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Reply to "Reformation Sunday, What are you doing?"

Thanks for posting your Martin Luther/Reformation plans, Cathy.

As a Presbyterian, we tend to celebrate Reformation Sunday every year too with a Scottish spin. This project, however, let's everyone wear a God's Family Tartan on Reformation Sunday.

Kids Make Their Own "Family of God" Tartan

Several years ago we had our kids create their own kilts featuring their own "clan tartan."

  • They chose the colors, added a verse and keywords, and added symbols and other representations of the "people of God" they belonged to.
  • It was easy, energetic, interactive, and well-received by the kids AND adults.
  • We used them in worship as a "kirkin of the tartans."

There are a couple of ways you can do this: either with fabric and quick-drying ink stamp pads, or with butcher paper and stamps, or simply with quick drying craft paints on fabric or butcher paper (see the link to the butcher paper kilt DIY below on YouTube).  You can use real ink or water-color ink, or simply apply fabric paint (and brush it into the fabric or paper so it dries quicker).

In our tartans, we had the kids color in about two-thirds of the squares which they drew on their kilt, leaving a number of the squares blank where they could add words and symbols.

Have a couple of printed images of tartans on hand to show the kids what a tartan can look like.

Distribute pre-cut white muslin or white butcher paper.

Distribute various colors of INK pads or paints.

Have small ink rollers -one for each color pad depending on class size (low nap). Small rollers allow you to quickly add color in the tartan squares.

Have a bunch of stamps, such as a cross shape. Kids can also use stiff brushes to paint with the ink, or use a foam brush to "dab" the kilt with blotches or colors and shapes.

You can also use colored permanent markers to add words or detailed symbols.

To pleat the kilt we used big safety pins. In the video below you can see how they pleated using tape. Another quick option is to simply use a stapler to staple together the tops of each pleat.
Smocks and plastic gloves for everyone.

First the kids add their clan symbol and verse. This is where a lot of discussion comes in.

Then they create tartan lines and squares.  We let them put their (gloved) handprint on it, and invited others to add their hand to another person's tartan, if that person wanted to. The teacher's tartan had handprints from all the kids. If a kid applied too much, we sopped it a bit with papertowel.

Kids then "presented" (practiced explaining) what their tartan colors, designs, clan symbol, and verse choice meant to them.

See this YouTube video showing how to make a tartan with pleats using butcher paper.

Updated thoughts on ink pads and paint:

When we did this project we used regular ink pads from the craft store and had the kids paint and stamp to create shapes and blocks of color using craft brushes. Since then, I've seen that they have come up with water-colored stamp pads and some have suggested using fabric paints, which seems fine.

If I were to do it over again, however, I would have the kids paint with fabric paints either from the craft store or the kind you can make your own by adding glycerol to stock acrylic paint you may have on hand. 

If you're using paper to make your kilts, you can use craft paints, just get the quick-drying kind and don't soak the paper!

By giving them paints instead of stamps, you'd get more details too. Finger painting isn't a bad idea either!  Just remember that too much paint = too much drying time.

A blow dryer/fan will really help the tartans dry.

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Images (4)
  • oriental-trading-stamp-pads
  • water color stamp pads
  • make your own paper kilt
  • finished paper kilt
Last edited by Neil MacQueen
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