Jesus' Nativity

 

I noticed every little flaw in my decorations for this year’s Advent Tea table, but it still got rave reviews. The theme was nativity scenes, and the centerpiece was a set that I crocheted many years ago. Then I surrounded it with photos I had taken in other settings.

But the focus of the decorations was a 2006 photo of the creche that shows up in our church’s fellowship area every year. Since you can’t really see it in the photo at the top of this post, I am including it below.

I highlighted the creche in three ways, using the same photo for all of them. First, I had Shutterfly make placemats from it. Unfortunately, it must not have blown up well. It looked fine on my computer screen but wasn’t sharp on the placemats. Even so, people liked them.

Second, I used it to customize plastic coffee/tea cups. I bought some cups with a clear exterior and a white interior that were built to come apart so someone could place a paper design between the two pieces. I made the design by printing a copy of the photo on one side and “Advent Tea 2022” on the other. I was disappointed that they didn’t snap together more permanently, but as long as you don’t lift them by the top, they work.

Finally, I made jigsaw puzzles of the photo for the favor, although the women at my table got to take their placemats and cups, too. The puzzles didn’t work quite right, either. I printed the photo on one side of card stock and a puzzle pattern on the other and cut one out using the interlocking pieces in the pattern. Unfortunately, there were two problems with it. First, it took forever to cut out. I could have handled that, but when I put it together it didn’t want to lay flat and stay in position. So I ended up cutting the puzzles into rectangles instead.

Even with all the issues, people liked my table and appreciated the work I put into it. More importantly, the program and the food were excellent, and so was the company.

Because I can’t help writing, I did create a very elementary poem to go along with the puzzles, and I’ll leave you with it.

A Jigsaw Puzzle World

The world was in pieces,
     Broken by Sin,
Then Jesus came
     To put it together again.