creative jewish mom

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:

A Fun Name Tag From A Recycled Jar Lid!

I've been saving metal jar lids as they seem like great little frames for crafting, and now at last I actually put one to use as the perfect little name tag for my 5 year old's Purim costume! And the red taster's choice lid was just right for his costume—not to mention that anything upcycled or recycled always gets extra points in my book! For those of you who don't read Hebrew, it says "Yosef HaTzaddik" as in the original Joseph who had a special striped coat!  Lucky for me I picked up this vintage coat years ago because I loved the colors and when I realized it would be a great Purim costume, well I just had to save it. And on a side note, if you make your own costumes it's much easier to convince your kids to be an important figure in history versus say a policeman or soldier like everyone else.

So there you have it, if you save coffee jar lids and vintage clothing they may very well come in handy! Not that I'm trying to make you into a pack rat, just sayin', as they say!

You'll Need:

• a metal jar lid
• a pin back
• a hot glue gun
• a message or name printed out on your printed or handwritten, a photo would be great too!

How To: Pretty self explanatory, right? You could also use your lids as bases for collages or small paintings. And they really don't take up much room, so go for it and be sure to send your ideas on over! All the very best and wishing you all a wonderful Purim!

 

Embellish A Crocheted Beanie With Raised Stripes!

Did you know that you can transform a plain crocheted beanie into something super fun and even costume worthy (in this case) by simply crocheting rows of single crochet onto the surface of the existing hat? In its previous life this purple beanie was a cast off from last year's Purim costume making, and I just came across it as I was searching for some yarn to crochet my five year old a new hat for his costume. Lucky for me, I saved a bit of time with this solution and the results are great. Phew, another thing to cross off my list today, don't feel bad if you're still working on costumes for tomorrow or for Sunday, I'm with you!

And another interesting discovery is that the beanie could even work as a pill box for a small head! And you probably thought of this, but this embellishment technique could work for any knit or crocheted item, just imagine! I think stripes of color are a great way to say hello to Spring. And speaking of hello, I must say goodbye for the day as I've got a huge list of things to accomplish before Sunday. All the best!

A Mexican Costume For Our Purim Fiesta!

We love classic Mexican style— and after this year's Mexican Purim Fiesta crafts which I shared with you a few weeks ago, it only seemed natural for my daughter to dress up as a Mexican girl. (The girl's schools are doing their Purim costume party today.) And fortunately for this very busy mom, we had all the items on hand, and the results this morning were fabulous!

The painted fruit which I posted about previously, were strung around a sombrero together with a few crepe paper flowers, which I also used to fill a Mexican basket. A Mexican tunic and skirt  were paired with some black boots, a wide woven Mexican belt, appropriate jewelry and braids.

The decorated hat gave the costume that extra punch, and one eight year old girl (with hot peppers painted on her cheeks courtesy of a neighbor) left the house very happy this morning and proud of her costume.

Phew. Now I think I'll go collapse. Oh wait, there's still a long list of things to do, so that will have to be put on hold for now. Enjoy your preparations, and as I figure it, a little loss of sleep is worth it to bring joy to your family and honor one of our most joyful holidays!

A Treasure Chest Gift Box From Recycled Plastic Containers!

Recycle those plastic containers that often hold sprouts or other fruits and vegetables, and make adorable gift boxes in just a few steps! I came up with this idea because we've been eating lots of sprouts lately, including soy bean sprouts (among others) that come in plastic containers like these. And of course I just couldn't throw them out! At the least I thought my kids could use them for making mishloach manot for their friends, but then this fun idea came along, and now I can't wait to make some more! And of course you could use this same idea to make a container from any two plastic boxes, no matter what the dimensions. And if your boxes are clear, so wrap your gifts or treats in some colorful tissue paper that compliments the colors of felt you've chosen. And you could make yours look a little bit more treasure chest like, and get some pirates to deliver them for you on Purim! And if you like my cute painted fruit, you can learn more about them here.

You'll Need:

• recycled plastic produce containers, or even a shoe box could be great too!
• felt
• fabric puff paint, in two colors to compliment the felt colors you'll use
• velcro strips or dots
• freezer paper (for making multiples)
• a hot glue gun

How To:

1. Cut felt "straps" to the width and length necessary for the size of your box
2. Hot glue straps to box such that box opens hinge style according to photo above
3. Now design your buckle, taking into consideration the width of the strap, and hot glue it to your strap. Note: I just discovered another great use for freezer paper! Draw your buckle on the computer, fill a whole page with them (to make multiple treasure chests) and print directly onto the freezer paper by running a sheet through your printer! (make sure waxed side is the side that won't be printed on) Then simply iron freezer paper to your felt and cut out your buckles. So easy with great results!
4. Add details with fabric puff paint. This can also be done before you attach your felt to the box, and would be a good idea if you're making multiples, since it's preferable for the paint to dry in a flat position. Set aside to dry, overnight is recommended, and keep away from little hands as this point!
5. Design a luggage tag (for your greeting) to attach to the handle, or a little pirates map would be great too!
6. Fill with something fun and make your friends happy!

 

Purim Decorations.......Crepe Paper Flowers & Clowns Galore!

Purim decorations are a great reason to fill the house with colorful crafts— not that one needs an excuse, but at least you won't have to explain yourself! I had planned to share some mishloach manot crafts with you today, but my photo studio (aka the great outdoors) was drenched so when the clouds parted for a minute I quickly snapped these photos indoors to share with you. I mentioned that I'd been filling frames and chandeliers with crepe paper flowers, and a kind reader asked if I'd share that with you.

I love the bright balls of color on my chandelier, which is always decorated according to the season/occasion. Yes, our house looks like a perpetual birthday party sometimes—don't you think that sounds good?

And just in case you may have missed the crepe paper flowers, well we've got a wall of jolly clowns adorning a long wall in the dining room. Yes, my friends, there's no mistaking it, Purim is on its way!

Make A Festive Spring Bouquet With Crepe Paper Flowers!



Mexican-style crepe paper flowers are simple to make, and look great as a festive spring bouquet. If you weren't convinced by my previous post, maybe you will be now? Find the right container (my footed urn works really well) fill it with marbles and/or small rocks, and simply poke the stems of your flowers into the container. A bunch of these as centerpieces, or one large one on a buffet is perfect for any festive occasion, and of course given the colors you choose you can make something either elegant or playful. These flowers were all made with at least 6 rectangles of crepe paper, and I had fun combining some spring colors.

The visual success of this bouquet is that most of the flowers are blue and green with just two larger flowers (10 layers each) with brighter combinations. You can find my tutorial here, and go to town! I've covered the chandelier over the dining room table and inserted some into some of my wrought iron frames, and would love to make some more, time permitting! Of course I've got a list of projects to complete a mile long so it's time to move on. Just take my word for it, make some of these flowers and they'll make you happy, which is exactly how we want to be feeling right now as we get ready to begin the second month of Adar, and get in high gear for Purim, which is just two weeks away. Yikes, see ya later!

A Kid's Craft With Glittered Craft Foam: Fun Fashion Accessories!

You can buy glittered craft foam in lots of great colors and use it for so many things! Of course you know me, I try not to buy anything, and in fact have resisted buying some of this craft foam too, but maybe just this once, since you can get glitter without the mess! My eight year old daughter made these headbands and pins (using safety pins) for a school skit with absolutely no input from her mom, and of course mom was so very proud, and glad to have a little help here on the blog! And I do think that this foam would be perfect for making accessories for costumes, fun gift tags and even napkin rings. So go ahead, treat yourself and have some fun, oh and give a bunch to the kids to create some wonderful things on their own.

Here in Israel I found this foam in my local craft store (try the kind that sells the supplies for school projects) being sold as letter sized sheets and also poster board size. and for the rest of you, well if I can find it here in my little town in the Middle East, well I'm quite certain you can find it too!

Recycle Cardboard Boxes & Kids Can Make Adorable Gift Packages!

Been saving those cereal and cracker boxes? Now is the time to use them to make super sweet gift packages for Purim mishloach manot, or for any occasion— who wouldn't love to receive a gift packaged in one of these great works of art? And the kids will feel so proud of themselves, you they may even be able to make a ton of these. Then all that's left for you to do is glue the boxes closed, add a ribbon handle, and something wonderful inside, and voila!

You'll Need

• recycled boxes from cereal, crackers etc
• acrylic craft paint, or any good quality paint that can be used for printing (namely not runny)
• paint markers or permanent markers
• circle sponge stamp (mine have handles) for kid's crafts, or carve a potato
• a hot glue gun
• wide ribbon

How To:

1. Open boxes at seam carefully. Lie flat and get the kids to work decorating them by either printing with a circular sponge, or by painting simple pictures
2. Once paint has dried, give kids markers to add details to their paintings and faces to their circles
3. For rectangular food box, add handle before you glue it together!
4. Glue side seam of box together with hot glue, followed by the bottom.
5. For cereal box "bag" shape, fold flaps down into box and glue in place. (just thought of this, it hides the cereal box graphics a bit!)
6. Punch holes in top of cereal box for ribbon handles. Use a little hot glue to secure ribbon to box just above the hole, and under the knot on the outside so it will lie flat.
7. Fill with healthy treats or wonderful handmade presents (Don't anyone get nervous, this is the goal, not reality most of the time, well except for the healthy part, which one really can do—I'll be giving whole wheat pitas and salads for Purim this year...)
8. Have fun and send me photos of your kid's creations! Oh and by the way, if you have a chance do pick up any of the drawing books by Ed Emberly, most kids really love them. (I know I did, though for some mysterious reason, my kids have yet to realize how wonderful they are! ) Some of the faces on the circle packages were inspired by one of his books.

Oh and one more thing. Painting pictures is actually quite difficult for many kids (and me too), so for those who are perfectionist types and don't enjoy painting because their pictures look like blobs, the idea of adding details with paint markers (or permanent markers) afterwards may help them loosen up a bit and enjoy painting! Here's to helping our kids enjoy the creative process!

Setting The Table For A Mexican-Style Fiesta —For Purim or Anytime!

Guess what friends, here's the crafting finale that I've been planning— now it's time to set the table for our Mexican-style fiesta! And Purim is three weeks away, so there's still time to make something this fun and festive happen at your house! It all starts with the right tablecloth, in this case a Mexican blanket, and some bright crepe paper flowers. The links to the projects are in this paragraph, and they're all simple enough for the kids (say above eight) to lend a hand. Bring out all the colorful dishes that you own, paint some whimsical styrofoam fruit, and make some napkin rings from plastic bottles and a recycled bleach bottle vase to match. And really, that's enough, just look how great this table looks! Oh, and if you don't have any colorful glasses, or would like to add some more to your table, so you can make some, following my tutorial for painted wine glasses.

If you can't find a Mexican blanket, so any colorful (and preferabley woven) table cloth can certainly work, just don't forget to pile on the layers— stacks of colorful dishes and single crepe paper flowers here and there as well as some extra fruit to make the table look it's best! Oh, and you can use those individual fruits as place markers if you like....simply attach a little flag (with your guest's name) with a piece of twine or yarn.

To complete the look in your home, hang some Mexican sombreros (now available for Purim at costume stores) some crepe paper streamers, and some papel picado (Mexican tissue paper banners) if you can find them, or make some yourself! And of course a Pinata would be the perfect finale' for your fiesta! (I've got some in the works that I hope to finish in time to show you!) And coming soon, tons of great recipes, so that your party will look great and taste great too!