taking crafting to another level

We had a very nice and joyous celebration at church on Resurrection Sunday in March this year. When I saw the flags and banners in various colours and sizes flying I was thinking to myself that how interesting it would be if I knew how to make them. Only a few days after that my friend Mandy forwarded me a registration form for a workshop on prophetic banner-making and asked if I would be interested to go with her, without any hesitation I said yes!

The workshop comprised of two half-day sessions and was held over an evening and the following morning. We paid a fee for the course with all the materials included. It started with a brief introduction on the banners followed by an opening prayer. Victoria the instructor guided us on what we had received and she anointed our hands with oil before we delved into our respective projects.

Mandy and I worked side by side. It is very interesting to note how we chose our mediums of expression — Mandy is good at painting so she chose to paint while I decided on what I am familiar with – “crafting”!

I was going to make a golden bowl of incense that represents the prayers of the people. I started with the golden bowl which was easy enough to make; I used an art card cut-out as backing, added soft polyester wadding before wrapping them together with the gold fabric with the help of a tube of glue

when I told Victoria I was going to make the flames for my incense with scrunched fabrics instead of the easier but not so nice-looking 2-D way of wrapping paper cut-outs with fabrics, her reply was “do pray for the Lord’s anointing”. I did not know the significance of what she said until I was struggling with the fiddly fabrics!

continued with fabric-fiddling the second day, getting there…

while I was tackling patiently with my flames, Mandy was breezing through her sequin letters and done with her spring branches painted with fabric paint

Mandy and her completed banner with ribbon and sequin flowers added, nice!

Hope! Mandy’s banner presents reassurance from the Lord and that we have hope in Him!

Psalm 42:5
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

really almost done, I was pretty happy with my flames!

completed with the scripture verse, glittery fabric paint for the smoke from the flames and sequined border

ta-da… not bad for my first attempt, on both banner-making and fabric craft!

in its full glory!

Revelation 5:8
“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”

The golden bowl of incense is the prayers of the people and the fire represents the one that God is stirring within us — let us all arise, and pray!

Thoughts:
The whole experience of learning to make the prophetic banner was so edifying as I did not only take my crafting to a whole new level but also for the first time ever, I used what I am good at to glorify God!