Mini-Tabernacle construction

So, in our KONOS homeschool curriculum, the authors are having us build a small model of the Tabernacle of Moses, as directed in Exodus 25-31. I usually do not take on major projects like this in homeschool, because Mom ends up doing most of the work. I have really tried to get my kids involved as much as possible. But I just do not trust my 7-year-old boy, Caleb with gold spray paint, a sharp knife to cut with, or tacks which will poke him. But the kids have helped a lot with the construction so far.

On Monday, we read through the portion of Exodus about the tabernacle, and plotted it on graph paper (somewhat).

On Tuesday, we shopped to buy the supplies we'd need (we bought WAY too much, because we hadn't decided our scale and measurements before we began!) Then we measured our base of styrofoam, and cut our wood dowels into pieces.

Also on Tuesday, we made our pillars of clay bases, wood dowels and silver thumb tacks in the top. Then we glued them to the styrofoam, all around the edges (60 of them!).

On Wednesday, we placed the white "curtains" around the inside edge of the pillars. We had to measure and cut them the right lengths and glue them onto the inside of each pillar. In the Bible, it says that they were hung between each pillar, but our scale is so small, that it would have been impossible to make tiny rungs to hang the curtains between each pillar. On this day, Caleb also decorated the curtain for the gate with markers (rather than embroidery).

On Thursday, we made the brazen altar and the brazen laver. We used a small jewelry box which we glued a piece of plastic netting on the bottom, and small round dowels for the carrying poles. We painted it bronze. For the laver, we made it from a disposable cupcake tin, and we also painted this bronze.

Then today, Friday, we placed the laver and altar in the tabernacle proper, and made a base for the laver, which is a piece of cardboard painted bronze. Then we made the lampstand, which is cardboard cut and painted gold. We began making the walls of the holy place, which are popsicle sticks glued vertically with support "poles" glued horizontally. I painted the wall bases silver, and we will allow the glue to dry before we paint them on Monday.

This construction will take us about three weeks, which seems like a lot to me, but this major art project/ Bible lesson is about 45 minutes each day. We will have a very cool product when we are finished, and I hope my kids will remember this forever! I have been taking some photos, and will post those as I can. There is so much symbolism in the whole Tabernacle, with the precious metals used, the white purity of the curtains, the red "fire" (red flat marbles) in the altar which reflects in the bronze, and reminds us of Jesus' blood. God made a huge sacrifice for us, and we need to remember it daily, being careful not to take it for granted! I will continue to blog about this each week! I want to remember this neat process...