St. Patty's day brooches!

March 17th

In honor of St. Patrick's day, we did an Irish and St. Patrick inspired lesson: Brooches!

We started by talking about St. Patrick and St. Patrick's day. The kids, being Catholic, already knew a lot about St. Patrick.  St. Patrick is the patron of Ireland. Born in Scotland (Some sources say Wales or Brittain), he was captured in his teens and taken to Ireland to be a slave. During his captivity he turned to God in prayer. God revealed how to escape in a dream, and he was able to free himself. Later in life, he had another dream where the people of Ireland were begging him to bring them the Gospel. He studied for priesthood and was ordained a Bishop; He returned to Ireland and converted many. It is said that he used the Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.  He lived a life of poverty, traveling and suffering, but he feared nothing, not even death, because he had complete trust in God and understood the importance of his mission: to bring God to Ireland. He converted Ireland to Christianity. It is also said that he drove away all the snakes!  March 17 is the day that he died, and the day we commemorate his life and work for God. 

To make our pins, the students drew a design on paper, scribbled the back of the paper in with pencil, attached it to a foil covered circle of cardboard, and traced over their lines.  The lines were etched into the foil. They then covered the foil with black paint and wiped it off with cotton balls, to leave black ink in the lines, giving the pin an antique look. They could then add colored rhinestones or glitter paint if desired to add a bit of sparkle.   To finish, we attached a pin to the back (just a regular safety pin with a piece of duct tape: simple!).  I encouraged them to create designs that represented St. Patrick and his teachings: Shamrocks, Celtic knots (which are said to represent everlasting life), crosses, etc.  I set out pictures to give them ideas.

They made awesome pins! They look great, and they couldn't wait to wear them.