Nature in a jar

What is it about the beauty of nature that makes us covet it so? Is it the transient and ever changing cycle of sleep, death and re-birth which draws us to it. Compels us to preserve its fleeting beauty...pressing flowers, drying seeds.

It sometimes feels as if preserving those moments of beauty, the part of nature that brings us joy, brings us closer to a moment in time we wish to remember, that stroll through a meadow, the hours making daisy chains as a child.

I’ve had this sweet little jar which had capers in for a while, and have been waiting to find a use for it. An odd shape I just didn’t find one, until this afternoon, when I saw the teeniest, tiniest dandelion gone to seed in our garden (it’s seriously like 1cm wide if that. )Part of me was about to blow the dandelion and make a wish with the little one as we always do and I wonder why I am always holding the dandelions back from overtaking the whole garden 😅) but then I thought wouldn’t it be lovely to preserve that memory, those wisher blown, that beautiful delicate dandelion that’s ever so fleeting. And so that’s what I did. A moment of my childhood frozen in time. A memory of all those wishes, some which have come true!

(Swipe to see how I did it)

The dandelion sits proudly in our playroom, a reminder of the fleeting beauty of nature, of childhood, but never dreams and wishes

Earthen Vessels Craft

Charity, Gentleness, Kindness, Modesty, Self Control and Patience. Traits we all could do with serving and giving to our fellow human beings in these uncertain and hard times.

We made jars today from some air drying clay. Jars which are labelled with the above virtues. Jars which over the next week we will fill with notes of when we had given or received either of those gifts.

At weekend we will break the jars open, we will read and digest the contents. Some jars may not be as full as the others, some might be empty. Why? How can we work on our own selves and our own family lives to fill these jars too? In great reflection comes a great power for change, and I thought that this activity really provides a visual and hands on way of exploring our own inners lives and how we can be a force for good in the world.

This activity was prepared for Pentecost this Sunday - but I thought i holds a good place here for those with older children

Craft available in my FREE Pentecost Guide in my store

Pentecost Window Doves

Good morning and happy Sunday! I hope you are all well!

You know yesterday was not a very productive one, I rested most of the day feeling not too great. But by the evening felt well enough to continue folding my kite paper birds from the May Waldorf Magic Guide.

I couldn’t imagine a more symbolic bird than to make a than a Dove. For all the horrors of the world going on at the moment for all those living in fear and persecution worldwide, but especially for those in Israel and Gaza at this time. For all those who have suffered and died this past year and are still dying because they are born in poverty. Every one of us that holds up a torch for injustice and carries peace within us, everyone of us who stands tall as a shining example to others will make a difference in this world.

This can be a hard thing to communicate to young children, so I felt a window that reflects coming together and moving as one as a flock of birds holds such symbolism. For together we can achieve great things.

Counting my blessings today and every day as I wish you all a peaceful Sunday. Dove craft it available as part of my FREE pentecost guide in the store