Activity Two June 2008

June 30 marks the feast of the First Martyrs of Rome. Both Saint Peter and Saint Paul died in Rome as the Emperor Nero blamed Christians for a huge fire that devastated the city. One tradition says that Nero himself was the cause of the blaze. Use Ann Ball’s “Milk Beads” from her Catholic Traditions in the Home and Classroom, pp. 161-162.

Options: Instruct students to write prayers to these holy martyrs, specifically mentioning St. Paul. Pray each day you are together, invoking St. Paul and asking his intercession for those in the church who suffer because of their faith. Send the beads home and ask families to create a family prayer with the beads. Have students share with the class what each did with his/her family.

Milk Beads

You will need:

12-15 toothpicks
string
colored ads from a newspaper
darning needle
small amount of milk
scissors
pie plate or deep dish
waxed paper
used block of floral foam or Styrofoam
clear acrylic spray
glass, ceramic, plastic or wood beads
thin nylon cord or heavy thread

Milk Beads Cut long, thin triangles of paper from the colored ads in a newspaper. Each triangle should be about 6" long and 1" at the base. Lay the strips in a pie plate or deep plate. Pour just enough milk to cover the strips. Allow them to soak in the milk for a few minutes. Cover your work area with waxed paper for protection.

Place the widest portion of a triangle in the middle of a toothpick and wind the paper around the toothpick tightly. Try to keep your winding steady so that the point of the triangle winds up in the middle of your bead. Press your thumb and forefinger against your bead to squeeze out any excess milk. Set the rolled bead aside on a piece of waxed paper to dry. Continue making beads until all your triangles are used.

When your beads have dried for at least a couple of hours, carefully remove them from the toothpick by holding the bead between your thumb and forefinger and turning the toothpick in the same direction you rolled the bead to loosen and remove it. Lay the beads back on the waxed paper and allow them to dry overnight. If the tips of the triangles tend to come slightly unstuck, use a q-tip moistened with milk to dampen them and press them back down with your fingers.

When the beads are thoroughly dry, slip a toothpick back a little way into each one and stick the picks into a piece of used florist foam or piece of Styrofoam. Spray the beads with several coats of clear acrylic spray.

Use a darning needle and heavy thread or thin cord to string the beads, alternating your milk beads with a glass, wood or plastic bead of your choice. When the string is long enough to slip over your head easily, tie the ends. If you used a nylon cord, remember to have an adult burn the ends so they will not fray.