Wax-Dipped Origami

Monday:	Wax-Dipped Origami
Bible Lesson:	God created the world and deserves our worship. (Genesis 1, Acts 17)
Memory Verse:	Acts 17:24

Age Groups:

• teens

Supplies Needed:

• brightly colored paper
• folding instructions
• wax
• something to heat the wax (e.g., an old crock pot)
• sewing needles
• thread

Preparation:

Go to your local public library and find origami folding instructions for a number of things that God created: different kinds of animals and birds and fish, maybe even plants and trees. You will want to test out the instructions ahead of time to ensure that you are able to follow them, so that you will be able to help anyone who has problems. Try to find options with different levels of complexity and difficulty, in case some of your teens are more ambitious than others. If most or all of the instructions you find call for squares (which is typical), you may want to use a paper cutter to cut the ends off the paper so that it is square. (If using letter-sized 8.5x11" paper, cutting 2.5 inches off one end will give you an 8.5" square.)

You can also find videos on the internet that demostrate various origami, e.g., an elephant, a flower a raven, a crab.

On the day, you will need to start melting the wax well ahead of time, as it may take a couple of hours (depending on what you use to melt it).

Instructions:

Have the teens select one of the available origami options and the color of paper they desire and fold the paper according to the provided instructions. You may need to help them interpret the instructions. When they have completed folding, have them pull a length of thread through a point near the top edge of the piece, using the sewing needle, and knot it (leaving a few inches of loop). The thread helps with the dipping and becomes a hanger thereafter. Then assist and monitor the wax dipping process; each piece of origami should be fully emmersed in the wax, hanging by the thread, but it does not need to be under for any length of time, as long as it's entirely covered. Hang to dry.

Lesson Tie-In:

Each of the origami choices should be something that God created, which ties in (albeit loosely) with the Bible lesson on creation.