Ash Wednesday Torn Cross

This is the first of the children's work activities during Lent and Easter. 

Today is Ash Wednesday.  Today we burn the palm crosses from last year and use the ash on our foreheads to show that we belong to Christ and are forgiven of our sins.  We remember that we have come from dust and the crosses of our past have gone back to dust.  Today we are going to make something which we can keep until we get new palm crosses on Palm Sunday.

These Torn Crosses are simple for kids to make with a little adult guidance and have a great surprise factor when they open it out to find a cross.  The best way to lead the craft is to not tell the kids what they're making.  Here are the step by step instructions:

1. Hold a piece of A4 paper length ways.

2. Fold the bottom left corner up to the opposite side making a perfect triangle

3. Now fold the bottom right corner up to the opposite left side, making a point at the bottom of the paper


4. Fold the point up to the top over the rectangle at the top.


5. Take the left hand side and fold it onto the right hand side.


6. Now comes the tearing part; the image shows tearing the paper this way up but I always find it easier to turn the paper upside down with the point towards the bottom.  Tear about 3 cm from the left hand edge all the way down the whole thing.  It is pretty thick in parts so you need to be slow and strong.
 

7. Open up the paper and .......

Here's the one I made earlier.

Thanks to Faith Kids Sunday School Bible Bytes for the images.  I have re-written the instructions they use because we have a different take on the explanation of the craft.