creative jewish mom

Hanukkah Themed Beaded Sun Catchers On Recycled Lids

Gather some recycled plastic lids, pony beads, and white glue, and make some festive beaded sun catchers for Hanukkah— perfect for hanging in the window above your menorah! Of course we love this craft any time of year, and have made some different versions here and here.

You'll Need:

• clear plastic lids, from take out containers, produce containers, you name it!
• pony beads, ours are translucent with sparkles, perfect for this project
• white glue
• a marker

Step 1: Teach your child about the idea of planning a project ahead, and to consider size and proportion by sketching the idea on a piece of paper to achieve the best results. Once a good sketch has been achieved, place that under the lid and trace outline on to lid. Or, for older children, as we did with the menorah, simply use the sketch placed under the lid as a guide, such that there are no marker lines in the finished product.

Step 2: Examine drawing to see if it needs more details or is fine as is. We decided to add our details with the beads rather than adding more marker lines.

Step 3: Apply a nice puddle of glue to lid, and start placing beads. We decided we did not want to see the holes of the beads, but the holes can also be a design element if desired.

 Step 4: Use a variety of colors for the most beautiful results!

Step 5: Ta Da! Set aside to dry overnight and hang, whoops we still need to do that! I'll be punching holes in the top and hanging either with fish line or something obvious like wired silver ribbon. Happy Hanukkah crafting.....it's a good thing Hanukkah is eight days, still time to make little crocheted presents during the holiday itself, phew!

 

Geometric String Craft Stars Make Gorgeous Holiday Decorations!

Aren't these geometric string craft stars fabulous? I've been wanting to do some crafting with my kids to revisit the geometric string crafts of the 70's, and this was a perfect start. Plus I think these work perfectly with dreidels and menorahs and candles as a part of our Hanukkah themed crafting! And the only one that I did was the gold one at the bottom, the rest my kids did with a little help at first, and then with no help whatsoever, though I did cut the circle and the slits for them.

We used recycled cardboard from food packaging, so the other side looks like this (above) though if one want to make hanging two sided ornaments, just use plain cardboard. The patterns are different on either side, making the project that much more interesting!

You'll Need:

• cardboard, recycled preferably
• a circular punch, or something round to trace, a mug, a glass etc.
• heavy thread, string or yarn, depending on the size of your circles, I used fine crocheting thread that comes in those little spools in tons of irresistible colors.
• scissors

How To:

1. Cut out circles, our circular craft punch wasn't able to handle some of the cardboard we used, so some of the circles were hand cut, which is why they're not quite perfect!
2. Cut slits in circle either 8 or 16 evenly spaced. If you're planning to do a bunch, make one circle with slits perfectly placed and then use that as a guide for other circles. Remember how to divide a circle dear readers? 
3. Now it's time to have some fun. With the end on the back side insert string into slit 1 and bring down to slit 9. Carry string across the back and insert into slit 2. Bring string across the front and insert into slit 10. Carry string across the back and insert into slit 3. Continue working in this fashion until you've gone around the circle at least twice. Turn you circle over to reveal, ta da, a beautiful geometric star, like the metallic gold one in the top photo.
4. To create the star seen in the exact middle, turn circle over and repeat above steps with a second color. Wow, too much fun, and of course there are so many designs one can create!

I was inspired to create these geometric string craft stars by a contribution submitted by putti's world at this Craft Schooling Sunday linking party. Thanks so much to Putti from Florida for being such a wonderful little crafter, and to her mom for making it happen! You all can do it too!

Loom Pot Holder Cat Rattle Using Recycled Tights!

 Yes dear readers, you can indeed make pot holders on a simple pot holder loom using loops made from recycled tights! And with winter around the corner, so I'm quite sure that many of you will have some tights that could be used for crafting as opposed to tossing them! A while back we made pot holders from t-shirt sleeves, which also works quite well, though the loops from the tights are much easier to work with.

The results are such that there's a black face and a white face, and one could certainly make a face on both sides, though we left the back blank.

You'll Need:

• recycled tights, black and white
• stuffing, one can use the top part of the tights
• needle and sturdy thread
• little bells, optional
• pot holder loops or thick yarn for the details

How To:

1. Cut the legs of your tights into loops, about 1 inch wide, though experiment to see what works the best according to the thickness of the tights you're using. Loops, meaning simply cut across the width of the tights, which results in loops, got it?
2. Weave a potholder with the loom set up according to the photo at the bottom of the post here.
3. Remove potholder from loom and add face details. I cut open some purchased pot holder loops and used a crochet hook to weave them into the potholder in the design desired. You could also use thick yarn and a needle
4. Fold pot holder in half on the diagonal and start sewing it closed, part way through, place small bells in the ears and stuff, before closing completely.
5. Give to your favorite baby or cat, or use as a fun little ornament, maybe hung at the end of a cord with beads knotted on the cord and a little bell underneath the cat?
6. Now you'll never look at a pair of tights in the same way again, and runs and holes won't be so very frustrating! Crafting really can change your outlook on life, enjoy.

And to give credit where credit is due, the idea for making a cat from a pot holder made from store bought pot holder loops came from the booklet that came with our loom, manufactured by Provo Crafts.

Paper Mache Dragons From Recycled Materials

Aren't these paper mache dragons from recycled materials just fabulous? And while of course this is a great craft for kids, these were actually made by student teachers at Marjon University Plymouth in the UK, which is probably why they're so good! Not that teenagers couldn't produce some creatures like this, they certainly could!

 Love the idea of hanging paper mache creatures......

 My boys would love to make a scary one like this I'm quite sure!

 I think I love this orange one most of all.......

Though this winged dragon is pretty great too! And now I'll tell you an interesting little story about how these photos came to be on my blog, are you ready?

My daughter and I were riding the train from Girona, Spain to Barcelona, Spain, and there happened to be a women sitting next to me reading a book in English. Taking note of that, I tried to speak to my daughter mostly in hebrew for a little privacy. Though I guess we fell into English as well, prompting the woman to say at one point "oh you're speaking three languages!" I smiled and told her we were only speaking two, and that was the start of a very inspiring conversation, in which I learned about Lindsay and her very interesting life of traveling half the year and running a luxury yurt resort in Cornwall, England the other half of the year! It was one of those conversations that was just meant to be and it turns out she also has a jewish friend who just got married and is starting to keep a kosher kitchen and could certainly use lots of my recipes and tips! So of the two business cards with my blog address that I had in my wallet, one went to Lindsay.

After the trip I emailed Lindsay, and while we won't be in touch for a while as she's off to some very remote places in South East Asia, (and to lend a hand to a friend that has a half-way house to help young women get off the street) she took a few minutes to share these photos with me.

And that my friends is in my opinion a lovely story of two women connecting over a love for creativity and bringing good into the world, each in her own way!

Kid's Diorama Craft Inspired By A Visit To The Art Museum

On our visit to the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam we saw a really fun collection of diorama's that children in a museum art program created, and of course I just had to share them with you! Plus, how many travel photos can one see in a row? (Mind you I've got lots and lots more to share, so stay tuned!)

I remember making diorama in shoe boxes as a kid, but I love these larger scale ones so much more! What  a great way to study an important painting or even capture an experience that one may have documented with a photo. The supplies are quite simple: a cardboard box, acrylic paints, card stock, some glue and of course the desire to create!

I love the classic Dutch checkered floor with the simple figures and intense color, great results!

And a detailed facade is a great little feature as well!

And of course if you choose to do this project with a group, well then you can create a really fabulous wall display when the works are completed! Of course just one or two would be great too! And come to think of it, this could be a great project for Chanukah, the next holiday after Simchat Torah which we'll be celebrating on Monday (and Tuesday outside of Israel). All the best!

Honey Comb Hexigon Jars For Rosh HaShana

Rosh HaShana is in less than a week, but there's still time to whip up some of these festive honey comb hexigon jars that you can use in so many ways: as honey jars, as gift jars, as candle jars or even to hold some bouquets of flowers! Truthfully I made these last year and somehow with the pre-holiday rush didn't get around to photographing them, lucky for me since this year I don't even have the time to craft!

You'll Need:

• recycled jars
• tissue paper in a range of colors
• mod podge or any decoupage medium, I used gloss which looks great!

How To: Cut hexigons from a few layers of tissue paper at a time, and decoupage to your clean jars with decoupage medium. Set aside to dry and brush on an extra protective coat. Use them to decorate your holiday table or give as gifts for a cheerful start to the new year!

Soda Bottle Apple Revisited- Reader's versions!

Now is apple season, and around here apples are not just about back to school and Fall, they're also about Rosh HaShana, so apple themed crafts are perfect right about now! With Rosh HaShana just ten or so days away, my soda bottle apple gift box is a perfect project, and I was so very happy to see two great versions of it on the web, so I just had to share them with you!

The teacher appreciation gift version from bethapalooza is perfect, and I love the fact that she changed some of the details, for the better even! Joyful Jewish took my idea and used it not as a gift box but as a hanging decoration, which could be perfect for Rosh HaShana and then useful in the Succah!

For complete instructions, please refer to my original post, the soda bottle apple gift box. Enjoy, more crafts for Rosh HaShana coming soon!

 

Egg Carton Cactus Kid's Craft

Isn't this egg carton cactus craft just the cutest little crafty cactus you've ever seen? The credit goes to my seven year old's teacher, who is quite the crafty guy himself. I will most definitely be showering him with the complements on this one, because I just love it! And my son was quite proud and excited to bring it home, which made the whole thing just one happy story, as well as providing me with something to share with you during a very busy week!

This cactus is actually quite small, as they only used the tips of the egg carton, though one could make is just a bit bigger, depending on the type of egg cartons you have.  I'm dreaming of a whole bunch of egg carton cactuses, or maybe even some colorful sculptures!

You'll Need:

• recycled egg cartons
• recycled cardboard for the base
• paint
• glue, high tack craft glue for the kids and possibly hot glue for a parent to help them stick it all together
• tissue paper, orange or yellow
• tiny rocks

How To:

Cut up your egg carton, such that the square portions are the portions to be used. Cut lots of little square pieces and have the kids glue two together with craft glue. Once dry, paint the little pieces, and once dry, use hot glue to assemble your cactus. Have kids make tiny orange cactus flowers with tissue paper and adhere with glue. Glue a ring of rocks around your cactus and sit back and admire your new not so prickly friend!

And just for the record this is supposed to be a Sabras cactus (known as prickly pear in the United States) which grows wild in Israel in huge patches. Israelis love to eat the fruit of the cactus which is in season right now! 

Crocheted Rag Rug Bathmat From Sheets

Here's a fun little crocheted rag rug bathmat, the perfect project to introduce you to crocheting with rags! Of course, once you get started it's quite likely you wont want to stop, so start hoarding sheets, pillowcases and comforter covers, you're gonna need a ton of them!

With this little bathmat, I used a much larger hook than usual, 15mm, which produces a nice cushy rug perfect for a bathmat, but in my opinion a bit too thick for a rug in a room as it's a tripping hazzard. Of course this would be a perfect thickness for a stool cover (wish I had a stool to cover!) or a chair pad, so get creative!

You'll Need:

• sheets, pillowcases, etc. For this little rug I used two pillowcases and about 2 1/2 small crib sheets
• a tutorial for cutting or tearing flat/fitted sheets to make yarn, info here, and for comforter covers and pillowcases, follow the tutorial for making yarn from t-shirts, here.
• a size 15mm crochet hook
• star fish washcloth pattern, here, follow pattern for first 5 rows, and then do last row as a single crochet row instead of a double crochet row.....depending on the size of rug that works for you, add more rows!

That's it, once you get the hang of it there's no stopping you, so let me know how it goes!

Pizza Box Top Robot Craft For Kids

My seven year old had a great time making these fun pizza box top robots, a great little craft project to have on hand. I did make a little sketch of an old fashioned robot for him to use as a guide in his work, and I think he did a great job! The dots were made using dot paints, those little bottles for kids with a sponge applicator on top, but you could also stamp the dots on using a wine cork and paint.

And just in case you were wondering, here's what the other side of the box tops look like. The bottom portion of the box usually gets dirty from the pizza, but the top is clean and ready to go!

For those of you who have been following my blog now for some time, you may remember my original pizza box top robot post, from nearly two years ago, in which we used regular goache paints. Enjoy some pizza and a great craft project too!