Love Like Jesus Wood Block Craft for Teen Girls| Chicks Ministry
Easy Craft for Teen Girls
Reminds girls how Jesus calls us to love others
What would happen if girls learned to measure love by the way Jesus loves?
Not by popularity. Not by whether someone deserves it. Not by whether someone is easy to get along with. And not just when loving someone is convenient.
Jesus gave us a different example.
He loved people with compassion, patience, grace and truth. He noticed people others overlooked. He forgave. He served. And He taught His followers to love others in the same way.
That's the inspiration behind this Love Like Jesus Craft.
It's an easy activity for a girls' Bible study, youth group, retreat or mentoring group, and when the girls are finished, they'll have something cute for their rooms that also reminds them how Jesus calls them to live.
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34
What You'll Need
For a group of approximately 40 girls, plan to have:
40–45 precut unfinished wood blocks, approximately 3½" × 2½" × ¾"
Acrylic craft paint in assorted colors
Small and medium craft paintbrushes
Black or navy acrylic paint markers
Pencils and erasers
Paper plates or paint palettes
Cups of water
Paper towels or baby wipes
Vinyl or disposable table coverings
Optional fine-grit sandpaper
Our Chicks Ministry Colors
You can use any colors you like, but for our Chicks version we're using a combination of cream, dusty pink, blush, navy and touches of warm gold.
Give girls some freedom with their color combinations. Part of the fun is seeing how different all the blocks look when they're finished.
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Leader Tip: You don't need 40 bottles of paint. Put several colors in the middle of each table and let the girls share.
How to Make a Love Like Jesus Craft
Step 1: Start With Your Wood Block
Give each girl one unfinished wood block.
The blocks should be thick enough to stand on their own so the girls can put them on a dresser, nightstand, desk or bookshelf when they get home.
If necessary, lightly sand any rough spots before beginning.
And before everyone starts, remind the girls of one important rule:
Your block doesn't have to look exactly like the example.
We want them to create.
Step 2: Paint the Background
Choose a background color and paint the front of the block.
Cream, blush and dusty pink work beautifully with this design.
You don't have to paint all the way to the edges. Leaving some natural wood visible gives the finished project a relaxed, hand-painted look. Keep the paint fairly thin so it dries quickly.
Leader Tip
This is the perfect time to begin your Bible lesson or group discussion.
Let the blocks dry while you talk about what it means to love like Jesus.
Step 3: Sketch Your Heart
Once the background is dry, lightly sketch a large heart on one side of the block.
Leave room on the other side for the words: Love Like Jesus
Don't worry about making the heart perfectly symmetrical. This project looks better when it feels hand-drawn and creative.
Step 4: Paint the Heart
Instead of painting the heart one solid color, fill it with loose strokes of several colors.
Try: Dusty pink + blush + cream + navy + gold
or let the girls create their own combination.
Layer colors over one another. Let some brushstrokes show. Add little streaks of unexpected color.
There's no need to make the heart perfect.
The different colors and brushstrokes are what make each girl's project unique.
Step 5: Add the Outline
Once the paint is mostly dry, use a black or navy acrylic paint marker to loosely outline the heart. Add a few little lines, dots, dashes or brush marks around it.
A touch of warm gold can also make the design feel special.
Don't add too much.
The goal is creative and expressive, but still simple.
Step 6: Add “Love Like Jesus”
On the open side of the block, write: Love Like Jesus
Use a black or navy acrylic paint marker.
Girls who are comfortable lettering can write directly onto their blocks. Others can lightly sketch the words in pencil first and then trace over them.
You can also provide scrap paper so everyone can practice before writing on the wood.
Handwritten lettering doesn't need to be perfect. That's part of the charm.
Step 7: Make It Your Own
Now let each girl add a few finishing details.
She might add a tiny heart, some dots, gold brushstrokes or her initials on the back.
On the back of the blocks, you could also have girls write:
That gives the words Love Like Jesus an even deeper meaning when they see the project later.
Step 8: Let It Dry
Place the finished blocks somewhere safe and let them dry completely.
Once they're dry, they're ready to go home.
Since these are indoor decorative pieces, you can skip the sealer and keep the project simple.
More Than a Craft: What Does It Mean to Love Like Jesus?
While the paint is drying, turn the craft into a conversation.
Ask the girls:
What does it actually look like to love someone like Jesus would?
You'll probably hear answers like being kind, forgiving people, including someone who's left out or helping someone who is hurting.
Those are great answers.
But then take the conversation one step further.
Is it harder to love someone who hasn't been kind to you?
That's where this lesson becomes real.
Jesus didn't say:
Love people when they're nice to you.
He said:
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34
Our example isn't other people.
Our example is Jesus.
Loving like Jesus might mean noticing the girl sitting alone.
It might mean refusing to join in when everyone else is talking badly about someone.
It might mean forgiving a friend while still having healthy boundaries.
It might mean telling the truth with kindness.
It might mean helping someone who can't do anything for you in return.
And sometimes it simply means asking: How would Jesus want me to treat this person right now?
Give Them a Challenge
Before the girls leave, challenge them to put their block somewhere they'll see it regularly.
Then tell them:
“When you see these words this week, don't just think about whether other people are loving you well. Ask yourself a different question: Am I loving people like Jesus?”
That's a very different way to look at the words on that little block.
It becomes more than room décor.
It becomes a reminder of the kind of girl she's becoming.
Love like Jesus.
At school.
At home.
With your friends.
Online.
When it's easy.
And when it isn't.
Because Jesus didn't just tell us to love.
He showed us how.
Chicks Ministry
Helping teen girls discover the life God created them for.
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