Teaching Tools

A Gift That Keeps on Giving!

As we spend time during the coming weeks celebrating the birth of Christ, it's also a great opportunity to serve Him by reaching out to others.

This month's teaching tool is a name tag door decoration that makes a wonderful gift for nursing home residents, someone who is homebound, or a special person in your child's life. It's a gift that can be used throughout the year and will be a daily reminder to the recipient that someone cares.

There are several ways to gather the materials for this activity. You'll need 10-14 circles cut from the front of greeting cards. If you complete this activity with a group of families in your church, homeschool support group, or neighborhood, each family can purchase a box or two of cards and then share with the others in the group. Or, if you are doing this with your children only, search through old greeting cards or the card section at a discount store. You may want to check out the greeting inside. Some of the written words add a nice touch to the name tag.

Think about the "theme" of the name tag. For example, you might want to make a Christmas themed name tag and use only Christmas cards. You may also want to make a name tag that can be used all year and use flowers or pretty landscape scenes. You can even use cirlces cut from doilies to add a fancy touch!

Please note: Instead of the recipient's name, you can write a Bible verse on the card.


What you need to gather:

• 10 to 14 greeting cards
• 1 piece of heavy cardstock cut to 6" x 4" size
• 1 12" piece of thin satin ribbon
• glue
• clear shelf paper (Contact paper)
• scissors
• marker or nice writing pen
• lid from a Mason jar (or similar size circle to use as a template)
• pencil

1. After determining the theme for your name tag, select 10 cards to use. Don't forget to also look inside at the sayings. Whole sayings or a phrase can also be used to frame the name tag.
2. Trace a circle on each greeting card you want to use, using the jar lid as the guide. Some cards may be big enough to use for two circles.
3. Once all of the circles are cut out, place the piece of cardstock down on the table.
4. At this point, if you know the name of the gift recipient, write his or her name on the piece of cardstock. Instead of the recipients name, you can write a favorite Bible verse on the tag. Children should practice on a separate piece of paper before writing on the cardstock.
5. Arrange the circles in a frame around the name tag. The circles will eventually be glued to the back of the name tag, with part of the circle sticking out around the name tag to form a scalloped edge all the way around.
6. Once the circles are all placed, carefully glue them into place by gluing them to the back of the name tag. Again, making a scalloped edge on all four sides of the name tag.
7. Allow the glue to dry completely.
8. Cut two same-sized rectangles out of clear shelf paper, so they form a three inch frame around the scallped edge.
9. Peel away the backing from each piece of shelf paper and place the name tag face down on the stick side of one of the pieces. Layer the second piece of shelf paper, sticky side down, onto the name tag so the name tag is now sandwiched between the two pieces. Smooth out any air bubbles.
10. Trim the shelf paper all the way around the scalloped edge of the name tag.
11. Glue (or an adult may want to use hot glue) the ribbon as a hanger.

Deliver to a new friend at a nursing home! Everyday as they leave and enter their room, they'll be reminded of the love and kindness your family brought into their lives.

• Denny's Party, December 24, 1998
• The Real Gift, December 25, 1997
• The Nativity Set Baby, December 25, 2003
• Here I Am, December 25, 2006
• Just Like Sammy, December 25, 2007