May 2023 Craft: You Turn My Mourning Into Dancing
By Commissioner Debi Bell (Retired)
North West Valley, AZ Corps – Southwest Division
Note: This can be used as a Mother’s Day or Women’s Tea Craft.
You turned my mourning into dancing. You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my whole being may make music to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I thank you forever.
Psalm 30:11-12 EHV
Every major holiday is a mixed bag of emotions for people. They bring joy and sorrow depending on the life experience of the individual. Mother’s Day is especially hard for those who have lost their mothers, were not blessed to have been mothers or have been hurt by either a mother or child. The majority of people are celebrating and enjoying the day and nobody wants to take away from their joy. It is important to recognize there are women and men in your congregation and groups that will be grieving the loss of mothers, children, and the opportunity to be able to enjoy either. Personally, Mother’s Day is awkward for me during the gift giving time when they ask all the mothers to stand so gifts can be distributed. I do not stand because I was not able to give birth to a child. Then the gift distributers are confused because they do not know my story. Would it not be easier on all to have all the women stand give them a gift no questions asked? It should be the same for the men on Father’s Day. Then nobody is publicly humiliated because of an empty womb or an empty nest.
This craft is one that can be adapted in so many ways to suit the needs of a group and their age or ability. The basic idea is from Pinterest. Credit has been given and the website is listed so that you can go see the pictures to get even more ideas. Following the craft instructions are ideas on how you can adapt the craft for your needs.
This Ballerina Craft Idea is from Pinterest. https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/
You can get free ballerina silhouettes from this web site and adapt different tutu materials or use the coffee filter idea below depending on how sophisticated you want the cards and what age your craft group. These would make great table favors for a Mother/Daughter tea. Program cover idea as well. Go to The Best Ideas for Kids to see pictures and a video demonstration.
Adapt this idea for your purpose.
Supplies Needed to Make a Ballerina Silhouette Craft
- Liquid Watercolors
- White Cardstock or Watercolor Paper
- Coffee Filters
- Free Printable Ballerine Silhouettes from Best Ideas for Kids
How to Make a Ballerina Silhouette Craft
- First, print off the ballerina silhouette templates on your white cardstock. The template is available to subscribers as a gift.
- Once you have your printouts, apply a light color wash to your paper, and then let this dry. You can use regular watercolors or we prefer liquid watercolors. With liquid watercolors, you can use just a little drop with water and dilute the drop of color as much as you want.
- While your paper is drying, you can decorate your coffee filters with watercolors. Lay out some wax paper to protect your surface for this step. Apply two different color watercolors to each coffee filter. You can paint with brushes or use droppers to drop the colors on the coffee filters.
- Your coffee filters will need to dry overnight. Let them dry on a paper towel over your wax paper.
- Once dry, fold over until you get a triangle shape. Then cut off the tip to match the size of where you are going to place the ballerina’s tutu.
- Get another coffee filter and make it the same size.
- Now glue the coffee filters to your paper and you are done! We left the top coffee filter flat but you can also flare this a little bit to create a more ruffled look.
How to adapt for your groups’ needs:
Add a complimentary color of ribbon around the waist of the coffee filter tutu for an extra flourish.
Use tulle and ribbon instead of coffee filters.
To complement the program covers, table favors, you can purchase bud vases from a discount store, glue colorful tulle around the middle of the vase, and add a complimentary ribbon. Put cut flower bouquets into your “ballerina” vases.
Use the ballerina silhouette as clip art if you are going to make program covers, table favors, or greeting card using the theme, “You Turn My Mourning into Dancing.” You can also go a different direction by changing the spelling of mourning to morning. (You Turn My Morning into Dancing.) The theme is about dancing and joy when you make that change. (Did you dance for joy this morning?)
With this theme, you can use silhouettes of many kinds of dancing where there is some kind of skirt or costume. The ballerina idea is easy and easy to adapt by using different costumes. Celebrate different cultural dances by using material to look like the Jalisco dress from Mexico, the Hanboc from South Korea, Clogging, or Square dance dresses, Mumus from Hawaii, Grass skirts, Dashiki from Africa, Vyshyvanka from Ukraine, and you get the idea.
You could have a monthly program feature of different cultural dances using the theme “You Turn My Morning or Mourning into Dancing.” Each month features a different dance costume. Tell of its history and learn a few steps. Feature food from that culture. If anyone in the group is familiar with the costumes because it is their culture or they lived in the country, have them share memories. Learn a few steps from the dances if you are able to do so.
Have fun and make memories. Share the joys and sorrows of your group members so that all can acknowledge that God does turn our mourning and our mornings into dancing when we give Him permission.
Download printable directions for this craft:
