DIY Jesse Tree
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Looking to make a DIY Jesse Tree this year? Here’s what you need to know to create a fun and easy Bible activity to do with your kids.
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In the beginning was the Word. Jesus. He was there at the beginning of the World.
Contrary to what movies and modern media might portray, the coming of Jesus was not an afterthought. God had planned to send His Son from the very beginning.
While Christmas is the time to celebrate this coming and the welcoming of the baby Jesus, He is more than a baby. Let’s not leave Him in the manger, but let’s teach our children how Jesus is in and through the Bible from the very start.
What’s a Jesse Tree?
The Jesse Tree tradition goes back 100s of years, often times portrayed on the walls of a church, in stone, wood, or stained glass, it tells the story of Jesus’ family tree, going back to the beginning.
A modern day Jesse Tree at home is an advent calendar of sorts with a Christmas tree ornament for every day in December leading up to Christmas Day.
Several years ago a friend gave us a set of handmade Jesse Tree ornaments. There are 25 ornaments in the set that symbolize and trace God’s promises of the Messiah and/or his lineage from Creation to the New Testament. It is called a “Jesse Tree” since Isaiah 11 refers to Jesus as the “root of Jesse.”
(Jesse was the father of David, who we know was an ancestor of Jesus.)
How do you do a Jesse Tree at home?
There are several ways to celebrate this tradition at home, but the basics are the same:
- read a scripture
- discuss Jesus’ presence in the story and/or the significance of this part of scripture to the overall gospel message – if you’re not sure, there are plenty of guides out there to help you.
- hang the symbols on the tree each day through December.
Some people have a separate Jesse Tree, often a branch in a pot where they hang the ornaments each day. We chose to place our Jesse Tree symbols, or “Jesus ornaments” as they’re called around here, on our Christmas tree, in order to make them central to our celebrations.
It’s always a great way to start conversations when visitors ask why you have a fiery furnace ornament on your tree!
For many years, I wrapped the ornaments individually on Thanksgiving weekend and marked them with the corresponding day of the month that we should open it. Then each day of December we opened one little package and had a devotional time learning about that symbol.
Some years, the kids just fished around in the storage box until they found the right symbol for the day.
What are the Jesse Tree Advent Symbols?
Jesus and the promise of the Messiah can be found everywhere in Scripture, so there are different lists of Jesse tree symbols and meanings to choose from. I’ve found lots of overlap between books over the years.
To make things simple for you, I created a free printable that you can use to follow Jesus’ family tree.
- Creation – a globe or model of the earth, or the moon and sun
- The Fall – an apple or other fruit with or without the snake
- The Flood and Re-creation – an ark
- God’s promise to Abram – a camel and a tent
- The Sacrifice of the Son – a lamb
- God’s promise to Jacob – a ladder
- God’s provision through Joseph – a coat of many colors
- The Giving of the Law – a tablet with ten numbers
- The Promised Land – a cluster of grapes
- The Redeemer – a sheaf of wheat
- The Shepherd King – a slingshot
- The Rediscovery of the Law – a scroll or Bible
- The Root of Jesse – a stump with a fresh shoot or green leaf
- The Prophecy of the Lion and the Lamb – a lion and a lamb
- The Prophecy of the Prince of Peace – a dove and a crown
- The Prophecy of a Gentle Shepherd – a lamb and a shepherd’s staff
- The Prophecy of the Suffering Servant – a cross
- The Prophecy of the New Covenant – a heart with writing on it
- The Prophecy of Bethlehem – a miniature Bethlehem with star
- The Exile – a fiery furnace
- The Return to the Land – a brick wall
- The Star to Guide Wise Men – a star
- The Light of the World – a candle or light
- Angels Announcing His Coming – an angel
- The Coming of Christ – a baby in a manger or the nativity scene
To get the printable, just subscribe to my email list below. Once you confirm your subscription, you’ll get the details for accessing my free printables library.
DIY Jesse Tree Ornaments
My original set of DIY Jesse Tree Ornaments was from a friend back in 1998 who had participated in an ornament exchange for the purpose of creating Jesse Tree ornament sets. She already had a set, so she gave one to me.
In the last 25 years, the ability to DIY Jesse Tree ornaments has only increased. There are loads of books and guides with patterns you can follow. Last year my daughter created several of the ornaments in this crochet Jesse Tree guide.
I’ve also found loads of commercial ornaments that suit the themes for each day and have added those to our collection over the years. It’s pretty easy to find sets and kits on Etsy, too.
Jesse Tree Books
There are many books now that provide readings and explanations for the symbols on the Jesse Tree.
The two I prefer are these:
The Advent Jesse Tree by Dean Lambert Smith – this provides devotional readings for kids and adults and seems the most straightforward. It’s an old book, originally published in 1988!
The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean – my kids preferred the storytelling in this book, particularly when I used different voices for the boy and the carpenter.
A DIY Jesse Tree is a great thing to add to your Advent celebrations with kids, so mark it on your Christmas bucket list – even if you start after December 1st. Imperfect Adventing is the only way to go.
This post was originally published on July 22, 2008. It has been updated for content and clarity.
What do you think?
I’d be honored if you chimed in the comments section. What do you think?
We love Christmas in our home! We know Christmas is here the day after Thanksgiving- while everyone is shopping, we spend a family day doing our tree, caroling, making cookies & fudge, and snuggling. We celebrate Christmas all year long! The Jesse Tree looks amazing! I love it!
To try to stay organized . . . I set a goal to be wrapped and bought by December 1st. I try, try, try to be decorated by then as well. Then all that leaves me to do in December is the fun stuff like cards, cookies, and enjoying my boys. Lists are a beautiful thing!
My Christmas tool is making a list, for gifting, food, baking, candymaking…
Lists are a beautiful thing!
I have bought an ornament every year since my husband and I married and a new ornament for each year of our children’s lives. Last year our oldest made an ornament at preschool…it has to be the BEST ornament ever and I cannot wait for more of those little treats to come. Last year I made stockings for my little ones that especially fit their favorites. And we made our own Jesse Tree from a bulletin board tree that we laminated. We printed ornaments and laminated them too. It’s wonderful!
Shae
I like to buy my cards after Christmas when they are cheap. I address them and sign them and when Dec. rolls around(always to fast)I add a recent family picture and news letter and mail them. It is like a gift to myself to have the cards already addressed.
When we start recieving cards we display them and leave the empty envelope on the table in a basket to pray for those people at dinner time.
I think what makes ours easier is we basically do the same things each year, so we all know what to expect!
I even have a baking list I follow every year! I may try a couple new things each year, but the core ones are always there! Including making buche de noel Christmas Eve morning.
Also, I think the rule that Christmas shopping is done by Thanksgiving helps too (except for those few things that are online purchases like books that are being released early december!)
Sheila’s cards are really cute!! And the Nativity one is really pretty. I’ve never heard of Jesse tree before you either. I have heard of Jotham’s Journey. That’s advent too isnt’ it? So far, we do a Nativity calendar where you read the story and stick the little corresponding symbol (star, sheep, wise man) to the corresponding day. The kids love it, but as they are getting older, it’s not enough I think. They would love something more–they really like the symbolism around Christmas if I can just get organized enough to point them to it! 🙂
I posted about my favorite Christmas “tool” on my blog http://richardandstaceybrill.blogspot.com/2008/07/toolin-up-tuesday.html
I’m an industrious cooker baker come Christmastime. My favorite and most useful tools are my Silpat mats. No greasing of sheets, and cookies come right off. Super easy clean up too!
I have never done Christmas in Julye! But last year after Thanksgiving, we got out every book that we had that was Christmas or Winter related and put them in a separate basket. Then every night we would read from those books instead of our normal collection. And finishing with “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. I also try to instill in the kids that this isn’t just about getting presents. It is about helping those that are in need. We always donate to the local charities and all the girls pick out gifts to donate to our tree at church.
As for oranizing, I do love Christmas but keep my decorations to a minimum, keeping mostly with natural items as well. We do a big tree though with lots of homemade ornaments, my mom even kept mine from when I was little. The kids get a kick out of that!
JZ