While studying the Ancient Hebrews last year, I prioritized recreating the tabernacle that the Israelites built after they left Egypt.
This would be incredibly valuable for all of us in understanding the tabernacle and later the temple…and most importantly how they foreshadowed Christ as detailed in Hebrews.
Research
Thus, as we made this tabernacle, we read:
Exodus 25-30 are the initial instructions God gave to Moses.
Exodus 35-39 details the actual construction of the tabernacle
Exodus 40 details the first use of the tabernacle
While reading that we further studied the tabernacle, comparing those verses to the Hebrews about how Christ is the fulfillment of the tabernacle.
Shopping List
From the reading we created a list of the elements we needed to make for our tabernacle model.
Then we went to Hobby Lobby where we walked around with our list, letting our wheels turn as we referenced our list of what we could possibly represent parts of the tabernacle.
Creating our model of the tabernacle
Once home my son took charge of managing the project. He and his sister did all the work.
Base of the project
The base is comprised of 2 styrofoam 12’x9″. Into one side we stuck popsicle sticks then mashed the other styrofoam piece into that to get one securely solid 12”x18”.
Then we pulled all our old craft paints of various shades of browns and whites to paint the styrofoam to look like the desert. (I love using up leftovers!)
This took forever because the styrofoam soaks up a lot of paint. We just let each layer dry and eventually it was enough.
I think we started with a dark brown and when we ran out of that we went to another shade and hodge podged it all over.
Being frugal in this way, using up my varying shades of brown, added imension. You can’t go wrong here. The idea is to simulate dirt.
Outer Walls
For the outer walls I used popsicle sticks and the cheapest white cotton fabric I could find. (recycling an old white sheet would be perfect)
We put the popsicle sticks perpendicularly into the styrofoam, spaced apart about the size needed for the outer wall just to keep the fabric taut.
I helped measure from the end of one opening to the other and cut that out of the white cotton lengthwise.
Then while the popsicle sticks remained in the styrofoam, I measured from the base to the top and that is how wide I cut the strip of fabric.
Then we took removed the two popsicle sticks at each end of the entrance, and glued them to each end of the fabric with Aleene’s Tacky Glue (hot gluesticks always burns and leaves a million stringy pieces).
Then we reinserted them into the styrofoam and made sure the white fabric fit all around the “fence posts” and was taut.
Holy Place
Now for the Holy Place. I helped cut cardboard down to a representative size, making a U shape. We painted that dark brown.
For the door to the Holy Place and the door on the fence, my daughter wove red and blue yarns on a child’s colonial loom I had purchased at Colonial Williamsburg in 2004.
We took our dimensions from what was left of the opening on the white fence and the U shaped walls for the Holy Place.
She also wove one for the curtain for the Holy of Holies. I looked high and low for the perfect fabric with angels, but couldn’t find any.
We had considered embroidering cherubim on the weaving, but ran out of time.
Furniture
My son used Sculpey clay to make all the furniture.
Sculpey clay is easy to work with, bake, and paint. My son looked at pictures and I helped him decide on the right size to make things fit. I also helped simplify the method of making certain elements.
Coverings
For the coverings over the Holy Place, I obtained representative pieces in Hobby Lobby’s fabric section and the general craft section (on the other side of the store) where there are cool 12×9(ish) pre-cut rectangles of felt, leathers, furs, etc.
For the first covering, a weaving of blue, purple, scarlet with cherubim…I think we skipped. We ran out of time to make it and I couldn’t find a facsimile anywhere.
The second covering was of Goat’s Hair, of which I found a neat representation in the craft section.
For the third covering of Ram Skins Dyed Red, again I found a neat representation in the craft section.
For the fourth covering, Badger Skins, we found a black type of alligator skin looking fabric in the fabric section. I asked for 1/4 of a yard I think, and I cut that down to size.
Final Product
This took a bit of time but the kids enjoyed the process and we learned the positions and purpose of each part, and how they relate to the Messiah, which was the point of the project. That will forever be in our minds.
Although I had studied the tabernacle in Bible studies, I could never remember anything until we did this. All educators know the value of hands-on activities. It was a memorable project!
