Ever thought of using fleece for an afikomen bag? Me neither! That's why I just love Rivky Koenig's book Crafting Jewish, for it's simple yet creative ideas. Rivky was kind enough to share this project from the pages of her book, and so here it is! If you'll be doing some last minute sewing before Pesach, so maybe you could squeeze one of these in too! And if you don't sew but happen to have some fleece hanging around begging to be made into an afikomen bag, so why not try making one with my no-sew fleece method here? Just tie knots for the side seams and follow Rivky's instructions for the rest! This could be a great project for the kids too!
Quick! Hide the afikomen!
At the seder, it’s traditional for a piece of the middle matzo, called the afikomen, to be hidden by either the head of the seder or by the children participating. In either case, when the matzo is found or returned, the children receive (or are promised) a gift. This is all done in good spirits, to keep the children interested in the seder until the end, when the afikomen is eaten. Hide the afikomen in this beautiful bag and let the fun begin!
You'll Need:
- ¼-yard polar fleece
- tape measure
- pencil
- pinking shears
- needle and thread
- sharp scissors
- 26" length of ½"-wide ribbon
- 2 tassels
- sequins or rhinestones, optional
- craft or fabric glue, optional
How To:
1. Measure and mark a 9"x22" rectangle on the back of the fleece. Cut out with pinking shears.
2. Fold the fleece in the middle, lengthwise, with the right side facing in. (If you are using fleece without a pattern, there is no right or wrong side; just make sure that the pencil marks are on the outside.) It should form a 9"x11" pouch.
3. With the needle and thread, or sewing machine, stitch the fleece together to form a pouch, leaving the top open.
4. Fold the top of the fleece pouch down so that there is a 1" cuff around the top.
5. Use your sharp scissors to cut ¼"-deep slits into the fold of the cuff, cutting through both layers at the same time. Cut 9 slits spaced 1" apart around the top of the pouch. Unfold the cuff.
6. Turn the pouch right-side-out. Thread the ribbon through the slits. Knot a tassel to each of the ribbon ends.
Optional: Decorate the front of the bag by gluing on rhinestones and/or sequins with craft glue or fabric glue.
Estimated time: 30 minutes – 45 minutes
Note from CJM: I think you could do this in more like 15 minutes if using a sewing machine!
I just spotted some orange fleece hanging out in my studio, I think it just might make it to the Seder!
