Tree of Life

Shared by Heidi Schuh – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Muskego, WI

This past Good Friday, we created something simple yet deeply meaningful for our church service—an 8’x8′ “Tree of Life” paired with a Crown of Thorns. It was a last-minute idea that came together with a lot of hustle, heart, and just a few basic materials. I wanted to share how it came together in case it inspires someone else who’s working with a small budget and a big vision.

We made the tree using two 4×8 sheets of black Coroplast—corrugated plastic board—from Home Depot. I designed the tree pattern on the computer, making sure to keep a more solid piece in the middle so that we could tape it together without the seams showing. Then we printed the design in sections on 11×17 paper, taped it onto the Coroplast sheets, and cut everything out by hand using utility knives.

The Crown of Thorns was actually something we had made several years ago. This time, we just added more Coroplast to give it extra height and presence. We spray painted all the pieces black using six cans of Krylon Fusion All-in-One paint (about $7 a can). Once everything was dry, we zip-tied the pieces to poles and lit the scene from behind using our church’s red lighting—it created a dramatic and powerful effect that really set the tone for reflection.

We didn’t take many production photos (it all happened so fast!), but the result was something I’ll never forget. The whole project cost us about $70 for the materials, and it made a huge visual impact during our Good Friday service.

What struck me the most was how God took our last-minute scramble and turned it into something sacred. Sometimes the most meaningful moments aren’t planned months in advance—they come from listening, responding, and creating with what you have.

If you’re ever wondering whether a creative idea is worth pursuing—even if it seems small or rushed—I’d say go for it. You never know how God might use it.