One of my favorite decorations for Easter are Resurrection Gardens. There’s all sorts of ways to create these using items you may already have at home, but the basic idea is to recreate Jesus’ tomb. You place a rock in front of the opening on Good Friday and then roll back the stone after Easter Vigil or on Easter morning, revealing the empty and celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord.
Last year, I made a reusable Resurrection Garden using a clay pot, Modge Podge, and sand (instructions below). This year my kiddo made a minimalist tomb from craft sticks. You can find examples for ones using live plants here and here. You could even make an outside Resurrection Garden! Share your creations with us on Facebook or by emailing Audrey at audreyg at stjoegold.org. I can’t wait to see what you’ve created!.
Step 1
I used a small clay pot, a slightly larger clay saucer, and a coconut fiber hanging basket liner to start my garden (I found the pot and liner at the Dollar Tree and the saucer at Michael’s). I cut the liner to fit the bottom of the pot and over the top leaving room on the sides to create more of a hill than following the circle of the pot. I used hot glue to attached the liner to the bottom of the pot before attaching the pot to the saucer. You can use hot glue for this as well, but a stronger adhesive like E6000 would work too. Then I glued the liner on top and added additional pieces to cover the gaps at the front. Fill in as needed to create your tomb.
Step 2
I covered the whole tomb as well as the inside of the saucer with Modge Podge and sprinkled it with sand. Let this dry completely then repeat to give better coverage. You can do this a third time if needed, but once you are happy with your coverage and the last layer is dry, coat it with Modge Podge again to help hold the sand in place.
Step 3
Add finishing touches. I created a Cross with sticks from my yard and attached it with hot glue. I glued rocks at the base of the Cross to help the Cross stand up. I also glued on moss. Inside the tomb, I glued a rock with a white ribbon folded on top to represent the burial cloths Peter finds in the empty tomb according the Gospels of Luke and John.
Crafting Prayerfully
Try praying a decade of the Rosary while creating your Resurrection Garden. You could meditate on the Agony of Jesus in the Garden (Sorrowful Mystery) or the Resurrection of Jesus (Glorious Mystery).
Craft Safely
Be sure to use caution when using a hot glue gun, wear safety equipment as needed, and follow the guidelines on all products especially adhesives like E6000.