creative jewish mom

Spring Gift Baskets From Embroidered Styrofoam Bowls

Aren't these embroidered styrofoam bowls great? With Purim coming up and Spring on our doorstep, now is the time to make little baskets, right? And really, embroidering on styrofoam is just too much fun! How about washing out a large coffee cup from your last coffee run (try a little bleach to get rid of the coffee stain?) or trying this idea out on some take out containers if bowls like these don't happen to be on hand. And do take a look at my post, embroidering on styrofoam trays for some more inspiration.

A few months back I caved in and bought my kids an unhealthy dinner treat, namely instant Chinese noodles, as I was going out for the evening. When I returned, the bowls were just screaming "save me, save me" so I did, and am happy to have found a fun use for them! So if you're gonna eat something not so healthy, as least do something great with the container!

You'll Need:

• recycled styrofoam bowls, these were from instant noodle soup
• a flat piece of styrofoam from a recycled tray or take-out box
• yarn 
• a large yarn needle, the large ones are quite dull, or use a plastic yarn needle for kids
• paper or felt 
• high tack craft glue (not hot glue, it will melt your project!)

How To:

1. Embroider simple designs on your bowl, either by planning ahead or doing something random. If you plan ahead, so make holes in your bowl with the needle to guide the embroidery. The star bursts were done randomly and are quick and look great....I'd recommend those if you're making a bunch.
2. To make the cover, trace the rim of your bowl on a flat piece of styrofoam, adding a little pull tab to your circle. Cut out and trim to desired size, and embroider. 
3. Cut a handle from paper or felt and glue to inside of bowl. If you'd like to cover the inside to finish off your basket nicely, cut a piece of paper to wrap around the inside, and affix with glue.
4. Make a few and enjoy! 

And, to give credit where credit is due: the inspiration for this project came from a recent Craft Schooling Sunday contributor from Sweden, Pysselbolaget. I took the general idea of embroidering on recycled containers and came up with something related of course, you know like cousins or something. Where will the inspiration you've gotten from my project take you?

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Embroidery On Recycled Styrofoam Trays

Embroidery on recycled styrofoam trays is just too much fun, and I'm already envisioning a whole series of mini embroidered pictures. Embroidering on styrofoam trays is a great way to introduce the art of sewing to young kids or take a little time out for yourself to make a small whimsical embroidered picture.

You'll Need:

• recycled styrofoam trays, cleaned well and sanitized with soap and hot water if they held meat or fish
• yarn
• a large yarn needle, or even a plastic yarn needle for kids

How To:

Figure out your design before you start embroidering, mark lightly with a pencil on the back of the tray. I of course did it on the front, silly me, totally not necessary! Make holes with your needle along the lines of your drawing. Make sure holes are not too close together. Thread your needle, tie a knot in the end of the yarn and go to town!

Of course, if you'd like to do something just a bit more sophisticated (and time consuming), by all means, why not use a regular sized embroidery needle and embroidery thread and practice some more complicated stitches? 

Stay tuned for a fun way to use embroidery on styrofoam for your Purim gifts (can you guess?) coming up tomorrow!

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Crepe Paper Flower Bouquet

Crepe paper flowers are simple to whip up, and make a perfect little gift when a little something hand-crafted from the heart in called for. Quicker than running to the store for real flowers, much quicker in my case, and oh so sweet. And my daughter was more than happy to deliver the gift, so I caught her with my camera on her way out, promising not to show her face on my blog. Well at least not more than a tiny glimpse!

Mazal Tov! Congratulations to our neighbor whose oldest son just got engaged. All the siblings were so excited and I knew that I must send them something, but what? I'm just not the type to whip up a cake, but  something quick and crafted is of course right up my alley! So on an already very busy Friday afternoon I made some crepe paper flowers using neon colored crepe paper that I purchased a while back. And the vase, well it's time to start passing along those white vases I made last year, and now my closet has one less. 

You'll Need:

• brightly colored crepe paper or tissue paper
• floral wire, I used pre-cut flower stems
• scissors
• embellished wine bottle vase
• a tag, ours made with a scalloped circle punch and a hole punch

How To:

1. See my crepe paper flower tutorial, as well as another example of a beautiful crepe paper bouquet. 
2. See my post about embellishing wine bottles
3. Take note that with these flowers I used pink and coral colored crepe paper together in one flower, and for the yellow flower I turned some of the pieces of crepe paper over as the two sides were not the same hue. 
4. Looking back at my tutorial, I realize now that I used fewer layers of crepe paper which is why these flowers aren't quite as full and gorgeous. But that's okay, they did the job!

And by the way, crepe paper flowers are perfect for Purim and for ushering in Spring! Also, do take a look at how I decorated with crepe paper flowers last Purim, and go to town. I guess crepe paper flowers are in my blood this time of year! And why not, quick to make and perfect in so many ways.

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Welcome Back To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! Last week there were so many great projects, and so many of them things that I'd really like to make myself. I've got tons to do with Purim the next holiday to get crafting for, so I'll just say thanks to all of you for joining me here, and I'll let the photos speak for themselves!

A new contributor to the party are first up! Pysselbolaget made these brilliant embroidered recycled containers, and I just love these rock dominoes by repeat crafter, inspired by none other than martha.

Can you believe this little critter is actually a soda bottle cap, well Michele Made Me is brilliant as ever. And just when I was really wondering what to do with some new yarn I had ordered to make a blanket, Jules of little woolie appeared with this simple tutorial for a circle in a square which I just love!

 Keeping your little ones hands warm or giving them the fun of wearing something on their hands is now super simple with this adorable crocheted pattern from a crafty house, and Rita over at Design Megillah is up to her crafty yet elegant ways again with this birch bark covered vase, just gorgeous!

I just love these felt fortune cookies from curly birds, and they are super simple to make. Too bad my kids don't really have any idea what fortune cookies are. And this fabulous cat portrait? Well, you won't be surprised to know that the illustration was purchased on Etsy, but Aunt Peaches made the leapord spot mat to go with it, and it's just perfect!

Here's an amazing idea to celebrate loosing a tooth Jellyfish Jelly, complete with a little door that opens to a nest where the child places his tooth! And love this simple stamped napkin ring idea from family chic.

And last of all, but not least, sparkle pants girl made this great paper lantern, and remarkably enough, her inspiration was not from another paper lantern craft but rather from this wall paper! She took out some paper in the colors of the wall paper and took if from there, the results being the lantern. That is true creativity and something to applaud! And now, let's get the party started!

 

Container Gardening: Growing Lemons

Yes, you can grow lemons in a pot! Of course what I mean is that you can grow a lemon tree in a pot, and you can get some fruit from that tree. While most trees really won't thrive in a pot for more than a few years, a lemon tree can apparently do just fine as long as you give it the loving care it needs, meaning basically a big pot and of course lots of sun. 

I'm quite happy with the ten lemons that just ripened on my lemon tree, (a good yield I believe for a tree in a container) and now I'm thinking maybe I ought to fill my container garden with more lemon trees. On second thought I'd rather have flowering vines, so scratch that idea.  It sure was a great feeling to wander down the steps to my little tree, on a cold winter day, and harvest these fruits, quietly of course, because except for the Hedenbergia who is about to bloom, the rest of the garden is sleeping....shhhhhh. 

Garden Mosaic With Broken Tiles, Stones and Ceramic Shapes

How about adding an artful mosaic to your garden this year. Mosaics with a mix of elements such as stones, broken tile, ceramic pieces and glass are particularly wonderful! And you know, you just sort of glue it onto a big board or even a bare wall, and grout it and voila! The very imperfect, artful mosaics that I've been seeing here and there lately are great— not too studied, a little casual and certainly unique!

I was walking to an appointment and I was a bit late on account of photographing the blooming almond trees, so I took a little short cut down a flight of stairs between two apartment buildings, and suddenly, gasp, wow, look at this garden mosaic! Now I myself have done quite a few mosaic pots in my day, but never a flat mosaic, so I was particularly inspired, especially since it was so unexpected. 

An otherwise very dark and dull retaining wall was turned into a little joyful corner, wonderful don't you think?

And then I turned the corner and gasp, a flock of ceramic birds, bringing a little cheer to this dreery wall. I don't know if a mosaic is planned around them, but either way they're so much fun!

Inspired? I know I am, maybe this summer we'll have the chance to use all those broken dishes and tiles I've been saving! And while my future with ceramics is uncertain at the moment as I'm just soooo busy, seeing these mosaics using elements made in the pottery studio has certainly gotten me thinking. And by the way, for indoor mosaics, one could certainly substitute polymer clay for real ceramic and get a similar result. Hmmmm, more food for thought!

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Today Is Tu B'Shevat, The New Year For Trees

Today is a special day on the Jewish calendar, it is Tu B'Shevat, quite simply the beginning of a new growth year for trees. Tu B'Shevat coincides with the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. In most cases, the earliest blooming tree is the almond tree, who this year is right on time here in my neighborhood!

We mark the day of Tu B’Shevat by eating fruit, and especially grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. On the night of Tu B'Shevat (last night) many set a festive table with platters of dried and fresh fruit and nuts, and some embue the holiday with even greater meaning by participating in a Tu B'Shevat seder, originated by Jewish Kabbalists living in Israel in the 16th century. 

I went on a walk yesterday in search of some blooming almond trees to share with you, and I was greatly surprised! It is truly a beautiful sight to see these delicate blooms dotting the hillsides when the green grass has just started to grow and most of the other trees are still bare.

Many of the almond trees in my neighborhood are hundreds of years old, and it's so exciting to see them awaken from their slumber!

 

 

Here you go, one last photo of the blooming trees and our gorgeous mountain view, namely Mt. Meron, the second largest mountain in Israel. Have a wonderful Tu B'Shevat!

Woven Recycled Bleach Bottle Basket

You can use a recycled bleach bottle to make a really fun woven basket. And when you add a little felt liner, your recycled bottle basket suddenly becomes really amazingly cute. If I do say so myself. Now, I must admit, I made this basket over two years ago, and for some reason never quite fit it into my schedule to take some photos. So in a way this little woven basket craft is new to me too! But now that I'm revisiting this one, I can't wait to make more, and I may even make some to use for gift baskets for Purim......you know for the special people like teachers and such who deserve (and in my case, will expect) something just a bit special.

Here's another similar photo for those of you who love to study things and needed a slightly lower shot.

You'll Need:

• a large opaque bottle, like a bleach or floor cleaner bottle
• colorful yarn, the thicker the better, but a variety of thicknesses is good too
• good scissors
• masking tape

How To:

1. With a kitchen knife, cut the top off your bottle. Thoroughly wash out the piece you'll be using. Trim the remaining basket portion to the desired height with scissors.
2. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the top circumference, and mark off even increments of about 2 cm , or just a bit larger, on the tape. Make sure that you'll have an odd number of pieces so that the over and under process will work out at the end of the round! Place another piece of tape around the bottom of the basket as a guide for where to stop cutting.
3. Cut slits in your basket all the way around, making sure not to cut beyond the bottom guide. (If you take a good look at my photo, you may notice that I cut without marking anything off which is fine if you're just anxious to get going, and aren't a perfectionist, but then you may have to fudge things a bit as I apparently did as I actually cut an even number of pieces, but go figure, this was a million projects ago!)
4. Tie a piece of yarn to one of the pieces from the inside. Start weaving!
5. Make a felt sleeve using a sewing machine and two colors of felt. You could also quite simply glue fabric or felt to the edge to conceal it. Or glue a piece of fabric to the bottom and sides, and then cover the rim with a felt or ribbon edge that covers both the inside and outside rim.

And just for the record, the ever creative Gail over at that artist woman, had a very similar idea which she posted here to my great surprise after I made my basket. I love her version with sections of different sizes and she used foam cups I believe, decoupaged with recycled paper, adding another dimension to this project. So now that you have two source for this wonderful project, collect those bleach bottles and  recycled containers, and lets get started!

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Dried Orange Slice Pendants For Tu B'Shevat

Dried orange slices are great for crafting, and at long last I stuck some in my oven to make some things for Tu B'Shevat, which my friends is tomorrow night! Rather than show you say a dried orange slice garland or another ornament, I came up with this fun idea which could also be a great little activity for a Tu B'Shevat party. Yup, that's right, dried orange slice pendants! And on little kids these pendants are well, quite large, making them all the more fun and festive. And when the party is over, you can simply hang your pendants somewhere for decoration. Enjoy!

You'll Need:

• dried orange slices, see my friend Maggy's tutorial over at red ted art
• pony beads
• colored leather cord, or any natural cord like cotton rope or hemp 

How To: 

Make a hole in the top of an orange slice, find the center point of the cord, attach cord, and add beads on both sides. Enjoy!

Welcome Back To Craft Schooling Sunday!

It's so great to be back on Craft Schooling Sunday, though I have to admit, I got so caught up in looking at all of your lovely projects that I burned not one, but two pots of food that were cooking on the stove. Yikes! And not even at the same time! I think the chicken is rescuable, since smoked chicken is fine, but the gefilte fish that I was making to save time, well it isn't so great smoked......I know since this is not the first time that this has happened. Please don't mention this to my husband, okay?

Now on to more important topics, like how happy I am to have you all back and how great it was to see crafters from around the world, from places like The Netherlands, Denmark, Singapore, France, The United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Macedonia, Japan and The United States! And now for those amazing features from last week:

Lilla A. is always great, so this paper doily stencil shirt is no exception, love it! I can imagine even doing a large piece like a table cloth or a sheet, can't you? And this precious boat from Se7en, well it was done as a part of a call for entries for a project connected to Lilla A. and it is just fabulous. Check out the rest of their fleet!

Carolyn over at Carolyn's Homework made this lovely lace decoupaged bottle, and the always brilliant Camilla from family chic made this heart shaped box from a tuna can, yes really!

Kate from mini eco made some great weavings with Hama beads, and infact we've been having a little discussion on how to replicate some really great vintage Swedish Hama bead baskets that we're both crazy for. And the sweet modern birds, well that's Lilla A. once again, gotta love them!

Crazy about this stunning crocheted clutch from anna simple crochet and these lovely tea cup candles are from haakensmaak. 

Rita over at Design Megillah made these great place holders for the upcoming Tu B'Shevat seder, and I just love these baskets crocheted with yarn and roving from Craft Sanity.

That's all for now, it's time to show your stuff all you talented crafters out there, don't be shy!