turning dollhouse furniture into the tabernacle...

How do you turn dollhouse furniture into mini-models replicating the O.T. tabernacle? I just finished teaching the second session of the pre-school Bible study. For the first week’s lesson, I created a mini-tabernacle made from cut up doll house furniture and other random items.

You are able to actually purchase a Tabernacle Model Kit for $49 plus shipping/handling. It looks nice. But I didn’t feel that would work, since I like to send the children home with items they are able to interact with and tell the story over and over again.
I had an idea of what shapes I am looking for. Have some thoughts on where I could find the various items. Like for the tabernacles articles. I thought it might be good to go to Michael’s and look for doll house furniture that could be taken apart and used in pieces.

Then I went shopping. Went to Michael’s, then Wal-Mart & World Market.
Michael’s I found several pieces of doll house furniture, mini-angels. Wal-Mart: wooden dowels, shapes & glue. Found the bowl for laver at World Market.

Next I cut up the furniture, took off the metal hardware, painted and then reassembled.

I found a really cool laminated brochure that I used.
For the lesson, I explained each item in the tabernacle, what it was used for and passed around the little models. I showed them where they went in the tabernacle, and what they were made of.

Outer Court (items made of bronze)
brazen alter
laver

Inner Court (items made of gold)
lampstand
alter of incense
table of shewbread (showbread)

Holiest of the Holies (cedar & gold)
Ark of the covenant.

Each week we sing our song “The More You Know the Bible”. This particular week we ended with the importance of praising and worshiping God. So we did just that.
We sang, danced and played instruments to:
“You’re Love Never Fails” (Jesus Culture)
“Praise Awaits You” (Matt Redman)
“Facedown” (Matt Redman)
The first and last songs are personal favorites of the children in the study.

So, there you have it.