creative jewish mom

How To Add A Dutch Door Cover Page To Your Sketchbook

In case anyone thought that filling a sketchbook was about page after page of blank canvases that are all the same, guess again, there are so many ways one can customize the pages of a sketchbook or journal by adding cutouts! Imagine that? I recently turned a page into a frame for the artwork underneath it, and one can do this in so many ways, with craft punches or simply using a craft knife and ruler, or, yes, quite simply scissors! Another way to customize a sketchbook or journal, and especially a bullet journal, is to work with the idea of the dutch door, namely cutting a page, or pages, in half horizontally, and possibly even removing one of the portions. There are many ways to go with this idea, and I have given the vertical dutch door (not really a thing, but hey we can get creative can't we?) botanical silhouette idea a try, and it is truly so simple and adds interest that is simply not achievable in any other way. A vertical dutch door makes a great title page if you are dividing your journal according to months, or is just a fun way to play with juxtaposition of sketches. I love how the strip of geometric doodles peeks out from the next page, and invites one to turn the page! So lets take a closer look at this fun way to add interest to your sketchbook or journal.....

How To Draw A Camelia And Keep On Drawing Them And Drawing Them......

Want to draw something really quite simple and totally relaxing? Give this camelia (if that is what it is?) flower sketch a try, and if you are like me, you will not be able to stop drawing this flower! I first saw this fun flower on a greeting card that I shared in the features on craft schooling sunday, here, and since it was unlike the other flowers I'd drawn in my sketchbook,  I thought I'd give it a try. And then I added a bunch of little leaves and branches, and voila, a whole page in my large sketchbook came to life! And then I drew more and more and more, and I even drew a large camelia in front of a mountain, which you can see if you keep on reading.....But first I must say, I suddenly feel like drawing this flower again, but I'll change that little thing in the middle to something that looks more like the stamens in the middle of a camelia, stay tuned, but first take a look at the rest of the pages I drew!

A Peek In My Sketchbook: Simple Geometric Doodles

Simple geometric doodles that might also be called, in some cases, origami doodles, are so sweet, and perfect to practice in your sketchbook. Once you've mastered a simple doodle, such as a geometric pineapple, you can use it in so many ways. I'm picturing geometric pineapple placecards, gift tags, notes to kids in lunch bags, you name it! A folded paper airplane doodle is also really fun and useful, and while the origami crane doodle is a bit more difficult, that too can be used time and time again. So delve into geometric doodles, and enjoy, Ah yes, they'd be perfect for wrapping paper or decorating plain gift boxes as well! Enjoy!

Tips for Boosting Your Child’s Self-Confidence

Above: Build self esteem with crafts! We did this project above here,for Rosh HaShana, but it could be done anytime to send a basket full of wishes to friends and family!

Building and nurturing a child's self esteem is an often overlooked aspect of early childhood parenting, and yet it is so incredibly important! Studies have shown that self esteem can be established as early as 5 years old, according to the Washington Post, and parents as well as care givers play a very important rule in helping every child build the self-confidence that will serve them well for a lifetime.

With just a bit of forethought, there are many simple ways to help your child feel confident and proud, especially in their day-to-day activities, which in turn influences their future. Sounds a bit scary, namely the crucial role we play as parents, but regarding self confidence, at least, it is really isn't difficult, and might be simpler than you think. The first step is awareness, and the second step is implementation, which you can start today. Of course many of the tips are things you are quite likely already doing, but it is great to do them with awareness. You can do it, and you'll kick yourself later if you don't make an effort now, so lets keep on reading.

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Summer is in full swing, and since we are usually in the USA during this period, there is something I've discovered for the first time this year with my kids, and that is that teens are perfectly capable of making their own plans with friends for outings and even overnight trips, (here in Israel the country is small and bus travel is safe, so kids get used to traveling from north to south to visit family at a fairly young age, often with someone keeping an eye on them) so the anxiousness regarding what we will be doing during this vacation period is simply non-exhistent, phew! I do hope we'll take some family trips, but without the pressure from the kids I can just calmly figure out where to go and when. Personally I'd rather stay home and paint or sketch, or try out my new gelli plate, since this is actually the worst time of year to go anywhere as the whole country is basically on vacation.

I've been delving into the idea of making succah decorations now, when there is time, and I've made a bunch of plastic bag pom poms, and I have a huge number of plastic techina bottles waiting for their turn in the spotlight. Washing out all the containers is a bit of a headache, but I'm gonna do it, as those containers have taken over an entire kitchen cabinet, with more in boxes in the basement! I also had fleeting thought about using the gelli plate to print some fabric panels for the succah, which would be wonderful, but then again I already have many options fabric wise, so maybe my time would be better spent elsewhere, like simply making some printed wall hangings to sell? Okay, we won't go there right now, instead lets get inspired by all the great features from last week's party, including one pumpkin themed recycling craft! (Because crafting ahead of time is the best......) Enjoy!

Woven Plastic Bottle Baskets Are Fun, Practical And Waterproof!

I am reposting this original craft idea that I posted four years ago, as it just seems like the perfect craft right about now, especially if you've followed my advice and started to make some plastic bag yarn! Okay, enjoy!

I am so excited to share with you this recycled craft that is made entirely of recycled materials, with the exception of hot glue! Let me introduce a fun craft project for all ages: woven plastic bottle baskets using plastic bags. These little baskets are perfect for Purim or any of your spring celebrations, and so much fun to make! I used 1.5 liter soda bottles as that is what we have on hand, but certainly one can make much larger baskets using much larger bottles. So gather up those plastic bags, and those recycled bottles and lets get started! Oh, and just by the way, I also made some 'grass" by cutting up plastic bags into tiny pieces!

How To Make Yarn From Recycled Plastic Bags

Summer is a great time to get the family interested in recycling crafts, and this week I've been teaching a few of my kids, as well as my husband (!!!) how to use recycled plastic bags to make yarn, otherwise know as "plarn." As you can likely imagine I've been hoarding colored and even white/clear bags for quite a while now, as one needs quite a few bags to make something like a plastic bag pom pom.

Unfortunately where I live some stores charge for bags, but that is about as far as we've gotten with plastic bag consciousness, which means using them for crafts is a very good thing to do, at least if they do make it to the garbage they'll already be much less harmful as little pieces, possibly? If you are fortunate to live in a place like my home state of California where I'm quite sure plastic bags are scarce, not to worry, there is still plenty of plastic lurking in those online deliverys, the bag that holds the toilet paper, and even frozen veggie bags. Just about any kind of plastic bag is fair game, and even the more crinkly ones like those that hold pretzels can be cut into strips (rather than making yarn) and used to make pom poms as well! Okay, I'll admit I've not yet tryed using a frozen veggie bag or the bag that holds the toilet paper, but I did just save one, so stay tuned for that!

Want to learn how to make "plarn", let's do it!

How To Draw A Floral Border

Drawing with black fine line pens on white paper is just so very satisfying, I can't explain it really, but you'll know what I mean if you give it a try! And add the relaxing task of drawing flowers and botanicals to the mix, and I could just keep on going for hours, which is a good thing if you are trying to make progress in your new sketchbook! Not to mention that the sketchbook I'm working in now is literally twice the size of the old one, which means more space to fill, but also more freedom to draw much larger. If you take a look at the date on the sketchbook page in the photo above you'll see that it was drawn a whole month ago, which means I have many many more sketchbook adventures to share with you!

The wonderful thing about a sketchbook is that it is a great place to practice something that you might want to use elsewhere, on a card or work of art, and the sketchbook serves as a great place to keep track of your progress and the things that work out well. Lot of little pieces of paper are annoying and often get thrown out or damaged, whereas sketchbook drawings are nicely preserved in a book, and you have a real record or your journey. Enough said, how about giving a floral border a try?

How To Draw A Floral Monogram

Hot summer days are a perfect time to take out the sketchbook and work on drawing skills or lettering skills or collage or anything that feels right! Floral monograms are a perfect exercise with amazing results even for those whose skills are undeveloped. So pick a letter, get out some reference for drawing simple flowers and leaves, and get started, Or first practice drawing flowers and leaves, and then give your botanical monogram a try, you decide! Either way the key is to start, so lets get started, shall we?

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Phew, we have completed the 3 week mourning period that occurs right in the middle of summer, and now, let summer vacation really begin. Hmmm, in previous years maybe, when we were blessed with the opportunity to travel abroad and spend precious time with dear family. This year, well, we've already been on "vacation" of sorts since before Passover, with my teens learning by phone and traveling now and again to take tests, so this three week vacation period before the start of the Jewish month of Elul, and thus a return to school, will be a bit different this year. I do realize that the feeling of being on vacation is something that the kids need, so we will make a big effort to do barbeques (from our own porch with a mountain view) and take day trips to the Meditteranean coast, an hour from home, (can't wait for that!) and around Northern Israel where there are many many beautiful and interesting things to see.

And like I always say, now is a great time to get started with Succah decorations, when there is time to get creative! I have been saving a particular container all year long to cover a whole wall of the succah, and my current passion is making tiny origami stars and plastic bag pom poms which I will share soon! Okay, that is all for now, hope everyone is well, and taking advantage of a slightly different summer by using it to get creative! And now for the features from last week's party, enjoy!