creative jewish mom

A New Category Just In Time For Rosh HaShana: Apples!

Dear Readers: With Rosh HaShana coming up this Friday night, the crafting frenzy has begun, and I realized I could really help make your life so much easier if I put all the apple crafts together, as what says Rosh HaShana more than apples? So, I'm happy to say there are 29 posts (and counting) in this new category, where you can learn how to make apple themed crafts to your heart's content. Best of all, most of them are either very simple or use recycled materials together with a few basic art supplies. So lets fill the world with crafted apples and bring joy, blessings and creativity into the new year! Wishing everyone a new year filled with good health, financial stability, and the time to make creativity an important part of our lives, because it IS important, truly!

In case you missed the two links to the new category in the paragraph above, no worries, find that apple category here. Yes, just click on that word here, and a world of apples awaits!

Craft Schooling Sunday Will Resume Next Week

Thanks so much for stopping by, today is the second day of the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShana, and we are unplugged and celebrating the holiday, so Craft Schooling Sunday is postponed until next week. Wishing everyone a shanah tovah, a good year, and a gemar chatima tovah, may you be inscribed in the book of life! And may you and yours have a year filled with good health, financial stability, blessings all around and time for creativity!

See you next week, which will be during the period called "the ten days of repentence" leading up to Yom Kippur. I don't generally do much crafting for Yom Kippur, but four days after that is Succot, the craftiest holiday of the year. And now, with the whole country on lockdown, well I can imagine the succahs will be the most beautiful ever, hopefully mine included! But first, we have a lot of praying to do, and as I type this I am cooking for Rosh HaShana, which involves lots of symbolic foods, including round challahs and raisins in those challahs! Phew, apple with honey requires no preparation, and is always delicious.

I almost forgot, now I get to say, looking forward to reconnecting in the new year!

Wishing You A Shanah Tovah And A Sweet As Honey New Year!

Dear Readers, I had dreamed of taking photos of one of the pomegranate laden trees in the neighborhood in order to wish you a Shanah Tovah, a happy new year, but as is par for the course here at CJM central, we are going out town tonight, together with all the food I've cooked and baked, and all the food I will cook at our destination. Which means there is simply no time left other than to wish you a Shanah Tovah, and to share with you some photos of bee hives that I see on my evening walk. Rosh HaShana, the Jewish new year is all about honey, and dipping apples in honey, so these photos are timely, indeed! And the other lovely thing about these bee hives is that they are in the middle of an olive orchard, which is also a grazing parcel for a herd of cows now and then.

Apple Cake Cards For Rosh HaShana, Or Someone's Birthday, Or Both?

One of my sweet sons has a 17th birthday tomorrow, just two days shy of Rosh HaShana, and this year, unlike previous years when the men and boys travel out of town for the holiday leaving us women to bask in the freedom of just being women, ahhhh, but never mind, that is not happening this year, or so it seems, which means that for the first time in about ten years I have the chance to make a proper birthday party for my son on his actual birthday! Not all the family will have arrived back home from their various schools, but at least I can decorate!

Just in time for my birthday decor needs, my friend Amanda Evanston posted a video on her Facebook page showing how to make some artful cakes, in preparation for the opening of her private Facebook group, (to let in another batch of members, which only happens twice a year) so check out the video here, and consider treating yourself to a membership in her Insider's Group, totally amazing, and the biggest comitment you'll need to make is for a month, so given all the videos now available there, nothing lost. This is not a paid post, just spreading good news about something that could really change your art game, if you are up for it!

Okay, back to Rosh HaShana apple cake and birthday cake, which could in fact be one and the same as Rosh HaShana is the world's birthday, at least on the Jewish calendar, but available for all to celebrate, so feel free to join in! There will be honey cake and apples dipped in honey and dates and pomegranites and carrots and beets and pumpkin and leek and maybe even a fish head if you are lucky. (I just mentioned the symbolic foods we eat on the holiday.....we also eat several course festive meals and everyone listens to the blowing of the shofar, this year on Sunday only.)

Once again, I am going off on a tangent and you might like to paint some festive apples or a birthday cake, right? Okay, let's do it........

Festive Painted Apples For Rosh HaShana

Let the Rosh HaShana crafting take over your dining room table, because what a great way to end the Jewish year! And with just a bit of forethought, whatever you make now can be used as decorations in the Succah (coming up 2 weeks after Rosh HaShana), or as little gifts or cards to wish neighbors, family and friends a sweet New Year! We are about to enter a three week lock down here in Israel, which means more time for family crafting, and hopefully a succah that is more creative than ever! But lest I digress, first let's celebrate Rosh HaShana and a family birthday Wednesday night, with lots of color and fun painted everything!

I have been going to town with painting a whole box full of styrofoam apples, and then doodling on them with a white paint pen, and at the moment those that are still in my house (I sent a basket full to loved ones for Rosh HaShana) are actually living in a glass fish bowl, which is a fun way to use a fish bowl if you have yet to make it a terrarium! Okay, lets talk about how to decorate your little painted apples, as there are so many options!

Now Is The Time To Get Crafting For Rosh HaShana!

Sometimes I feel like I might just be the only Jewish crafting coach in the world, and that dear readers is why I am posting some photos of what is going on right now on my kitchen table, namely to get you inspired to use this very last week of the Jewish year to engage in creativity, while at the same time making decorations for Rosh HaShana and Succot to boot! This last week of the year is a very introspective and important one, as we have the ability to make amends for things that didn't go quite as planned during the year, whether it be with relationships, mindset, reaching goals, setting proirities, making wise food choices, among the many aspects of life that we can control. So while you may wonder if creativity has a place, I say that it most certainly does, and especially if your home is lacking in creative activites......turn up the heat and get those creative gears turning, and while you are crafting, you can certainly fill your crafts with great intentions and talk to those you may be creating with about some of the things I've mentioned here. Or maybe it is just about spending time with some loved ones who many need just a little bit of extra attention this week? Or maybe it quite simply about your own well being and your need for creativity, which should never be shoved into the closet. Okay, enough said, less thinking and more doing, at least when it comes to crafts and creativity! Let's take a closer look at what is going on here at CJM headquarters! Wishing everyone a meaningful and productive last week of the year!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Wow, we are now entering the very last year of the Jewish year, and as I write this we are about to celebrate the very last shabbat of the year. The pressure is now on to do our very best in every area of our lives and relationships in this week, especially as we can in essence make up for for things we didn't quite handle as we should have in the past year. So try to be extra kind and forgiving this week, to yourself and others, do an accounting of areas that could use some attention, and make sure to remember that there is a master plan and many things are just beyond our control, and our job is to figure out to make the best of things in any situation. That said, I must run as being ready early for shabbat is a goal that I want to accomplish, at least this week when there are no excuses as there are no huge group of guest arriving! Enjoy the last week of the year, and of course, don't forget to include some creativity, crafting for Rosh HaShana and Succot are valuable ways to spend time. And now, enjoy the features from last week's party......

8 Tips For Safely Using A Chainsaw On A DIY Project

We are in the middle of an extreme heat wave here in Israel, so it doesn't really feel like Fall, but with Rosh HaShana in less than two weeks, and the Jewish holiday season to follow, that means it is basically Fall, cool weather or not! So that said let's start thinking about bringing some nature indoors this coming Fall and Winter season with wood slice crafts! Wow, there are really so so many DIY crafts that make amazing use of wood slices, whether it be thick sticks or huge trunks, you name it, there's a DIY to go with it! (Think anything from fridge magnets to coffee tables.) For those who live near forest areas or have property with trees that need thinning now and again, DIY wood slice crafts are certainly an amazing way to use some of that wood. The rest of us can buy already-cut wood slices to our heart's content and maybe dream about someday having a yard full of fallen tree parts, that with the help of a chainsaw could become great DIY material. While this article is really about how to safely use a chainsaw, I thought I'd combine it with inspiration for DIY wood slice projects that can be relevant to us all! So, chainsaw, or not, enjoy this inspiration and happy Fall crafting!

Embroidered Geometric Stars On A Recycled Styrofoam Tray, Festive And Fun Anytime!

After sharing the cross stitch apple styrofoam tray embroidery craft, I just couldn't resist dusting off this project to share with you, as it still looks great four years after I first shared it. The wonderful thing about these string stars is that they have a universal festive look so they would truly be great any time. If you don't have any styrofoam trays hanging around waiting to be upcycled, try this on cardboard, the results will also be great! Okay, here is that post:

I have been saving these little square styrofoam trays as I had a feeling that would be great for a fun recycled craft project! And the a few days ago the idea came to me, embroider them! For starters I gave my geometric string stars a try, and I just love the results, don't you? You can use these little works of art as is hung on the wall (or in the succah!) or make some shapes to hang form the bottom of the piece, dream catcher style! So gather soem styrofoam trays, or even a piece or cardboard or foam core, and lets get started.

Cross Stitch Apple Embroidery On A Foam Tray!

I have dusted off this project from my archives, as it is truly one of my all time favorites! And this apple is just the beginning, collect styrofoam trays (from non-meat items) and have fun thinking of all the possibilities!I have a box with a bunch of trays in the basement, so if and when I get around to dreaming up some more cross stitch projects you'll be the first to know! I just got a big batch of embroidery thread that is calling my name, so you never know! Here's the old post that was written a week before Rosh HaShana, this time around we have more like a week and a half. Ah yes, and I've finally begun to realize that apples are a great symbol for the succah as well, so this craft can be enjoyed as decor indoors and then hung in the succah!

Here's a fun apple cross stitch craft that is fun for all ages, and is a recycling craft to boot! And with Rosh HaShana in less than a week, well a few of these cross stitch apples, that can be whipped up quite quickly would be a great way to welcome the new year! Not to mention of course that apple themed crafts are always perfect for teacher appreciation gifts and Fall. So gather your supplies, and if you don't have a recycled styrofoam tray on hand you could even use a piece of cardstock, a piece of foam core, or even a paper plate! Time is of the essence, so lets get crafting!

Plastic Bottle Apples To Make For Rosh HaShana Gift Giving And Succah Decorating!

Plastic bottle apples, namely apples made from recycled plastic bottles are something I've been making for quite a few years. They make great little gift boxes or treat boxes, are quite simple to whip up, and everyone loves them. Not to mention that you help create awareness of recycling and minimizing waste, and, this project is at its best when no spray paint (big yuk, bad for health and environment!) is used, rather the bottle is filled with something red. While an apple is generally thought of as a symbol for Rosh HaShana, many have the custom of hanging apples in the succah, as it is a fall harvest fruit, and Succot does certainly include the fall harvest!

At Rosh HaShana we always liked to give little gifts of appreciation to the teacher, and my kids very often prepared a small treat with a New Year's card for all the kids in their class. I like to give little gifts to neighbors, and this plastic bottle apple is perfect for tucking in a small treat (in a red wrapped) and a note, because I'd rather spend time crafting than baking! I have seen this idea or something similar made with a zipper, though I have not succeeded with that as great looking as it is. Simply punching a few holes and tying the top and bottom together with a ribbon makes this craft one that can truly be made in quantities, assuming you have been saving plastic bottles! Okay, now is the time to get crafting, let's make some plastic bottle apples!