Witness Bracelet Craft

Making these simple bracelets is a great way to help children understand the plan of salvation. This page explains how to make the bracelets and gives a suggestion for what to say to explain each bead. Be sure to print copies of the handout for each child to take home. Click Here For Handout

Even though we are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, your doctrinal beliefs may differ here and there from ours. Please don't waste time being offended. Simply make the changes you need to make and have a great time sharing with the children. I'd love to hear from anyone who uses the bracelets but be forewarned that I will not argue doctrine with you. We've got a whole world to reach for Jesus -- there's no time for squabbling.

Supplies For each bracelet you will need:
  • Something to string the beads on. Thin strips of leather make an attractive bracelet but may not last well in very tropical climates. A thick jewlery cord works well. We have also used vinyl lacing cord. Anything that you can tie knots in and string pony beads on will do. We cut our strips about 2' long and trim them to fit the wrist after the beads are strung. Test your strips to see if the pony beads will stay on with one knot. With some thinner strips you may need to teach the children to tie double knots.
  • One pony bead in each of the following colors:
        black
        red
        white
        green
        clear
        blue
        yellow or gold
    The beads can be solid or see through.
  • We tie our bracelets around the wrist. You could use a clasp or slide knot.
  • One copy of the Handout Sheet
    • Organization
  • Work with the children seated at tables. Make sure each child can see you as you speak.
  • Divide the beads into small containers or bags by color. As you begin to talk about a color, give each child one bead of that color. It is nice to have helpers to do this for you. The program is much more effective if you do not pass out all of the beads at the same time.
  • Be ready to quickly replace dropped beads as it breaks the train of the story if you stop to look under the tables, etc, for beads.
    • Introduction
  • Have you ever wanted to tell someone about Jesus but you didn't know what to say? That has happened to me before.
  • We are going to make a craft that can help us tell someone about Jesus. It is called a witness bracelet because telling someone what Jesus has done in you is called witnessing.
  • We are going to make one bracelet together. While we are making it I am going to tell you the story that goes with it. Keep the first bracelet for yourself. Wear it often and use it to tell people about Jesus. When we are done, you can make another bracelet to give to someone else.
  • The most important part of witnessing is praying. Before we begin, let's ask God to bless our craft time. (Lead the children in prayer)
    • First Knot
  • Give each child one of the strips and a handout.
  • Tie a knot about 1/3 of the way from the one end of your strip. Lead the children in doing the same.
  • The knot has a purpose. It will keep the beads from falling off the string. I made the knot in my strip. Who made the knot in your strip?
  • This knot is to remind us about making things. We made the knots but who made us?
  • That's right. God made us. God made each of us in His own likeness. God loves me. I can choose to love and obey God.
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the First Knot. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
  • The first knit will help us remember that God created us to love Him and to live with Him.
    • Black Bead
  • Give each child a black bead and show them how to put the bead on the long end of the strip.
  • Have you ever tried making the color black with paints? What happens? You usually get a yuckey brownish orange color. You see, black is not really a color. Black is what happens when there are no colors there at all.
  • God made us a beautiful world to live in. There are colors everywhere! God promises that Heaven is even more beautiful the the earth.
  • But sin keeps us away from God and from all of the beautiful, exciting, colorful things He has made for us.
  • We choose the black bead to represent sin because sin takes us away everything that is good. Sin separates us from God.
  • Do you know what sin is? It is disobedience to God. For example, Jesus told us to love each other. If we are mean to each other and hurt each other we are not obeying God. That is sin.
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the black bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
  • The black bead will help us remember that our sin keeps us away from God.
    • Red Bead
  • Give each child a red bead and show them to put it next to the black bead
  • Our sin separates us from God but God made a way for us to come back to Him.
  • This red bead reminds me that Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sin. Then Jesus rose from the dead and came back to earth. That proves that Jesus is more powerful thatn sin and death.
  • After that, Jesus went back to heaven. He's made a place for me so that I can choose to live with God forever.
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the red bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
  • The red bead will help us remember that Jesus is the Way out of sin and back to God.
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the red bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
    • White Bead
  • Give each child a white bead and tell them to put the white bead on the string next to the red bead.
  • Did you know that black and red make white? That won't work in your paint projects but it works in your life
  • When we ask God to cover our black, ugly sin with Jesus' blood, we become white as snow.
  • Even though we still sin sometimes, God thinks of us as perfect because of Jesus' Blood.
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the red bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
  • The white bead will help us remember that no matter what we have done in the past, Jesus' Blood makes us brand new
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the white bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
    • Green Bead
  • Give each child a green bead and tell them to put the green bead on the string next to the white bead.
  • Our next bead is green. Let's name some things that are green.
  • Did you notice that many of the things we named are things that grow? That's why we use a green bead to remind us about growing.
  • My job as a Christian is to grow more like Jesus so that God can use me to help others learn about Him.
  • Growing things need food. When I read my Bible it is like food to my spirit. I need to read my Bible so I can grow.
  • Growing things need water. When I pray and worship God it is like water to my spirit. I need to pray and worship so I can grow.
  • I also need to tell the truth and treat everyone with love.
  • When I do these things I obey God and I grow stronger and more like Jesus.
  • The green bead will help me remember to read my Bible, pray, & worship God so that I can grow.
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the green bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
    • Clear Bead
  • If the wind is blowing you might want to walk outdoors for a few minutes for this one
  • Give each child a clear bead and tell them to put the clear bead on the string next to the green bead.
  • Can you see the wind?
  • How do you know there is a wind?
  • We can't see the wind but we can see the changes the wind is making in other things
  • The clear bead reminds us of our Helper, the Holy Spirit. I can't see the Holy Spirit helping me but I can see the changes in my life
  • When we see the clear bead we can remember to wait for the Holy Spirit to help me grow more like Jesus
  • If you went outdoors for this bead, come back to the craft tables
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the clear bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
    • Blue Bead
  • Give each child a blue bead and tell them to put the blue bead on the string next to the clear bead.
  • Have you ever worn something which said WWJD? Do you know what WWJD stands for?
  • Lots of people wear things with WWJD to remind them to think, "What Would Jesus Do" when then are making a choice
  • We make lots of choices every day. What are some choices that you made today?
  • Some of our choices may not be very important. It probably does not matter a lot if I wore red socks or blue socks today.
  • Other choices may be very important. For example, if I choose to treat someone unkindly, it might make a very big difference
  • This blue bead is to help us remember to make good choices so that we can be more like Jesus
  • The Holy Spirit is helping me make good choices
  • All I have to do is choose to do things God's way
  • For example, I can choose to be kind and loving to everyone
  • The Holy Spirit will help me follow through on my choice
  • The blue bead will help me remember to follow Jesus
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the blue bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
    • Yellow Bead
  • Give each child a yellow bead and tell them to put the yellow bead on the string next to the blue bead.
  • The yellow bead is very important because it reminds us not to be sad about things that happen in our lives
  • If you have Jesus in your heart, this world is not really your home
  • We are only in this world for a short time
  • Our real home is with God in a place where no sad things happen
  • When I see the yellow bead I remember that God loves me and has a better place waiting for me
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the yellow bead. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
    • Last Knot
  • Show the children how to tie a knot to hold the beads together on the string
  • The knot also has a purpose. It will keep the beads from falling off the string.
  • We often use knots to hold things or to join things
  • When we look at this last knot, we can remember that Jesus died so that we can be joined with God forever. God chose me so that I can choose God
  • Look at your handout. Find the Bible verse that goes with the last knot. Let's read it together. (read the verse)
  • (This is a good spot for talking to God)
    • Wrap up
  • Show the children how to tie the bracelet around their wrists. Know that some children may prefer to wear it as a headband, an ankle bracelet, etc. The project will be more fun if you allow them to be creative.
  • Help the children trim the ends of the bracelets
  • Set extra supplies on the tables for the children to make one or more bracelets to give away. Remind the children to give a handout with each bracelet.
  • As they work, move among them complimenting them on their work and assisting as needed

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