creative jewish mom

Make A Castle From Baker's Clay (Plus Other Ideas For All Ages!)

I've discovered something wonderful about baker's clay — you don't necessarily have to bake it! That means that you can whip up a batch and give your kids a few options for how to use it!

• Little ones can use if for a craft activity, learn more here + the recipe
• Others can make shapes with cookie cutters and bake them, learn more here
• And those who are undecided can make super cute sculptures like this castle! Just watch out for the giant serpant! Granted, it won't last forever, but then again you won't feel guilty throwing it out!

You'll Need:

• Baker's clay: flour salt and water!
• A styrofoam base
• Toothpicks
• Electrical tape (optional, used for flags)
• A permanent marker

How To:

1. Decide on a theme, or don't decide on a theme, and just create an abstract sculpture with simple shapes.
2. Stack shapes one on top of the other, securing with toothpicks.
3. Set aside to dry, and after a few hours once the surface has hardened, add details with a permanent marker.

The thing that's really nice about this idea is that all ages can sit together on a hot summer day and enjoy creating with baker's clay at their own level. Nice.

Zipper Flowers At Last!

I can now finally breathe a sigh of relief. Phew. My daughter is on her way to having a drawer full of fashionable hair accessories! What took me so long you ask? Well, life just somehow got in the way of me and the very popular zipper flower. No reasonable explanation really, especially since these flowers are totally up my alley—quick, inexpensive and hopefully great looking!

Now I have to say, not every zipper flower is beautiful in my eyes, as I steer away from chunky and bold, so I'm quite happy with my first attempt here, using very fine plastic zippers that don't shout zipper! Okay, the center of the flowers does shout zipper, but just enough, if you know what I mean!

I did some research and didn't find anything to copy, (since many of the big zipper flowers use 24"-36" long zippers, which mine are not) so I'm happy to say that I came up with these two versions myself.  Aren't you proud mom?

You'll Need:

• plastic fine tooth zippers (like for a skirt zipper) about 30cm (16.5") long
• a chunky plastic zipper, about 40 cm long (20")
• knit headbands or the headband of your choice
• a hot glue gun (I got out my mini one, which was perfect.)

How To:

For Blue 8-Petaled Flower: Made from 8 Separate Petals

1. Cut zipper pull off of zipper to separate zipper into two pieces
2. Cut eight 3" lengths, and glue ends of each piece together to form individual petals
3. Glue petals together to form a flower as seen in photo
4. for center of flower, take a small piece of chunky zipper and wrap it around on itself once, securing with hot glue. fold fabric portion of zipper up, and secure with hot glue so that flower center won't be too high. (not sure if that's clear, if not, let me know!)
5. Glue center to flower and then glue entire flower to headband.
6. Have daughter try on and photograph her for your blog or to send to me!

For Beige 6-Petaled Flower: Made from two 3-petaled pieces

1. Cut zipper pull portion off to separate zipper into two pieces
2. Fold zipper to form the first petal and adhere with glue, continue folding the second petal in a figure eight fashion, but instead of folding the second petal opposite the first, fold it to the left or right of the first petal, such that you can then work a third petal on the other side, creating a triangle. (I know, a bit hard to understand, but play around a bit and you'll either get it or come up with your own version!)
3. Make two identical (well, as similar as possible would be good) 3-petaled pieces, and then glue one on top of the other.
4. Make the center by wrapping a piece of chunky zipper in a coil-like fashion, tightly at first and then loosely, securing with hot glue as you go. Glue center to flower, reducing height of center by folding fabric portion of zipper under a bit.
5. Glue flower to headband. See step #6 above.
6. Consider making these as gifts for all the girls, young and not so young, in your life!

Make Balls Of Yarn From T-Shirts & Save The Scraps For Weaving!

I can't tell you how happy I feel looking at these little balls of t-shirt yarn! Though I save just about everything, colorful t-shirts were not in my stash, (I know, hard to believe) so a few weeks ago I actually went and bought some from a local thrift store. And I'm so happy to have finally found the little pocket of time to cut up those shirts into yarn! You can find a very nice tutorial here, from one of my regular Craft Schooling Sunday contributers.

I just love the accidental yet gorgeous color combination, and even if you never get around to actually using the yarn, well it sure looks a lot cuter than a pile of t-shirts collecting dust in your dresser! And the really great news is that after I cut up the t-shirts for yarn I actually had my thinking cap on and realized that the leftovers could be cut into strips for weaving! (I'm planning on using the balls of yarn to crochet something.)

 

I've already got my daughter working on a placemat-sized weaving which is unbelievably gorgeous! The only thing is, that it looks like I'll have to give her some of my yarn to complete the project, as the scraps just won't be enough! Oh well, today the thrift store is open, I think I just might have to venture out of the house in search of some colorful t-shirts. Stay tuned!

Note: When looking for t-shirts to recycle, you'll want those with minimal printed graphics (the printed areas can't be used for yarn) and try to steer clear of t-shirts with lycra. Also I noticed that some very heavy t-shirts are actually ribbed when you take a close look, and this is also not ideal as the fabric doesn't curl nicely like the regular weight simple t-shirt.The ideal garment to look for would be a long t-shirt fabric night-gown, as you'll be able to make a nice sized ball of yarn from one. And by the way, to make a project of any substantial size you'll need quite a few t-shirts, so stock up!

Set A Simply Elegant Table With Paper Roses!

You won't be surprised to hear that I'm very often in charge of centerpieces at our women's Rosh Chodesh gatherings. Fortunately the event hall is right next to my house, so after all the hours of effort, at least I don't have to shlep my creations very far. And you won't be surprised to hear that I do centerpieces for pennies, (whoops the currency here would be agarot, silly me) or at least I try!

My latest idea was to make giant paper roses using the same spiral technique I used to make tiny felt flowers, here. The only difference is that you start with a circle about 24" in diameter and make a much larger spiral.  And you'll need a lot more hot glue! A really simple idea with amazing results! And you can make these roses in a bunch of sizes and use them in so many ways. The main thing is finding the right paper. I used some old pattern-making paper that had yellowed from sitting around too long, perfect! In fact the shopkeeper gave it to me for free just to get rid of it. Then the only problem was I really didn't have as much as I would have wanted, and now I can't figure out where to get more! I even thought of tea-staining regular paper, but that didn't work....In any case you'll need something a bit thicker than tracing paper and on the creme/beige side, good luck!

Large single flowers look great in pedestal vases or simply set on the table. Wouldn't these be great for a DIY wedding or sheva brachas? (In many Jewish circles the newly married couple celebrates with friends and family for a week, with a festive meal each day, which is called sheva brachas, seven blessings. A truly beautiful tradition that also unites the families and friends of the new couple.)

Place a bunch of flowers on a cake stand, or single delicate blooms on each plate.

Or turn wine glasses upside down and use them as pedestals.  (Attach flowers with a small piece of double sided tape.) As you can see at the top of this photo, in some cases I hot-glued creme cupcake liners to the completed flower to provide some strength at the base. The large flowers definitely need an additional base piece— I was in a hurry so I slapped on a few cupcake liners, but you'll probably want to cut a nice circle from creme cardboard, since you have the luxury of planning ahead!

Note: the larger the flower the more glue you'll need to use as you are creating the spiral. The large pieces need anchoring either to a base or to the previous round. Start with a tight coil, but try to wrap loosely on the outside for the most beautiful results.

Enjoy, and please do me a small favor and click on the stumbleupon button on the right side of this blog, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Recycle Clear Plastic Lids & Use them To Create Bead Mosaics!

Clear plastic lids are the perfect base for tiny works of art! I can't believe it just occurred to me a few weeks ago, and that I've been throwing these away! Food packaging of course varies from country to country, but here you'll find clear lids on prepared salads and foods found in the refrigerated section, as well as many dairy products such as cottage cheese and soft white cheese. So do rescue these lids before they land in the garbage, and you'll have the perfect base for a wide range of craft projects.

My kids enjoyed this project so much the only thing that held them back was our lack of lid supply!

You'll Need:

• clear plastic lids found on packaged foods in the refrigerator section
• colorful plastic beads (for children's crafts) and tiny seed beads
• white glue
• a permanent marker
• fish line (optional, for hanging)

How To:

1. Practice drawing simple shapes on a piece of paper, and then trace the ones you like the best with the permanent marker.
2. Apply a generous amount of glue to the outlined shape and apply large beads.
3. Fill in empty spaces with seed beads (we sprinkled them over the lid)
4. Set aside to dry
5. Make two small holes in the rim with a needle, attach fish line for hanging, and enjoy!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

I love Sunday, because I just love being the hostess of this small yet oh so wonderful party! Just for the record, here in Israel Sunday is the first day of the week, meaning work, school etc. We are just too busy here to lavish on ourselves two full days of relaxation, ahem. The Israeli weekend is at best 1.5 or 1.25 days, Friday being a half day for many. That said, many of us have much less time than our counterparts around the world for crafting! Not making excuses, just thought you might like to know this little tidbit of info!

And of course obsessed crafters (like myself) will find the time, even when there isn't any, to try out some of the amazing projects from last week!

This week I'm starting the featured crafts with two very crafty and lovely food projects. These poured icing cookies from thedecoratedcookie are just too adorable, and I've never seen anything so enchanting as these pie-rate apple pie ships from diamondsfordesert. Check out the step by step instructions for both of these — I really really want to try that poured icing trick...don't you?

Thanks to Jhoanna from Australia who has so generously shared the pattern for this oh so cute doll from her site oneredrobin. And I just love these felt green onions from masteringeverydaycrafts, over in Hawaii. Where do people who live in Hawaii go for vacation, or maybe they don't need one?

I'm always amazed by craftpassion, who lives in Malaysia! I love fabric yo-yos, so these crocheted ones are naturally something I'm going to try soon! And don't you just love the idea of making your own fabric tape? Check out the tutorial at simplymodernmom.

This travel bag from createstudio is not only cute, but super practical, actually genius, combining a backpack with a removable pillow! And we have a new guest from Poland, coco-nut with this super cute robot themed birthday card. And don't worry, the language of crafting is international! My Polish isn't very good either.

i just love the watercolor butterflies that childhoodmagic painted to use as balancing butterfly party favors. And this hexigon pouch is just the sweetest, from Karenmarie in Denmark! I've learned that google translate does only a very rough job of translating, but enough to pick up the info on how this was made: hexigons fused to a backing and then machine embroidered with some nice basic stitches.

Inspired? Me too! Let's keep the momentum going, start sharing! And please don't forget to link back to this party with a text link or a button. Thanks so much!

INSPIRATION: A Walk Down The Street!

Yesterday I was on my way somewhere, and had the pleasure of walking down a particular street packed with wonderful sights. Of course, I happen to know this, which is why I had my camera on hand in order to share some of this inspiration with you. Sometimes creativity is just about taking it all in!

I've always loved this passion flower type wild vine (above) that pops up between rocks with it's gorgeous leaves and interesting flowers.

And look at this morning glory climbing the beautiful stone wall of an old house, picturesque! And the wild Hollyhocks, my favorite! (And don't forget, both Morning Glories and Hollyhocks have very visible seed pods that are great to collect (when brown) and save for next year. Just wish I'd remembered to plant mine, better luck next year!)

Just look at this flowering Sabra cactus in bloom and loaded with fruit (edible!) Did you know that if you take a piece of this cactus and put it in the ground, it will form roots and a whole new plant? I actually did it once from this very cactus, but now steer away from things that might be harmful to kids!

Speaking of cacti, I just love these huge and very old specimens, there are some really giant ones around town that just make your jaw drop open! And this beautifully restored stone cottage is a treat to behold.

Oleander is actually a poisonous plant so not a good choice for a garden with little ones, but oh how wonderful it looks loaded with blooms. And Morning Glory, well it's name speaks for itself! It does tend to get a bit leggy grown in pots, but it sure is fun for kids to count the new blooms each day, so toss a few seeds in the dirt and give it a try!

Is there something that inspires you on a walk down the street? We'd love to see it, please send photos to share here on Fridays! And they don't have to be photos of flowers, how about mailboxes? Interesting architecture? A particular something? Anybody out there?

Make Cute Nursery Decor Using Cookie Cutters And Polymer Clay!

Today I am so pleased to share with you this adorable and simple project brought to you by Dana, of Studio Danale. Dana is a mom of twin three year old girls, and has a cute shop on Etsy here, where you can purchase some delightful nursery/kids decor items. And Dana also lives in Israel! 

Since polymer clay is more my daughter's expertise than mine, I'm really happy to have Dana here to show us how to use it with great professional looking results!

You'll Need:

• a square wood base
• small picture hangers
• pink and creme acrylic craft paint
• polymer clay (Dana used pink, light blue and green)
• a small craft rolling pin
• a floor tile (optional)
• epoxy type glue
• varnish (Dana recommends Fimo brand varnish for polymer clay)

How To:

Step 1: Paint your base. Dana painted hers creme with a pink frame. (You could also make a border with cute ribbon!) Glue picture hanger to base if necessary.

Step 2:  Above left: Roll out  polymer clay to at least 1/8" or a bit more, with a smooth surface and a consistent thickness. As you can see from the photo, Dana uses a plexiglass roller and works on a piece of floor tile which she then sticks directly into the oven. (This is a great idea to keep your shapes perfect.)
Cut out your shapes with cookie cutters. Yes, even those small flowers are made using cookie cutters!

Step 3: Bake according to instructions on the package.

(And yes, there are kashrus concerns with putting this in a oven you use for food. If this applies to you, kasher your oven after baking a batch. I use my small toaster oven for this, and anyone who uses polymer clay frequently should consider dedicating a small toaster oven for this purpose only.)

Step 4: Above right: Once clay has cooled, attach shapes to one another with strong stinky glue in a well ventilated area.

Step 5: Above: Add any details with acrylic paint. Dana painted white dots on her small blue hearts.

Step 6: Once paint details have dried, apply a coat of varnish.

Step 7: Once varnish has dried, attach shapes to your base with that stinky glue. (Hot glue would probably work well too)

Step 8:  Once it's really dry (I'd give it 24 hours unless you're using that 3 minute epoxy or hot glue.) hang or wrap up for a cute gift!

Wasn't that easy? While you're at it, so make a whole bunch to have on hand for shower/baby gifts. And wouldn't this be great for making personalized baby mobiles and even an alphabet themed piece of art? I'm not usually so attracted to polymer clay, but now I'm getting inspired! I'm seeing a collage of sorts with ribbon, scrap booking paper, buttons, maybe some burlap? A shell or two? Hmmm. My daughter's polymer clay stash is now in danger of disappearing! I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much Dana!

 

Make Your Own Puff Paint!

 
I am in love with the idea of simple art projects that involve making your own medium and then using it to create something. Sort of like chemistry 101 meets creativity in the kitchen! Last week we made our own watercolors here, and this week we made our own puff paint! Puff paint definitely falls in the category of the type of craft supplies that I wouldn't ordinarily think of buying, but making your own is another story!

This is a really great activity that will have kids running to the microwave to see the fun results. Encourage kids to use puff paint to create depth or texture on a picture also painted with regular paint. This would be a great technique for making unique party invitations, gift tags, etc. with basic illustrated shapes like balloons, cupcakes, butterflies, hearts, lollipops etc. And if you don't have a microwave, well, I understand! Maybe this would work in a really hot oven, just don't leave it in too long! (And let me know if  you try it!)

Isn't my daughter's hatching egg cute?

You'll Need:

• very heavy paper or preferably light colored recycled cardboard (like the inside of a food box) or matte board
• a microwave oven
• puff paint, recipe below

Puff Paint Recipe:
Combine the following and mix to obtain a thin paste. Paint doesn't go on smoothly like ordinary paint, but should be easy to apply by dabbing Q-tips or paint brushes on the paper. Add a few more drops of water if paint is difficult to work with or is lumpy.

• 2 tblsp white self-rising flour (or even regular white flour)
• 2 tblsp salt
• 4 tsp water
• food coloring

How To:
Draw a simple picture or design on cardboard, and fill in with puff paint. We had the most success with applying drops of the paint to the cardboard and then moving it around with a paint brush.
Place picture in microwave on high for about 20-30 seconds, or until paint is completely dry.
Remove and admire the results!

Summer Crafts For Kids: Sunburst Popsicle Stick Art!

 

Here's a relatively quick craft project that could be great for a group of kids or just a few. I think these sunbursts would look fabulous covering a whole wall at a day camp, brightening up an outdoor room, or as a kindness project to decorate a retirement home or a children's area in a local hospital. Think about it! And if you do any of the above please take photos and send them to me!

And though Succos seems far away, I always recommend making decorations during summer vacation, packing them away until the holiday and enjoying the fact that you planned ahead and kept the kids busy with something wonderful!

I pre-assembled the sunbursts for my kids, using a hot glue gun, but you can certainly have the children assemble their own with glue. If so, then this would be a two part project, as the glue will need lots of time to dry. Also consider using something strong and sticky, that will hold the pieces together....regular white glue might not do the trick.

You'll Need:

• popsicle sticks/tongue depressors
• circles and scalloped circles cut from a recycled cereal box (with a punch, optional)
• acrylic craft paint
• beads,buttons,wire,pom-poms, feathers etc. for decorating sunbursts (optional)

How To:

Glue popsicle stick to the underside (printed side) or your cereal box circle in one or two layers. Use whole popsicle sticks and half popsicle sticks, (I broke the sticks in half with my hands but you could use some sharp shears to pre-cut them) Once the sunburst shape is completely dry, paint it with bright colors and designs. Decorate with beads and buttons (optional, not shown here) and hang by taping a loop of string or wire to the back.