• About

All Sparkled Up

~ Like dew hanging from the tip of a leaf, a single bead or word adds sparkle where there was none. BE the bright!

All Sparkled Up

Tag Archives: Christmas tablescape

THE Carpenter Christmas Tablescape

25 Sunday Dec 2016

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, Christmas, community, Craft Fail, encouragement, family, Inspirational, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christmas, Christmas tablescape, tablescape

Carpenter, as in not someone’s name, but rather the vocation. The wood worker that cuts down trees and uses sharp gouges to make houses and three-legged stools.

And not just any carpenter, but THE carpenter. Jesus could have been any profession in the world. But he was a worker of wood, a simple carpenter by trade. When I volunteered to do a tablescape for the Christmas brunch event at our church, the first thing I thought of was Christmas trees and wood, and how significant wood is in relation to Christmas and Jesus… and me.
1-christmas-wood-tablescape-front
2-christmas-wood-tablescape-1658
Jesus worked in a wood shop. He used logs and blocks of wood. He used saws and gouges.
3-christmas-wood-tablescape-tools-1657
At the end of a day he would have had the glorious smell of aromatic sawdust and curly wood shavings clinging to his garments.
4-christmas-wood-tablescape

As an apprentice, one of the first pieces of furniture he would have made would be a three-legged stool.

6-1-legged-stool

Three legged stools can sit firmly on uneven surfaces.

6-3-christmas-wood-tablescape-favor

And if one leg is a little longer than the other, the stool still works so it is the perfect beginner’s project for making furniture.
6-2-3-legged-stool
7-legged-stool-ornament

8-christmas-tablescape-setting
My dad enjoyed wood working as a hobby but he didn’t build furniture. He built his own house, he loved cutting down trees and chopping wood, and he loved carving.
9-dons-wood-carving
I learned to carve by watching him. “Never fight the grain of wood,” he quietly said. “Work with the grain, not against it. Take tiny cuts. You can’t put wood back but you can always cut away tiny bits. Take your time.”
10-dons-wood-carving
My father had incredible patience and I watched in silence as he made tiny cuts in the wood.
11-dons-wood-carving
12-dons-wood-carving
I was 22 when I married and moved away from home. All I learned about woodworking was during my childhood but I never forgot my father’s skill. My father passed away just a couple days before Christmas, two years ago. But instead of having the memory of his passing be something hard, it is beautiful this time of year. Because my father worked with wood and so did Jesus. My dad never got to see my carving. But somehow, I think he knows and is glad.
14-my-wood-carving-1772
15-my-wood-carving
Wood workers mark their tools and their woodwork. It’s called a “maker’s mark.” My dad carved his name into the gouges he made from nails.
16-dons-tools
17-dons-tools
18-dons-tools
He carved his name and date in his carvings.
20-dons-carving
He sometimes carved the location where he made his piece.
19-dons-carving
Jesus knew all the details of woodworking.
21-christmas-tablescape-details-1656
His first contact with wood was being laid in a wood manger, a feeding trough for animals. It was rustic and rough.
22-christmas-tablescape
As he grew, He learned how to shape wood and smooth wood, remove tiny bits to make something functional and beautiful. He knew which trees were strong, which had the best grain, which smelled aromatic. And he would have known about maker’s marks.

As I put together my Carpenter tablescape, I included two wood cross beams leaning against the back of the creche.
23-christmas-wood-tablescape
After spending a life working with wood, Jesus’ last contact with wood was being nailed to it.
24-christmas-wood-tablescape
And there, in the cross, was Jesus’ “maker’s mark”, the nail prints.
25-christmas-wood-tablescape
This Christmas, what is precious to you? To me, it is the memory of my dad, the wood carver.
26-dons-self-portrait-wood-carving
And being blessed with the ability to work with wood like my dad and Jesus, The Carpenter.
27-christmas-wood-tablescape-manger-1655
28-christmas-wood-tablescape

Save

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

If you are a non-WordPress follower, enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Tags

allsparkledup All Sparkled Up altered book art baking beach beads bird bread breakfast cake candy carving cat cats chocolate Christmas Christmas tree cookies craft crafts dessert DIY Easter Easter eggs eggs egg tree encouragement fabric family figs flowers food funny gardening Gilded Girls God granddaughter grandkids heart home decor hope inspiration inspirational jewelry jewelry making joconde light Little Plastic Bears miniature miniatures mixed media mousse nature painting PB & J pets photo photography projects recipe roses salad Scoliosis scripture sewing snow sparkling Spoonflower sunlight sunset Sunset Beach surgery tablescape tea tree tutorial Valentine's Day vintage book words

Archived Posts

Top Posts & Pages

Sourdough Breadstick Cobras
The Day the Baby Hawks Learned to Fly
Marble window sills
Miniature Perfume Bottles
About
Mirror Gem Notebook

Recent Posts

  • Sfogliatelle
  • Blue Willow Toile
  • The Kitchen tea towel
  • The little cake she decorated
  • Icing flowers
  • Matthew 11:28
  • Christmas at Sea Tablescape
  • Gratitude
  • The Hot Air Balloon mobile has lights
  • Journaling in Coloring Books
  • The Light is still here.
  • A Hot Air Balloon decoration for my granddaughter’s room
  • Coco’s new favorite hangout
  • My kitten is growing
  • English roses fabric

Post Categories

All Sparkled Up allsparkledup altered books American Girl Dolls art baking Baking for Neighbors ballet beach beading BFN birthday books cake decorating calligraphy candy cats Christmas color community cooking Craft Fail crafts DIY dolls drawing Easter encouragement Etsy fabric family fashion design Favorite Childhood Books flowers food Free Idea funny gardening Gilded Girls Gilded Life God granddaughter grandkids handmade books holiday home home decor Inspirational jewelry making journals lighting Little Plastic Bears Mexican miniature mixed media music nature New Years On my Worktable painting party pets photography Princess doll projects recipe Scoliosis Scripture sewing sketchbook sparkling Spoonflower sunlight sunset tea time Thanksgiving The cats time tools travel tutorial Uncategorized Valentine's Day water wedding woodwork words wreath
Follow All Sparkled Up on WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • All Sparkled Up
    • Join 289 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • All Sparkled Up
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: