All four Gospels record miraculous accounts of the multiplication of fish and loaves in feeding a multitude of disciples. This reminds us that God will always provide when we are near to Him and doing His will.
In the same vein, I used a traditional Jewish Challah bread because not only is it beautiful, but also very symbolic. The Challah is bread made from dough that has been divided. Challah is usually eaten on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays.
It is a reminder of the double portion of manna given to the Jews in the desert those forty years. (Again, God's provision in time of need.) There are six braids and usually served in two loaves to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Mt 6:26)
What You Need
- Mod Podge or Glue
- Medium size bowl
- Twist and Shape Balloons
- Bike/Ball Pump
- Newspaper
- Brown Paper Bag (thin weight)
- Tissue Paper
- Paint Brush
- White and Black Paint
- Utility or Xacto Knife
I will begin by saying that I am no balloon expert and have actually never made a balloon animal in my life. With that said, here is what I came up with for a fish. Blow up balloon with pump. Twist to create fish's head and then again at the end for its tail.
Prepare the paper mache by mixing one part Mod Podge or Glue with one part water in a bowl. Rip up newspaper in strips. Dip each strip of newspaper into the glue mixture.
Then lift the strip out of the mixture above your bowl and run your fingers down the strip so that the strip is saturated and excess glue is pushed off.
Cover the balloon fish with several layers of newspaper. This works best outside on a sunny day so that the glue dries quickly as you layer and hardens your structure.
When the newspaper has dried, add a layer of tissue paper. I chose to use silver tissue paper to cover my fish, but you can be creative and use whatever matches your kitchen.
Using green and blue tissue paper, I added fins and a tail to my fish by dipping them in the glue mixture and attaching them. I then cut fringes on the outside edges.
Using the white and black paint, I painted an eye and three lines under the eye for gills, as well as a mouth.
The Challah bread was a real challenge. I used this recipe for braiding actual Challah bread. Inflate six balloons exactly the same size, leaving at least an inch at the end to tie them together. Tie all six balloons together at one end. Follow the recipe for braiding and then tie together at the bottom.
Again, cover the Challah bread balloon structure with the newspaper strips saturated with glue. Be sure to push the paper down into the cracks so that the bread really looks like it is braided.
After the newspaper has dried, add another layer of the brown paper bag strips. The bag you use cannot be thick, as you will have a very hard time getting the strips to stick. The thinner the better (even brown tissue paper.)
With a utility or xacto knife cut the bread three quarters of the way down, on an angle. This is so it sticks out of the basket on either side and appears to be two loaves.
Arrange the loaves and fish in your basket and display!
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