Disclaimer: I don't pretend to think that all of you are Christians or even like religion. If you are a Christian, you might really enjoy this post and sharing this printable with friends and family. And I sincerely hope you do! If not, please don't take offense. This is simply a project that I feel in my heart I've needed to make and share here in case others may find it impactful for their holiday celebrations. If celebrating Christ's birth at this time of year is not your thing, I would love to hear more about your personal beliefs and traditions for this time of year in the comments below*. This month has been insane. So many things to do and so little time. I've actually had this project completed for weeks, but I haven't had a chance to photograph and write about it until now. I figure Sunday is the perfect time to publish, since this takes a more spiritual tone. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to do my annual candy box. This project ended up taking its place. I have so many ideas for the candy box, though. I may have to publish a New Year's or Valentine's candy box. :) At church I'm in charge of the activities for our women's group. We meet at least quarterly for spiritual, service-oriented, social or creative activities. When we were planning I knew I wanted to make a little keepsake/quiet book for adults and children alike to be reminded of the true purpose in Christmas: Christ's birth. I'm glad I worked on this project. It's been a busy time of year with a lot of work (a fabulous problem to have, for that I'm humbly grateful!), so carving out time to research symbols of Christmas and coordinating scripture was a great way to get in the spirit. This printable by no means includes all of the symbols of Christmas (I realized I left out the wreath - oops), the 7 included simply serve as a prompt for discussion and pondering on the other things around us that remind us of Christ and God. I wanted it to be something that could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, so I made little calligraphed illustrations that could be colored and kept the design simple to appeal to adults. It's all small enough that it can easily fit in a purse to be toted around all season long (even though it's almost at it's end). I printed off a few and plan to give them to my grandparents and parents this year. The ones we made for our women's group activity were a huge hit. We prepped 30 kits and even though we didn't have 30 in attendance, all were spoken for! It was a thrill to see women take extras to share with others. The book includes symbols on: The evergreen tree, the star of Bethlehem, the candle, the poinsettia, the candy cane, the stocking and holly berries. At the end there are a couple of pages for thoughts so you could use it as a holiday journal or as a way to write your personal thoughts on the season to give to someone else. Or write in some of your favorite holiday traditions/memories. Each symbol has a brief explanation and a scripture. Each scripture is taken from the King James version of the Bible. Mostly from the New Testament. To assemble, you will need:

• printed sheets
• hole punch
• needle
• thick thread
• bone folder
• 6x9 inch piece of leather or felt**

Download the printable (link at bottom of the post) and print. Print double-sided and DO NOT fit to page (print at 100%).  Cut the paper in half width-wise so that you have 8.5 x 5.5 sheets. Rearrange your papers so they are in order. I like to go by the odd numbers on the bottom right hand side. Use the blank half sheet on the outside of the title page. Punch holes in the guides on pages 10-11. Center your pages over the leather, mark the holes on the leather and punch. Thread your needle and sew the book: Start on the outside front cover in the middle hole. Go to the inside of the book and leave a 4 inch tail. Go through the bottom hole, then thread through the top hole and then back through to the middle hole. Your tails will be coming out of the middle of the book. Tie a knot around the string running up the spine and finish with a bow. Fold in half and crease with a bone folder. Now you're finished! If you batch these, you can make 10-20 books in about half an hour. They're great for gift giving! Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

This post is sponsored by Mormon.org | check out their video "He Is the Gift". It so beautifully conveys the nativity with song. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*This blog is a positive, creative space. Comments that attack any religious faction will not be tolerated or published.  **Leather provided by Leather Hide Store.