creative jewish mom

Filet Crochet Diamond Trellis Pattern

Summer is a great time to delve into crochet, as it is so very relaxing, and great as a take along project! Our summer here in Northern Israel is turning out to be yet another stressful one, so I think I might just need to go down into the basement and look for some yarn stash as in any case the fabric store where I might buy yarn is likely closed. A month or so ago I started making filet crochet swatches in preparation for a filet crochet baby blanket, and this diamond trellis pattern is certainly a great choice! That said, several of us here at CJM headquarters would actually go with the filet crochet diamond pattern, a smaller diamond, that I shared yesterday, which has a slightly more sophisticated look. But never mind that, crochet a bunch of swatches before delving into a blanket project, it is so much fun, and my swatches are now dollhouse blankets and rugs for a 1/8 scale dollhouse I've made in a cabinet and another 1/12 scale one that I actually let kids play with. If you don't have any dollhouses not to worry, the swatches bring joy in any case and if you make them all the same size they could always become a patchwork blanket! Okay, let's crochet!

Filet Crochet Small Diamonds Pattern For Blankets And More!

If you already know how to crochet, or even if you are somewhat of a beginner, filet crochet is a great way to create a crocheted pattern with very little effort! No squares to sew together, no millions of ends to weave in at the end (not my favorite) and results that are very classic yet stylish! I have been crocheting swatches of various filet crochet patterns in order to eventually crochet a baby blanket or two, but using the chosen swatch that the new mommy has selected. A crocheted baby blanket using sport weight cotton yarn is not a quickie project, so best to make something you know will be loved! Speaking of loved, I do love this filet crochet diamond pattern, which I've seen used in a baby blanket, and wow, regardless of what the new mommy chooses, I think I'll just have to make one using this swatch as well! Okay, grab some yarn you have on hand, and crochet a swatch! I'm already using this one in a basic Scandi-style wooden dollhouse as a blanket/rug, which adds so much, but more on that later, for now, get crocheting!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

  Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks for joining me here! Hard to believe we are already half way through June, which means friends, get going with those creative summer plans, whatever they may be! Grab a project that you can do on a lazy afternoon, in the car, on a plane, when on vacation........crocheting, knitting, embroidery? Given my sudden desire to embroider, I guess it is back, and with such simple supplies, why not? You can even get your juices flowing by starting with a kit and then tackling something bigger, or buy some embroidery decals and go to work on a tote bag, pillow, jean jacket? The main thing is to just do it, and choose something not overly ambitious so you can finish it! Okay, lets take a look at the features from last week's party, many craft ideas that you can finish, and a dessert idea that will surely get finished, ha ha.

DIY Floral Chandelier With Faux Flowers In Just Five Minutes!

Ever seen those stunning floral arrangements hung over tables for rustic weddings or other special occasions? Floral arrangements assembled to hang over a table might be oblong and arranged on a long rectangular wire base, or circular and arranged on a large hoop, that is then hung from the ceiling. These ideas work well in party tents or wedding halls with high ceilings and are of course quite costly. We can create something lovely and budget friendly for our own homes by using faux florals and greenery (or the real flowers combined with faux vines) to create something quite a bit smaller and more appropriate to hang over our dining room tables! And if like me, you had forethought and purchased a chandelier that can actually act as the base, (for a myriad of decorations, of course) then this project can come together literally in minutes!

I assembled this beauty for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and am still enjoying it. I am having a debate in my head as to how long I'll leave the florals there, and I'm sure my daughter will have input on that when she comes home for shabbos, but for now, the floral chandelier lives on! Want to know the 5 minute process involved and what I used? Keep on reading!

Quick 1/6 Scale Crocheted Doll Pillows For 16" Maileg Style Animals Or Dolls

It is now officially confirmed, I have fallen down a very deep and all consuming rabbit hole regarding all things DIY dollhouses, and only just realized that it is even funnier that the main characters for my 1/6 (or 1/8 scale) dollhouse are rabbits! Yes, my art practice has taken a back seat (sadly, but will get back to it) as creating things for dollhouses and assembling them is just so very fun, what can I say? I have learned so very very much, which I'm planning to share here for others who might like to navigate the world of dollhouses, whether for themselves or for children or grandchildren. I have so much to say on the topic, so stay tuned! In the mean time, lets get our toes wet with the idea of crocheting items for dollhouses, in this case a 1/6 or 1/8 scale dollhouse that is Maileg style, using animals as dolls, which I just adore! (And friends, you can pick up some very inexpensive rabbit keychains like this one to use as dolls!)

Simple Crocheted Pouch With Colorful Stripes And Drawstrings

Want to make a quick crocheted gift to use up some of your stash, or maybe to give yarn from a previous now unraveled scarf a new life? One of my crafting students quietly asked me if I'd crochet something for him, so I dove into my basket of stash and this pouch, together with two others was created. I made up the pattern as I went along, which one certainly can and should do with a project as simple as a drawstring pouch! That said, I'm writing out the pattern for those who are just giving crochet a try!  And friends, summer is a wonderful time to make things for holiday giving, and having a bunch of crocheted pouches on hand when Chanukah arrives is certainly a wonderful thing! Okay, lets crochet a simple drawstring pouch with stripes.

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Summer has arrived in Northern Israel, and with no festive holidays on the horizon it is time to start thinking about summer creativity for the sake of creativity! I'm taking a break with the crafting sessions with my 5th and 6th graders, while I'll continue once a week with the 4th graders, as they just need it so much (I saw their faces drop when I mentioned taking a summer break and it broke my heart.......) I'm truly hoping to get back to my own art, even sketchbook exercises and watercolor, as it has been way too long! We'll see if that happens, as there are so many crochet projects I'd like to tackle, not to mention doll house creations which I will share sometime soon. Okay, lets take a look at the features from last week's party!

Sunrise Salmon Pink Phalaenopsis Orchid Blooms!

My orchid sanctuary, filled with more than 20 previously orphaned and almost dead orchids that I've managed to bring to life, is filled with lovely blooming orchids and for the first time ever I now have phalaenopsis orchids that are referred to as red, salmon, sunrise or pink, you name it! This particular plant has huge leaves so I'm not surprised that it has produced a double stem of stunning blooms, and I could tell by the color of the leaves that the flowers would be red/pink but what exactly was a mystery until now.

I do love the elegance of white phalaenopsis blooms, but a mix of colors (I now have 3/4 color varieties) is truly special and I'm starting to feel like an orchid whisperer, though I'll admit I have not been successful with all the poor plants brought to me by a family friend who does landscaping and rescues discarded orchids. In return we send him photos/video updates when the plants bloom, and it makes him happy too! When guests come to our home, I generally point out that the blooming orchids are real, and anyone interested gets a little lesson in how to get an orchid to re-bloom. 

The only secret I have, other than weekly ice cubes or watering in the sink, is that as the water boils for my morning coffee I give each plant a spritz of water, and plants that have finished blooming are placed in the shade outdoors during the summer. I have not used any fertilizer though I do have some somewhere and would like to give it a try after this blooming period.

Blooming Cactus Craft With Cupcake Liner Flowers

Sometimes the cutest idea ever just happens all on its own, and in this case left me with my own jaw dropping at the combo! I was left with a bunch of cupcake liner flowers after crafting with my students for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. I had already arranged a smallish collection of both ceramic and plastic cacti to set the stage for the giving of the Torah, which happened on a lush mountain in the middle of the Sinai Dessert. (Never mind that cacti are not native to the middle east, and even the prickly pear cactus (sabris) seen growing everywhere in Israel is from Mexico or the West Indies!) All of a sudden I had the idea of placing a cupcake liner flower on top of a cactus, and voila, a fun blooming cactus was born, and made my holiday presentation so much more festive! So if you own some cacti, where ceramic from Ikea or resin or plastic, take my lead and give them a giant bloom on top! So simple and festive!

Mini Mezonot Rolls For Shavuot!

I  pulled this out of the archives and added the recipe that I found in one of my cook books on a slip of paper, now recorded permanently here! I'll be making these again tonight to enjoy on our Shavuot Kiddush on Monday morning as they were a big hit last year. Here is what I wrote lastyear:                  

Never mind the specifics of the stock photo I've used here, this article is about making tiny buns that are not colored, though was that done with beet juice and tumeric, hmmm, interesting! I wanted to share with you a recipe that a neighbor gave to me to bake tiny mezonot hamburger buns that are perfect for appetizers when you need something just a bit next level! (If you don't know what "mezonot" is, don't worry about it, or look it up if you like, but basically regular bread is not mezonot, while these are not technically "bread." I made the recipe for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, for our morning dairy kiddush/meal as I wanted to change up the usual of too many sweet things and start serving more actual food instead. I had planned on making these tiny buns and filling them with a slice of sweet potato, slice of fried eggplant, pesto and soft white cheese, (divine) but I ran out of time and simply included them on our cheese board already sliced, and they were truly a hit!