I’m so excited to share the resources I’ve put together for the Young Women in Excellence theme “Diamond in the Rough”. This topic is near and dear to my heart, not only because I love Aladdin, but because of the role it played while I was in Young Women.
It started way back in January of 2014…
I’d just moved across the country from a ward I knew and loved, to a brand new one. I was almost 16 and pretty darn awkward, so I was pretty sure it was going to be rough. I still remember that first Sunday being stressed out of my mind that people were going to judge me or bully me, or altogether ignore me. But instead they welcomed me with open arms and I made so many dear friends.
Just a month or two later, we had our New Beginnings program, and it was fantastic. The theme: diamond in the rough. Our leaders used a lot of the resources created by the amazing Courtney Aitken for her New Beginnings. It was an amazing chance to reinforce the purpose of the Young Women program: to help us achieve our potential and recognize our worth.
2019 is the last year we get to enjoy the Young Women program as it is now. So I was reflecting on the most important lessons I learned participating in Young Women activities.
I realized the most important lesson I learned was this:
As daughters of God, we have limitless potential. We came to earth as ordinary, weak, simple people. But we aren’t going to leave that way. When we learn who we are as children of Deity, we’re motivated live the gospel and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. As we do that, we can become extraordinary, powerful individuals.
And I feel like the Young Women in Excellence theme “Diamond in the Rough.” really encompasses all of that. Aladdin was one of my favorite movie while growing up! And looking back, I think it’s because the idea of transformation was fascinating, of turning from someone simple into someone extraordinary — of being a diamond in the rough.
Every single young woman has an infinite capacity to change the world and become like our Heavenly Parents. Just as diamonds start out as raw carbon, they are refined as they’re subjected to the pressure of their environment. Ultimately, they end up being one of the most beautiful and powerful substances we have.
I could go on and on about how much I love this theme and the gospel lessons to take away, but I’ll go ahead and share a few of the designs I put together to help you plan an amazing program!
Without further ado, here are the designs I’ve created
The first thing you need for an amazing program is an awesome invitation. I’ve created a simple invitation that I feel really captures the mood. It has that almost-Tiffany blue diamond, with complementary colors that evoke a little Aladdin feel without going overboard.
You can find the EDITABLE INVITATION file on my Etsy store!
And if you decide to go the Aladdin route with your theme (just think of the gorgeous decorations!) I created several posters that coordinate, each with a quote from the film. These would be great as framed decorations on tables, or posted on the wall. You can also find those in my Etsy store!
And if gospel quotes are your thing (hopefully they are) I found some pretty incredible quotes that just drive home the Young Women in Excellence theme “Diamond in the Rough.” like nothing else could. These are available for FREE! You can either download the images directly from this post, or find them in this bundle along with the other free resources I have.
I put together a large 16×20 poster that has the theme nice and big. This could work as a great centerpiece or background decoration — it’s totally up to you. This is also FREE in the bundle.
Finally in the bundle we have cute circles you can use for just about anything. These 1-inch diamond circles are great for stickers! They can be seals on envelopes, adhesives for attaching a quote card to a gift or treat. Even a topper/label for something like a lip balm container. Or you could use them as toppers for cupcakes and other treats, or even make button pins if you’re daring! (Actually they’re really easy!) These are in the FREE bundle, too!
Share these printables and other ideas on Pinterest!
So now my question is:
