Making Chasubles and Stands for Your Atrium
An Atrium is a place where young children learn to fall in love with God. My Montessori classroom is sort of part Atrium, in the sense that many of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd materials are here and I occasionally present a lesson from my Level 1 training (for 3- to 6-year-olds).
Ever since this post, I've had a couple of requests for more info on the chasubles. Before I explain how we did it, please know that SURELY there must be easier, more rational ways to go about this process! I was too cheap to buy the new Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Manual, so "real" directions may even be in there? My dimensions were based on seat-of-the-pants reasoning! A friend made the chasubles and matching altar cloths (in purple, green, red and white satin) 5 years ago, so the dimensions for the stands (made just last summer) were based on their dimensions.
The Stands
Materials
Wooden rods bought at a hobby store (I think 1/2 inch square in profile)
Wood for the base (we just used scraps)
Glue
Small Nails
(and if you decide to store them on a tray) Wooden tray from a hobby store
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| The "arms" of the stand are not equal in length. One is about 5 inches long and the other is slightly shorter. They are glued to each other. |
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| Close-up of the tippy-top. The "stem" or trunk of the stand is tapered like an arrow. The arms are fastened to the trunk with a single nail from above. |
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| This is a little over a foot tall. It should be tall enough for your chasuble to clear the base. |
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| The bottom of the trunk was whittled, just enough to insert into a hole in the base. It is rotated so that the arms sit at a 45 degree angle to the base, allowing all of the stands to fit into the tray at once (see first photo at top). A nail from underneath and some glue holds everything in place. |
The Chasubles
Materials
Pretty Gold Ribbon/Trim
Matching Thread
**Note: If you are planning to make matching altar cloths, buy enough material for that, too!
A mom whose daughter was in my school made these for me. Originally I asked for chasubles just the right size to hang on a little handtowel holder (that's a make-do alternative to a real chasuble stand). These are not meant to be worn by children or dolls!
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| In this view of the underside you can see the tiny underturned edge and the stitches where the gold cross was made. |
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| Each square is equal to one inch. |
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| Here's the altar with the cloth for this season. It's just a simple hemmed rectangle (measure to fit your altar). I have one in each color, and when we change for a new season it's a great excuse for a procession! |
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