creative jewish mom

Recycle Styrofoam Trays and Make Artful Prints

One of the most satisfying craft endeavors is to take something that would have gone into the garbage and use it to create something beautiful! This gives me a great excuse to behave like a pack-rat, and my kitchen cabinets are filled with empty containers waiting to assume new roles. With the help of this blog I feel quite confident that I'll finally have  incentive to put to use my stash of jars, cans, boxes and cartons!

This is the very first installment of many craft projects to come using recycled materials. I hope you will join me on this exciting journey. And maybe find an out of the way place in your home to start collecting all the supplies we are going to need: food boxes, medicine boxes, cereal boxes, tea boxes (all boxes can be stored flat), cardboard tubes from aluminium foil and toilet paper, cans with lids, interesting glass bottles and jars, wine corks, plastic spice bottles, milk cartons- small and large, large round bleach bottles and detergent type bottles, and anything else that looks like it might have some purpose!

Printing With Recycled Styrofoam Trays:
This is a wonderful project for all ages, and a good way to teach children that perfection in art is not always the goal. The imperfectness of these prints is what gives them their charm! The basic idea is to use pieces of styrofoam as printing blocks. The image is drawn onto the styrofoam, the styrofoam is painted,
pressed down on to a sheet of paper, and voila! you've made a print.

You'll Need:

• Styrofoam trays, or any other source of hard styrofoam, such as cups, or the containers holding those delicious ice cream mini bars (here I gave you a good excuse to buy some, don't you love this blog?)
• Acrylic Paint, or any paint that is stiff — if you can shake the bottle it's too runny!
• Paper: nice cardstock for you to make beautiful cards, something simpler for the kids, can be white or colored
• Scissors and ball-point pens

How To:

1. Cut off sides of trays to obtain a flat piece of styrofoam, cut cups in half and cut off bottoms
2. Draw a design or picture onto the styrofoam piece using a ball-point pen, and applying pressure so that  your drawing causes an imprint in the foam. Alternatively, cut shapes from the styrofoam and use those for printing (top image in this post was done that way)
3. Paint a thin coat of not-runny paint to your styrofoam piece, carefully place on paper, press down with your fingers, gently lift from paper to see your print. It takes a bit of practice  to get the  right combination of amount of paint and how much pressure to apply, but don't get discouraged the results are worth it! Note:If you are using pieces of styrofoam cup that aren't totally flat, print using a rocking motion.

Draw on pieces of styrofoam using a ball-point pen

Apply paint to your pieces and print! The 5 1/2 year old on the  right was able to make multiple prints with no assistance from mom. You will need to apply a new coat of paint for each print.

Printing with styrofoam is a simple way to introduce the concept of printing to your children. There are so many ways to use this technique: cards, gift tags, wrapping paper, stationary, envelopes etc. You can even write a message and print it, just remember to write backwards!

Oh, and one more thing, any project with paint generally involves some mess, so be prepared and when you are cleaning up after those too tiny to do it themselves, just remember you're investing in their future as creative beings! What a great mom you are!

Mess is part of the fun for little ones. The foam pieces you've created are themselves a work of art and can be saved for future use.

Did you and your kids enjoy printing? Me too! I'll be posting some more printing projects over the next few weeks, so stay in touch. And by the way, is any one out there? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Revive Your Surfaces With Stenciling!

A vintage metal cabinet gets a new look with a coat of paint and a stencil.

The world of stenciling is vast, and there are so many ways to use this decorative technique that it could indeed boggle the mind. But in fact is stenciling is a relatively easy and simple way to add some decorative detail to a plain wall or a piece of furniture that has seen better days. Once you get the hang of it and have the proper knowledge, your results will be near perfect and you'll want to stencil your whole world!

A wood and metal cocktail table gets a fresh look with a coat of paint and stenciling.

In my humble opinion, the best way to make sure you'll like the results is to steer clear of too much color or too much contrast. For your first project try stenciling creme on a white wall, or white on a pale blue wall.
Darker colors tend to show the imperfections too much and can be too eye-catching, making the existing decor suddenly seem totally out of place. Your goal should be to create something subtle yet beautiful, that you'll enjoy for years to come.

A doorway is the perfect place for a subtle stencil application

While there are many stencils on the market from simple to complex, if you're feeling really adventurous you can design and cut your own stencil with stencil plastic (available through stencil supply companies)
and an x-acto knife. Before you jump into stenciling on a permanent surface, practice your techniques on paper or cardboard— you can make wrapping paper, greeting cards and gift boxes while you hone your skills.

A simple wooden box, painted and stenciled, becomes an elegant way to offer guests a selection of teas.

Tips For Stenciling Perfection:

• To apply paint use either a stenciling brush or a dense sponge, like a makeup sponge
• Make sure paint is on the sticky side, not watery, or it will run!
• Dab the paint lightly in a repetitive motion over the stencil
• You can purchase spray stencil adhesive which will temporarily hold the stencil on the wall, great for large stencils
• Stenciling is relatively easy once you know the tricks so be patient and practice, it's worth it!

Summer Crafts with Yarn and Sticks

Like this? You and your kids can have a great time creating these earthy decorations with just a few supplies. Take a walk to the park, or if you're lucky the local forest....(if you live in the city take a walk to the crafts store to buy popsicle sticks or wooden dowels) and collect dry sticks of all sizes. The only other supply you'll need is yarn, chunky works up quickest, fine will produce more delicate results. You can mix them up together, there are really no steadfast rules here! If you want to create something that looks American Indianish, so add some feathers to the ends of the sticks and string beads on some of the yarn as you go around or make beaded tassels to hang from the ends of each stick. One could also make the rounds of yarn far apart and use the resulting structure as a loom for weaving in pieces of found nature, bits of string.....

This craft is my interpretation of a traditional Mexican-Indian folk art that uses two sticks, but I've added a third stick, and lucky for me, the results are even more stunning than the original version I did in camp as a girl.

HOW-TO:

You'll Need:

• Several colors of chunky yarn (any yarn will work well, but will take much longer)
• Three straight sticks per project (one can also use dowels, popsicle sticks, skewers, or even toothpicks or Q-Tips with with embroidery thread to create miniatures)

Instructions:

1. Cross two sticks in an X. Tie the first color around the two sticks and tie a knot. Start wrapping the yarn diagonally in an X around the center where the two sticks cross, several times.
2. Add the third stick either on top or behind the existing two, and continue wrapping yarn in a diagonal fashion over the center to form a stable base. To make a neat center, wrap in the same direction a few times to cover the previous rounds.
3. Now you are ready to begin the actual wrapping pattern. Hold the sticks where they cross with one hand, and with the other hand loop the yarn around the first stick once.
4. Working in whichever direction feels comfortable, wrap the yarn around the next stick, going over the top of the stick. Continue around looping yarn over each consecutive stick, and once you get the hang of it, the work becomes rythmic. Push rows of yarn together where necessary.
5. To change colors, tie off with a knot on any stick and tie on a new color on that same stick.
6. Keep working until you are satisfied with the results and tie off. 
7. Remaining portion of each stick can be covered by simply wrapping with yarn (see top photo) Tie off with a knot  or securing the end with glue to prevent unraveling.
8. Decorative bumps (see top photo) can be made by simply wrapping the yarn repeated times in one place.
9. Depth can be created (see bottom photo) by doing a few rows wherein you wrap the yarn under each stick rather than over.

Have a great time creating some new works of art, hang them in the trees, on your wall or even save them for succah decorations! Let me know how it goes!

Taking Time To Enjoy!

A mom and her children (tiny specks on the shore) take a break while they sketch the gorgeous view.

One of the really great things about starting this blog is that I have re-established communication with a few dear friends from the past. Marcia, who is now living in Arizona with her family, sent me this breathe-taking photo of Glacier National Park. When she told me that the specks on the shore were her and her children sketching the view I just had to say WOW! 

Marcia told me that she always takes along a sketchbook and drawing materials! This is such a simple thing to do, yet so admirable..... I've always dreamed of creating beautiful water color sketches, and have recently been telling my daughter that when she's a little older we're going to start taking walks to find beautiful vistas to sketch. I can't wait!

So here's a nice idea for the summer:
Buy sketchbooks for your kids and get them interested in drawing what they see — wherever you happen to be. Encourage them to use the sketchbook as a journal, combining the written word with a collage of printed material, photos, and anything they find interesting. Pursuits such as these make wonderful memories and help children develop invaluable drawing and sketching skills.

Do you have a creative activity that you love doing for yourself or with your children? Tell me about it!

Fill Your Container Garden With Plants That Climb!

When these pink climbing roses are in bloom just stepping outside for a moment  is such a pleasure. 

I have always loved plants that climb — vines with gorgeous blooms that wind around bannisters, roses that climb and gracefully fall over garden arches, a bouganvillea spreading its vibrant flowers across an old stone wall, morning glories that have taken over a shady hillside, the list could go on and on. There is something about their carefree rampant beauty that makes climbing plants a favorite in my book.

The most stunning examples of vines and climbing bushes are usually seen in gardens with actual earth, but containers, as long as they are large enough and tended to can support fairly large plants. It's definately worth a try!

Above Left: Bower's Vine (pandorea)  Above Right: A young Japanese Honeysuckle

I have tried to incorporate climbing plants into my container garden as a way of covering walls and providing more areas of green than one could with bushes or trees. Watching them grow is truly exciting!

Above: Bouganvillea Blooms

The advantage to planting in containers is that if a plant is not thriving, you can easily change it's location. I have three pots that didn't bloom as well as expected last year, so I moved them to a sunnier location, and now the flowers are coming in droves!

Above: My young hedenbergia vine and the vine that inspired my purchase This photo was taken in the winter, when the vine blooms! A wonderful sight during a time usually void of flowers.

Above Left: Plumbago climbing bush  Above Right: Stephanoitis bears very fragrant clusters of white flowers, often used in wedding bouquets.

Now that I've given you glimpse of the climbing plants you'll find in my container garden this year, why not give it a try? Depending on where you live, there are still a good three months of growing season left, and there are so many gorgeous options to choose from. Think about areas around your house or apartment that, with some patience, could really come to life with the addition of some climbing greenery.

Good luck, and if you need any advice on which plants to choose, drop me a line! 

Summer Crafts For Kids: Rock Painting!

A number of moms have requested ideas for hot-summer-afternoon craft projects, so here's another idea I think might go over really well with the little ones, and is interesting enough to capture the attention of a child of any age. And while you're at it Mom, sit down and do some creating yourself. This makes the project even that much more enjoyable for your kids. "Look what Mommy did!"

I recommend making  this into a two part project:

Day 1: When the weather cools down, venture outside for an evening walk to collect rocks.  Wash the rocks outside if possible and check for bugs and other critters before bringing them into the house.

Day 2:  Cover a table with plastic, cover your kids with smocks or garbage bags, give everyone a paint brush, squirt some paint onto plastic plates, or old plastic bowls that you re-use  for this purpose, and start painting. You can also glue various scraps of paper or felt to the rocks, or use glitter glue to give them sparkle. If you want to preserve the kid's creations for use out in the garden or even as a fun art  piece next to the front door, you may want to spray or paint on a coat of acrylic varnish (either matte or shiny depending on your preference.)

If you find particularly smooth rocks, permanent markers can be used as well to outline shapes, write messages or make artful sketches. A fine-lined permanent marker could help you create some really interesting pieces, and if you have some black rocks, think about using a metallic marker!

Here's a few examples of what Mom did:

I found that sticking to basic shapes and colors is do-able for most of us and looks great!

Rock painting is also a great crafts activity to do at a barbeque or outdoor day camp setting,  just make sure you'll have access to water for clean up - the brushes and the kids!  Enjoy and let me know how it went!

Silhouette Portraits: A DIY Project To Start Today!

Before there was such a thing in the world as cameras, portraits were either painted, or for the more common folk, done using the silhouette method. At that time the subject generally stood in front of a light source and the shadow that was projected onto the wall was traced. This would still be a fun project for kids to do on their own, but you can get much quicker and more beautiful results using some modern technology: the camera and the computer (if you so desire). Using the computer, you can play around with a combination of pattern and color and easily (really!) come up with something like the image above.

Step 1:
Take photographs of your family from the side. Have each person stand against a blank wall, and take a few photos of each person with smiling and serious, chin down etc. The quality of the photograph isn't important, just that there will be contrast between the subject and the background.

Step 2: Without A Computer
If you are computer savy, even just a little bit, then it's the easiest to continue this project on the computer. If you would rather not work on the computer, make enlarged matte prints of your photos, say around 5"x7". There are two ways to do this byhand:

Method 1. Using good quality black (or white) acrylic or gouche paint, paint over the silhouette of your subject directly on to the photograph. After paint has dried, cut silhouette out of it's background, mount on white paper (or the color or pattern of your choice) and frame in a simple black frame. This could be a challenge depending on your painting skills and doesn't leave much room for adjusting the image.

Method 2. For the second method you will need heavy black (or white) artist's paper and tracing paper. Trace the silhouette by laying tracing paper over photo, and practice until you come up with a version that you like. Turn the traced image over and mount to artist's paper right side down (the tracing paper will then be on the back of the silhouette) using a glue stick or any adhesive. Carefully cut out your silhouette, and affix it to the background of your choice, whether it be patterned scrapbooking paper or something very simple and beautiful.

   With scrapbooking paper and cut-by-hand silhouettes you can achieve something like these.

Step 2: Using A Computer
Using a program like Photoshop or any program that will allow you to draw in black on top of a photo, outline the photograph (I  like to use the lasso tool, but you can also use the pen tool if you are familiar with it) and fill in your outline with black. If the portrait looks funny so just play sculptress and make some revisions to head shape, nose size, protruding lips etc. The person should look like themselves, but we want to make sure these portraits boost self esteem, not the opposite!

   Here is how my portraits looked after creating the silhouette over the original photo.

Step 3: Using A Computer
Take the black silhouette you've created into a new document and start playing around with color, frames of all kinds, or grouping silhouettes together.There are so many options! Black and white or black and creme are the most classic and look stunning when hung together as a collection or quaint when hung individually. Though something with a bit more color may be more suited to your style.

Have fun experimenting, but the main thing is to get these creations out of your computer and up on a wall. Print your artwork on high quality matte photo paper and frame! Or even print them out on regular paper to enjoy immediately. Pat yourself on the back, you've now successfully created more sweet memories for your family to enjoy!

Moroccan Yellow Chicken: Simple and Delicious

Who wants to spend hours in the kitchen when there are so many other ways to spend your precious time? Well, this may not go over well but I'll admit, I DO!  The many hours in the kitchen on Thursday and Friday preparing food for Shabbos is my way of honoring Shabbos,  and our guests and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

On Friday night, by the time we get to the main course having already eaten a wide variety of salads and fish, challah,whole wheat pitas, well, no one has much room left. So I try to keep the main course simple yet delicious!

Cooking chicken on the stovetop is a foolproof way to insure that your meat will be juicy, and it's pretty hard to overcook this way as long as the flame is kept on very low. The only disadvantage I can think of is that it's possible to bake much larger quantities, with a large shallow pot I can fit 2 chickens but not much more.
  Step 1: Slice garlic and place in the bottom of shallow pot.

Step 2: Place washed chicken pieces in the pot right side up. Either pour a mixture of about 2  tblsp. turmeric and 1/2 cup oil (olive or canola) over the chicken, or for a healthier though less authentic version, rub turmeric over the skins, using a touch of oil if necessary. DO NOT ADD WATER! With the top on the pot cook on a very very low flame for about 1 1/2 hours or until chicken looks nicely cooked. Baste with juices from the pot when possible. Note: Kosher chickens are very salty, and with this cooking method the chicken basically cooks in its own sauce, so do not add salt as it might already be on the salty side!

Step 3: Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly, now is the time to add the vegetable portion of the dish. Here I used sliced (and checked) fennel, but you can also use peas, peas and mushrooms, just mushrooms, or zucchini. Place the vegetables on top of the chicken, add a small amount of water to the pot (about 1/4") and bring to a boil. Turn down flame to low and cook until vegetables are tender but not overcooked!

My Moroccan neighbor in Jerusalem used to add a few yellow raisins to the pot for what she called a finger licking delicious result, and I like to add some parsley at the end to make the dish more appealing.

For authentic Moroccan cooking this chicken would be served together with white or yellow rice, but you can feel free to break from tradition and serve it with mashed potatoes, couscous, or even pasta! For serving family style, place the chicken pieces in the center of a platter and spoon vegetables around the perimeter of the platter.

The leftover chicken makes great sandwiches, don't worry if the guests are too full by the time the main course is served!

Creating With Beans: Bean Mosaics!

Here's a great craft idea for the whole family using supplies you most likely have on hand — beans! Popcorn, split peas and anything else like hard grains or seeds also come in handy to create works of art with a variety of color and texture. All you need is a surface for your design, some white glue and a little patience. Children can make bean mosaics on paper or plastic plates. Just keep in mind, beans are somewhat heavy so you may need to glue a few plates together to make a stable base.

If you want to create a bean masterpiece I would recommend starting out with a plan, namely coming up with an idea and then sketching it onto your base as a guideline. When I created the bean mosaic above, on a scrap of wood, I first drew perfect circles on the base as a guideline. Draw lightly and with a pencil so your guildlines won't be noticable after the beans are in place!

The heart mosaic was created on a small base that was formerly the board for an anagram puzzle, so before you toss old toy parts think of how they could be re-used for a craft project!

You can also use beans to create sophisticated, textural artwork — try covering a simple wooden picture frame with beans in one color, with possibly a contrasting border. A beautiful (though time consuming!) project is to completely cover foam balls with beans and set them in a decorative or glass bowl as a centerpiece.

With small children you can use beans as one element in a collage on heavy paper activity, or encourage them to use beans as 3-dimensional accents on their drawings — beans for eyes, for buttons, as rocks.
Take a fine permanent marker and white beans and draw faces (or letters) on them for some added fun!

Whether or not you or your loved ones choose to create a bean mosaic for your abode, one thing is certain, you'll never look at the humble bean in the same way again!

Bean there? Done that? Have you created something unusual with beans? Please leave a comment and enlighten our readers around the world.

Baker's Clay: Keeping Little Hands Busy

The best way to keep your cool on a hot summer afternoon is to make sure those little hands are busy doing something productive! It isn't always the easiest thing to come up with a new and interesting project, so once in awhile when you feel like you just want to escape, pulling some ready-made dough out of the refrigerator can really save the day. This dough, called baker's clay can be baked and painted afterwards, but the idea here is to create without worrying about the outcome— to roll and pound and shape for the sake of learning how to sculpt! Get out the rolling pin, cookie cutters, forks and any other kitchen tools and let them have fun. If you happen to have a piece of styrofoam, you can make sculptures by attaching pieces of dough to the base and to each other with toothpicks and pieces of toothpicks. The dough can be colored with food coloring, beet juice and mildly tinted with spices like paprika and turmeric.

Recipe:
4 cups white flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups water or as necessary to make soft dough

Mix all ingredients in bowl. If the dough is too dry work in extra water with hands. Color by dividing and adding coloring agent of choice to each portion. Roll, mold and sculpt as desired.

Flat cookie like items can be easily baked:
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet (or with baking paper) for 1 hour in 300 degree oven. Watch the progress of the baking, you may need to turn down the oven and bake longer and sometimes the dough bubbles and you don't want it to burn. You may need to turn the shapes over during the baking process. Remove and cool. When done, sand lightly if desired and paint.

Note: You can halve this recipe but do not double it. Dough should be used within 4 hours as it tends to dry out. I have stored extra dough in the refrigerator with good results.

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