I can’t imagine a life not spent sharing God with others.  Especially children.  Bringing His word to where they are; making it relevant for them- there’s nothing better.  (Getting to eat sugar, dance, and play games with them is a huge perk too……). Throughout the year we create props and decorations to compliment and accentuate the various themes.  We just recently wrapped up a Finding Nemo theme (perhaps I’ll share that with you at a later date.) Just in time for the holidays.

We’re taking a break from decorations for this month- which gives us time to get ready for Christmas.  I stumbled upon a few pictures I had posted on Facebook about three years ago, while searching for Christmas pictures to use for my most recent post KISSing Christmas, and thought I’d share.

This faux fireplace was the result of three cups of coffee, boredom, and a $6 trip to Dollar Tree.

It all started with a left over project board and a lonely roll of brown shipping paper I had in my garage.  Throw in a piece of white chalk and a broken red crayon and boom, an idea is born.

The fireplace complete, I parked it in our front room to get a good look at it.  It was looking pretty good but was definitely missing something. A mantle.

The mantle is actually a couple of those white gift boxes for shirts that we had leftover from the year before. We cut them in half and after angling the side panels of the project board, arranged the boxes on top.  For a backdrop I used a roll of leftover wrapping paper, and added a few Dollar Tree wreaths I already owned.

A lovely couple from our church lent us the rocking chair and accent rug. I then turned to Dollar Tree for a few last minute garnishes. Those cost us about $6 plus tax.  And there you have it.  A faux fireplace perfect for photos.

For this year, I’m going to use this old throwback as inspiration for a newer, sturdier version.  It’ll cost me a tiny bit more, but not much.  I plan on budgeting $20.  Of course, I’ll post that one right around the beginning of December. Until then, think outside of the box, and always keep a broken red crayon on hand.