Please help me with First Communion Banner

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heathernoel

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What should I put on it? It can be anywhere from poster board size to three feet square.

I am in RCIA, so I wasn’t brought up Catholic, and haven’t seen one in person.

Thank you!!!
 
chalice, host, wheat, and grapes are popular

Also, a monstrance (the usually ornate piece that holds the consecrated host during adoration), a cross/crucifix, if text is appropriate you can write Amen or Bread of Life
 
Since when do arts & crafts have anything to do with the sacraments? Personally, I just wouldn’t make one.
 
sigh It’s a family activity meant to encourage discussion about the Eucharist. The banner also marks your family’s row in Church (at least ours did). It’s not like it takes AWAY from learning about the Eucharist and my child LIKED learning about all the Eucharistic (and other Christian) symbols and choosing the ones he liked for his banner. I swear people can find the silliest things to get huffy about…

Jennifer
 
It is a good project, and as Jennifer said, it is a pew marker. What does it have to do with the Eucharist? That would be whatever the family in question makes of it. Some people are minimalist when it comes to sacramental prep, and some are not.

For this project, we were given a precut banner of felt which I promptly screwed up.

Not to worry.

I surfed the Internet with my granddaughter (who lives with me) and found 3 pictures that pertained to the Eucharist that she liked. She arranged them so that one was wheat and grapes, which were made into bread and wine, and then had a picture of a priest giving children Communion.These were outline pictures. I incorporated these into a Paint document with her name in outline font, which I flipped (rotated until it was backwards). I printed these on an iron-on page from Avery.

I then ironed it on to a piece of muslin, following Avery’s directions. My granddaughter colored in the pictures using Sharpies. I hot glued the muslin to the felt banner, over the big blunder I’d made. I taught my granddaughter how to sew a simple blanket stitch, and we stitched it down with gold thread.

And while we did this, we talked about my First Communion, and her mother’s, and her uncle’s, and about Jesus, and a host of other things.

Beaded crosses are very popular this year with other kids, as are religious stickers, stampers, and LOTS of glitter.
 
Jennifer_J said:
It’s not like it takes AWAY from learning about the Eucharist and my child LIKED learning about all the Eucharistic (and other Christian) symbols and choosing the ones he liked for his banner. I swear people can find the silliest things to get huffy about…
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It’s probably because I have the artistic skill of a blind cave fish, and it’s something that I have zero interest in. 😃

But I wasn’t getting huffy. I wasn’t saying that it should be outlawed and these misguided CCD instructors should be flogged. I was just saying that I, personally, wouldn’t make one.
 
Timidity said:
It’s probably because I have the artistic skill of a blind cave fish, and it’s something that I have zero interest in. 😃

But I wasn’t getting huffy. I wasn’t saying that it should be outlawed and these misguided CCD instructors should be flogged. I was just saying that I, personally, wouldn’t make one.
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“huffy” was the wrong word–I’m 6 months pregnant and my brain is on permanent vacation when it comes to word choices for most of the day 😃 Sorry about that!

I did post a “kit” that allows those “craft-less” 😛 a chance to make something nice and easy. It’s really the process, though, and not the product. While we designed and made his banner, I spoke to him about how his dad and I converted and went through this as adults–showed him pictures, and talked about how his extended family is Catholic (on his Dad’s side), how proud I was he was taking this seriously and that he had learned so much. It was a really nice thing to focus on.

Jennifer
 
Just a little off topic!😃

When my younger son was First Communion age, his (Catholic school) class made little banners to decorate the Church for First Communion. Alas, on the Sunday, he was sick and couldn’t go. What a disappointment. Next Sunday, we all went to Mass, and there was his banner on the front pew! The priest, at Communion time, announced that this little boy hadn’t been able to receive with his class because he was sick, so would everyone please let him go first. Of course, they did, and they clapped for him. Many people congratulated him after Church. So his little banner became very important to him.

Peace,
Linda
 
My step daughters class made them. I helped her. I used colored pen (gel, metallic green) for her name and the date of first communion) and did the letters in script font from the computer. I actually put real wheat chaffs on it (hot glue) and we used felt in 2 different shades for the grapes and I found silk grape leaves. We made a challis out of gold metallic fabric and a host out of white satin. I used angel lace on the sides and wedding satin for the background. It turned out really well. People borrowed it to see how it was done the next year and dd was thrilled!

I am not going to comment on whether or not you should do it, but it was a great bonding moment for step and I and all the other kids made them so I didn’t want her to feel left out. They did use them to mark our pew as well. The size was the same as the one pictured above in Jennifer’s post.
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
It is a good project, and as Jennifer said, it is a pew marker. What does it have to do with the Eucharist? That would be whatever the family in question makes of it. Some people are minimalist when it comes to sacramental prep, and some are not.
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I meant to say that it all depends on the family and the people in the family, the various projects or things they do to get ready. I did not mean it to sound as if “minimalist” was just below the standard. If anybody got that out of my post, I apologise.
 
Timidity said:
Since when do arts & crafts have anything to do with the sacraments? Personally, I just wouldn’t make one.
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when the children make it themselves, following a discussion of the sacramental signs and symbols and their meaning, and it is a learning activity to reinforce concepts in a less.

when the adults take over and make something expensive from a craft store, worse that useless.

you need a piece of paper with the child’s name to mark your family’s pew. you have a computer. print one.

whatever you decide don’t make it so big no one can enter or leave the pew, defeats the purpose.

why are we resurrecting 2 old threads on this lame topic? if your parish requires it, they will tell you how to do it.
 
Timidity said:
It’s
But I wasn’t getting huffy. I wasn’t saying that it should be outlawed and these misguided CCD instructors should be flogged. I was just saying that I, personally, wouldn’t make one.
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get in line and take a number
I am available for public flogging during office hours Thurs from 1-1:15 pm.
 
I don’t know why this popped up again, I linked to it in the other thread?? Maybe that did it?
 
Wow! First off, this is an old thread, and the project came out wonderfully, and we proudly displayed her banner out front the day of her first Eucharist.

As fas as it being a “Lame” topic…EXCUSE ME! I am not a seasoned know it all Catholic
Not everyone visiting this site is a know it all. Some of us don’t have Catholic traditions to fall back on. I wanted my daughter to NOT feel left out.
 
heathernoel said:
What should I put on it? It can be anywhere from poster board size to three feet square.

I am in RCIA, so I wasn’t brought up Catholic, and haven’t seen one in person.

Thank you!!!
Click to expand...
is it a pew marker, or a keepsake?
if it is a keepsake, do whatever you want at whatever level your child can and wants to do

if it is a pew marker, keep it to 9x12.

cruise the web and find 1st communion cards, download and print one with a picture you like and glue it on, with is name.

if it is a keepsake, it is optional, so don’t sweat it.
if you run out of time, and need a pew marker, print his name on a card, string yarn or ribbon through it, and hang on the Pew (no tape, please)

it is OPTIONAL
 
With all due respect puzzleannie, ummm, did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? 😃

For our parish it’s not really optional. It’s a pew marker and keepsake. My son has his hanging up in his room and my daughter is looking forward to making hers soon.

I’m sorry this topic is annoying to you, but other parents do have questions about this–esp those of us who are converts and don’t know any better. Give us some slack, please 😉
 
We had a great time making my daughter’s banner last year!

They gave us a list of phrases and my daughter picked out her favorite. We found where it was in the Bible and read the passages, “Behold the Lamb of God.” We talked about why Jesus was called the Lamb of God, the Exodus & Passover, Abraham & Issac on Mt Moriah (God will provide the Lamb) etc.

The whole family got involved. My husband suggested using latin instead of english. My other daughter picked the gold fabric with butterflies to symbolize the resurrection. I especially like the drops of water and blood coming from the right side of the Host.

It was really fun to see all the different ideas people came up with too. There were no two alike and they were all beautiful. Like any project its what you make of it.

She keeps it hanging over her bed. My other daughter can’t wait to make hers (it will be pink :rolleyes: ).
 
Jennifer_J said:
I don’t know why this popped up again, I linked to it in the other thread?? Maybe that did it?
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annie popped it.

Here is Meg’s. I stuffed it in the scanner. I blocked our last name. Meg made the decision how to make it. Meg picked the line drawings off the Internet. Meg colored the drawings. I taught Meg how to sew a chain stitch and a blanket stitch, and we each sewed a side. She picked the thread color. I showed Meg how to use a low-temp glue gun, and she glued the flowers to hide some of the stitches.View attachment 2637
 
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