The process started with cutting paper…lots of paper. The “glass” is made up of colored card stock. The students cut the paper into geometric, “sort-of-triangular” shapes of different sizes, being careful not to have rounded corners on any of the pieces. The backboard is made of six pieces of black mat board, 32″ x 40″ each.
As the first step in the construction, Christine Wyman, their day school art teacher, freehanded the outlines of the words of John 1:4 across the mat boards. (Note: if your church(es) is interested in doing a project like this, Zion staff can provide size-appropriate letter templates if you give them the dimensions of your planned mural.)
The letters were then filled in with white acrylic paint. When the paint was dry, the pre-cut paper triangles were carefully and thoughtfully aligned and glued (using glue sticks) onto the black backboard in a pattern like that of a stained-glass window. The results were stunning!
The value of this project to you, the Frontline, is this: it enables the members of your congregation—those of different ages and skills—to bond together and work together to produce a beautiful work of art that celebrates life—or anything else you want to celebrate. As Lisa said, “It is one of those projects that teaches us to ‘let go’ a little, especially when working with different grades and personalities.” First graders will not “glue” like eighth graders. Some people, even grown-ups, cannot cut a straight line no matter how hard they grip the scissors. Some people are perfectionists and must consciously give up the desire to “make it perfect” so others can share in the blessing of making something with their own hands. Crafting something beautiful together teaches many valuable life lessons.
What supplies do you need? Scissors—glue sticks—colored cardstock paper—ruler and pencil to mark lines for the triangles—32″ x 40″ black mat boards (x6)—white acrylic paint—paintbrush.
The first thing for you to do if contemplating this project is to determine the size, in square inches, of the mural you want to create. That will help you plan how much colored card stock and glue you will need. Not everyone has the space for a 20-foot mural! If you look closely at the photos, you will see exactly how they were cut, laid out, and glued. The project is a pretty straightforward process with a stunning result.
Life Theme Banner Art Project
This project was brought to our attention by Angie Korsgaden, Life Team Leader at Trinity Lutheran Church, Twin Valley, Minnesota, when she shared a photo of Trinity’s current Life Sunday banner made by Life Team Member, Pat Sakrismo. Pat graciously shared details about banner making with us.
Pat Sakrismo has been making banners for over forty years, so whether you have never made a banner or have made dozens of them, here are some ideas that might be helpful.
Any type of fabric may be used, but high-quality fabric is best, so it hangs well and is durable. Pat especially likes velvet for its heft and drape. Fabric may be found at Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and for some of the heavier fabrics, such as the velvet, check out the upholstery section of your fabric store. Thread type does not matter if it is a quality, name brand thread.
No need to pre-wash the fabric as most banners will never be washed. It is even possible that pre-washing fabrics may permanently damage them, e.g. wrinkles, bleeding colors, uneven shrinkage, warping, etc.
Pat’s appliques are ironed on to the banner after attaching a fusible backing. HeatnBond®-Ultra Bond® or Pellon® Heavy-duty Wonder-Under® are two brands that work well. If the appliques loosen up at some point, one can just re-iron them.
You may use different applique methods if you desire. Turned-edge, hand-applique, or fusing followed by satin stitching of the appliqued piece’s edges are other methods that can be used. The method you choose depends on your experience as well as the look you want for your banner. Pat’s banner, shown here, is done with fusible bonding and no other stitching. This gives the banner a formal, clean line.
Where do you find patterns and ideas? Pat goes to the Lutheran Women in Mission (Lutheran Women’s Missionary League-LWML) website. A new banner is designed for each annual LWM Sunday, and archived patterns may be found there: www.lwml.org/lwml-sunday-archives.
Both Concordia Publishing House and Christian Book Distributors sell how-to books for crafting Christian banners. Search for “banner art” to find resources. Another source of ideas, Pat says, is to Google a favorite Bible verse. Photos of banners or posters with this verse are numerous, and you may find an idea for your banner that way.
One last project idea shared by Pat is to use white, quilted fabric to make a personal baptismal banner for each baby baptized in your congregation. What a perfect way to remind ourselves that a new Life Shines in Art.
Perhaps you have someone in your congregation that already knows how to make banners. They might want to start a class for beginners and teach participants how to make a simple banner. It may even be something your teens are interested in learning.
A final thought: no matter what projects you undertake, no matter what medium you use, may God bless your efforts to let Life Shine in Art! And have fun!