creative jewish mom

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!

Chunky Knit Pot Holder From Rope

I just love my chunky knit rope potholder. Or is it a chunky knit rope trivet? Either way, this is one craft I'm going to do again as I think it would make a super great gift, for the right person that is! And with all the crocheting going on around here lately, I have to say, knitting this pot holder was really refreshing.

And yes, while this pot holder is made with garter stitch, you can also knit one row purl one row for the traditional knit fabric, as you can see on my previous post knitting with rope. But I have to tell you, this version here not only has much more rustic appeal, you don't have to worry about the end stitches looking really uneven and the finished piece has a much nicer feeling. In the previous version I did a special edge stitch to help the situation, but it still looks a little funny, so experiment yourself, or take my word for it and go with the garter stitch!

You'll Need:

• cotton rope, mine was a small spool from the hardware store
• large knitting needles, I used size US 17

A pot holder is a great project to practice knitting with rope, but I'm quite sure there are many more projects that could be great, like knit rope bags, knit rope bath mats or rugs, knit rope stool covers, and anything else you can dream of! Enjoy and let me know how it goes. I think this would be a great gift with a batch of homemade muffins or a hearty loaf of bread, don't you?

Giant Crocheted Rosette Flower

Okay, maybe not exactly a giant crocheted rosette flower, but definitely a very large crocheted flower. You know, the kind of flower that will certainly make a cheerful statement worn on a hat or a winter coat right about now. So I do hope that you crochet, since everyone could use a little wardrobe pick me up, especially one that's as simple and quick as this one! Of course, you don't have to make your flower in turquoise (this one is for my daughter) a more neutral color like gray or creme would be gorgeous too.

The reason that this flower is so simple is that it's made by crocheting a strip and then rolling up the strip and sewing it all together. And of course, if you use chunky yarn, or a few strands together like I did, you can make flowers just about any size, even to cover a pillow front, how about that?

You'll Need:

• chunky yarn, or in my case 3 strands of worsted weight yarn
• size 9mm crochet hook, or the hook size to suit your yarn choice
• large-eyed yarn needle
• rosette flower pattern, thanks to Lion Brand

If you're looking for another idea for making a flower of this kind, check out my rosette flower headband, which uses a similar, yet slightly different pattern. Have fun adding some crocheted flowers to your life in no time! And stay tuned for a few more crocheted flowers and the projects that go with them. Don't know about you, but winter in full force all I want to do is crochet!

Crocheted T-Shirt Yarn Basket For Holiday Giving

Crocheting with t-shirt yarn is so much fun, and lucky for me I happened to have a few balls of t-shirt yarn on hand. I whipped up this basket quite quickly, which qualifies it as a great green gift for those on your list who'd appreciate such a rustic vessel. I think it would be great to give with a batch of homemade muffins, or holding a gift of toiletries, including maybe some gorgeous crocheted wash cloths. 

Just make sure to make a few, because you'll surely want to keep some on hand to enjoy in your home this holiday season. Really, you can never have too many catchalls......and great for guests to hold their little stuff, or how about one for each child to contain all the little things that collect in their pockets? And best of all, this little basket is of course totally washable!

You'll Need:

• t-shirt yarn, how to make t-shirt yarn tutorial here
• large crochet hook, I used a 10mm
• a simple basket pattern, you can follow mine here, though note that because the t-shirt yarn I made was on the thick side, (and because I was winging it...) my first round of crochet consisted of 1 ch2 and 11 dc into a foundation ring of 6 ch.

Notes:

• I crocheted this basket such that the "right side" is actually on the inside. If your basket will be something that will be placed on a shelf and viewed mostly from the outside, so it is probably preferable for the "right side" to be on the outside. Decide what suits you (the "wrong side" is rougher looking) and when you start the rows for the sides, make sure you're crocheting such that you'll get the desired results. I didn't even think of this as I was doing it, but you can!
• When I crocheted a basket using sheets (which are not stretchy) I had to work at getting the bowl shape. In this case, I had honestly intended to make a straight sided basket, but because of the nature of the t-shirt yarn and the hook size, the sides naturally curved in, which is just fine with me, though I can't guarantee that the same thing will happen with you. Let me know! And now, go whip up some of these baskets and bring some green joy to friends and family!

Crocheted Skinny Scalloped Scarf

Here it is, my friends, the crocheted skinny scalloped scarf. A super project for beginners and for anybody who'd like to whip up a load of handmade gifts in the next month or so. And guess what, these scarfs may look like they're more for style than warmth, but I can attest to the fact that they're great neck warmers to wear anytime without the bulk of a regular scarf. In fact I'm wearing one right now!

And if you'd like your skinny scarf to be not so skinny, so use a few strands of yarn and a bigger crochet hook (or chunky yarn) for a skinny chunky scarf. I actually made this scarf from two strands of some pink baby weight yarn that was given to me (thanks Dena!) by a reader who moved out of town, and this was the perfect project. My daughter sometimes wears this scarf with her dressy shabbat outfits in grays and blacks, and it looks super!

Super Simple Crocheted Skinny Scalloped Scarf Pattern:

Gauge is really unimportant for this one, yippee!

If using two strands of baby weight or sport weight yarn, use a size J or K hook, but the best idea is to make a small sample with the yarn you'll be using and find the crochet hook that produces the best results.

Foundation Chain: Ch 203 very loosely

Row 1: dc in fourth chain from hook and in every stitch until the end, turn

Row 2: ch 3, dc in every stitch across, turn (Note: for a slightly wider scarf one can simply repeat row 2)

Row 3: Skip first 2 stitches, *scallop in next stitch, skip next stitch, slip stitch in next stitch, skip next stitch, and repeat from * across to end.

A scallop is made as follows: in the specified stitch crochet (1sc, 2hdc, 1dc,2hdc, 1sc)

Enjoy!

Paper Plate Clock In 5 Minutes

Here is it my friends, the five minute DIY clock using a paper plate! It really can't get much simpler than this, and you could change the plate as often as you like for a little fresh hit of color or design! I also think that a paper plate clock would make a great gift, or fill a whole wall with them! Clock mechanisms are quite inexpensive, you can get a cheap one for around $2 (8 shekels), so this could be a really fun project that you could take in so many directions! Have fun with it!

You'll Need:

• a paper plate, dinner sized
• a clock movement kit

How To:

Find the exact center of the plate, measure if necessary. Make a hole in the center with a metal skewer or a nail. Insert the shaft of the clock mechanism through the hole and attach the hands. You may need to secure the clock mechanism to the back of the plate with hot glue or double stick tape. 

And in case you hadn't noticed, a clock project is very timely today, as tonight we enter the final week before Rosh HaShanah! And this my friends is a very important week, because in this week we have the opportunity to make amends for things that didn't go quite as we would have wished during the whole year. Don't go crazy, just try to do your best in all the areas where you may have slipped a bit. Speaking of time, I gotta run, and really don't have the brain power at the moment to explain in greater extent what I just said above, so if any of you want further clarification, do drop me a line!

 

DIY Drink Charms For Summer Entertaining

These festive DIY drink or wine charms are an example of one of the those projects that are so simple and yet add so much. And they are practical I might add, especially if you're entertaining informally where guests might be prone to walk around with wine glasses, or any glass that has either a handle or a thin stem. I was inspired to make my own version of this original project, which I found on Craft Schooling Sunday this week, posted by the Italian site, Alessia, scrap and craft.

And what are they made from you ask-well my crafty friends the answer is craft foam! So, if you don't have some on hand, pick some up and make some festive drink charms for your next get together or even just for yourself to add a bit of simple color and design to your life!

For complete instructions continue reading below:

Recycled Styrofoam Tray Craft With Paper Mache

Yes, you can make a gorgeous, artful and even useful tray from a recycled styrofoam meat/fish/food tray. I have a little secret to share with you all, and that is that with just a few crafty moves on your part, you canmake a stunning tray worthy of holding your fine jewelry, among other things. And how is that exactly, you may be thinking? Well, my friends the secret is simply combining two techniques that I mentioned yesterday in my post about DIY baby blocks, namely paper mache plus decoupage. Yes, meaning strips of gooey newspaper and then a finishing touch with a top layer of some beautiful decoupaged napkins, or any other paper that you'd like to use. And there you have it!

 And of course, your creations may just turn out to be so lovely that you'll want to use them on your dining room table, which is certainly fine as well.

 

You'll Need:

• recycled styrofoam trays
• newspaper and a flour/water or glue/water paste, plus my paper mache tutorial
• white acrylic craft paint (optional, not necessary if your last layer of paper mache is with white paper)
• beautiful napkins and mod podge or any decoupage medium, plus my  napkin decoupage tutorial

How To:

Cover tray with several layers of paper mache and set aside to dry. Either apply a layer of paper mache with white laser printer paper, or paint your paper mache surface white or cream. Apply a decorative layer of decoupage using images from the very delicate top layer of napkins, or just about any paper or imagery that suits you. Enjoy, and or course these would make great gifts, so be sure to make a bunch of them!

DIY Baby Blocks — Fun For Any Age

DIY baby blocks aren't just for babies, especially when they're covered with interesting illustrations or even messages that you can easily apply with decoupage. I made these DIY baby blocks with recycled scrap-pile wood pieces and covered them with a few layers of paper mache before adding the paper napkin images using decoupage. Truthfully, these crafty baby blocks would look cute sitting on a shelf anywhere, not just in the nursery!

You'll Need:

• wooden scraps or wooden blocks
• a white glue or white flour paste for paper mache
• paper mache tutorial
• white acrylic craft paint
• mod podge or any decoupage medium for decoupage
• napkins or other images for decoupage, and napkin decoupage tutorial

How To:

If using rough and not perfectly shaped blocks (as I did) cover them with a few layers of paper mache, and paint them white. Apply images using decoupage. If using napkins, use only the top layer with the image printed on it (napkins are usually three or four layers) and work very slowly to avoid tearing the napkin. Napkin decoupage will generally not produce a very perfectly smooth surface since it's almost impossible to apply the very thin napkin images with no creases. Use your imagination and make lots of fun blocks for play or even as a way of displaying some of your favorite images.

Gorgeous DIY Fabric Flower Table Decor For Every Occasion!

These elegant and artful stacked organza fabric flowers, (made by melting polyester organza or chiffon fabric circles with a flame), and which I posted about with a tutorial here, will make your table look just amazing! I had originally planned to use them as napkin rings, but after I found this coordinating wired floral ribbon in my stash, I decided to simply wrap the ribbon around the salad plate. Our seder table looked so beautiful with this simple addition, which I'll be sure to use again and again! I'm sure these flowers will be used as actual napkin rings at some point, and at the moment I've got them hanging out tied around one of my empty Moroccan frames, where they also happen to look lovely

One note, the fabric I used is a polyester satin organza, though one can and should try using chiffon which is slightly sheer and looks really great using this technique. And I have to say, the fact that my table was adorned with flowers all slightly different, looked much more interesting than if they were all the same, so have fun making a bunch of varieties.....wouldn't these be wonderful for a DIY wedding or sheva brachas? Get together a group, teach them how to make these flowers, and enlist their help. Sounds like a great time to me!