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Mary Anoints Jesus Craft for Kids

An easy Mary anoints Jesus craft for kids in three levels. Fill a paper house with sweet-smelling swirls, for "the house was filled with the odour" (John 12:3).

Preschool–Grade 5

Mary Anoints Jesus Craft for Kids
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Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages
Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5)
Time
15 to 30 minutes
Scripture
John 12:1–8
Bible story
Mary Anoints Jesus

What you need

  • The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers in light blue, yellow, light brown, dark brown, green and light purple, plus crayons to draw Mary
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • Ground cinnamon, about a pinch per child, in a small cup
  • The printed doors page (page 3), one per child (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color the card: the sky light blue, the sun yellow, the house light brown, the roof, the door and the little window dark brown, and the ground green.Color the card: the sky light blue, the sun yellow, the house light brown, the roof, the door and the little window dark brown, and the ground green.
  2. Color the window frame yellow and the three odour swirls light purple.
  3. In the window, draw Mary kneeling, with her long hair and a long dress.
  4. Cut out the card, the window, the three swirls and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  5. Glue the window on the dotted oval. Glue the round end of each swirl on a dotted circle.
  6. Rub the glue stick along the curly line of each swirl. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on it and shake off the extra. Now the house smells sweet!
  7. Turn the card over. Glue the verse strip on the back and read it together.
  8. Tell it: point to Mary and say, "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus." Then smell the swirls and say, "the house was filled with the odour of the ointment" (John 12:3).Tell it: point to Mary and say, "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus." Then smell the swirls and say, "the house was filled with the odour of the ointment" (John 12:3).

This Mary anoints Jesus craft turns one printed page into the house in Bethany that smelled sweet. Six days before the passover, "took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment" (John 12:3). Kids color the house, draw Mary in the window, and glue on swirls sprinkled with cinnamon, so their house really smells sweet. It comes in three levels, with the template and teacher notes in one free PDF.

The finished craft, easy and medium level

The finished craft, harder level

What it looks like finished: easy and medium (first photo) and harder (second photo).

Why this craft works

  • Cheap and simple: one printed page, glue, crayons, scissors and a pinch of cinnamon.
  • Kids can smell the story: the cinnamon swirls fill their paper house with a sweet smell, just as "the house was filled with the odour of the ointment" (John 12:3).
  • It follows the Bible closely: John 12 names only "a pound of ointment," so the craft shows no box or jar, and Mary is drawn kneeling, with long hair, as she wiped His feet with her hair (12:3).
  • It points to Jesus: Mary gave her best to Jesus, and He said she kept it "against the day of my burying" (John 12:7), a few days before He died and rose again.
  • It carries the verse home: John 12:3 (KJV) is glued on the back of the card.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces. Kids color, draw Mary, glue the window and the swirls on the card and sprinkle the cinnamon. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, draw, cut out and glue the pieces themselves.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids also cut out two doors from page 3 and glue them beside Mary's window, so they open and close.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask where Mary lived (John 11:1), when Jesus came (12:1), who served and who sat at the table (12:2), what Mary gave and what she did with it (12:3), what filled the house (12:3), who complained (12:4–5) and what Jesus said (12:7). Then read John 12:3 together.

Tips for the classroom

Cardstock keeps the card stiff. Ask about allergies before using the cinnamon, and shake off the extra over a paper plate. For preschoolers, cut out the pieces ahead of time. When kids draw Mary, show her kneeling, with long hair and a long dress.

Teaching the story first? Use the free Mary anoints Jesus lesson and the word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Mary anoints Jesus craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's card, window, swirls and verse strip ahead of time. Preschoolers color the house, draw Mary in the window, glue the pieces on, and sprinkle cinnamon on the swirls so the house smells sweet. Glue the verse on the back for them. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Mary anoints Jesus craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page, a little glue, a pinch of ground cinnamon and crayons you already have. The template is free to print. The harder level adds a second page.

What Bible verse goes with this craft?

John 12:3 (KJV): "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." It is printed on the verse strip that goes on the back of the card.

How can older kids make this craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids also cut out two doors from page 3, fold their tabs and glue them beside Mary's window, so the doors close over the window and open to show Mary inside.

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