creative jewish mom

Clowning Around: A Simple & Fun Paper Clown Project For Kids!

Colorful paper clown faces make great decorations for Purim or even your next circus themed party! My kids loved this project so much that it kept them busy for several evenings on the dining room table. I'd love to show you better photos, but with the rainy weather this week, we'll have to settle for a few indoor shots.

We made lots of clowns, so I filled a few of my Moroccan frames with them, and plan to hang a large banner of just clowns across the dining room wall. Well, actually I did hang the string of clowns, but it fell, thus the pile of clowns waiting for me to try again, and help them bring joy to our home! And believe me, these clowns are so cute, especially the ones that are less perfect looking.

You'll Need:

• colored paper, preferably card stock weight
• markers, we used Sharpie paint markers, together with other permanent markers
• double stick tape or glue
• scalloped circle paper flowers, my tutorial here

How To:

Depending on the age of the child, children can do this 100% on their own (my 8yr old daughter, for example) or may need you to draw the basic shapes on pieces of paper for them to cut out (my 5 and 7 year old boys) or may need you to actually cut out the pieces for them (4 and under)

1. On three separate sheets of paper draw a head with a neck, a clown hat, and a large bow
2. Attach pieces with double stick tape or glue
3. Have fun decorating with markers
4. Add some details, like paper flowers or pom poms.
5. Make lots and lots of these, the more the better!

DIY Paper Flower Wall Art For Spring

Use paper flowers made from scalloped circles to make some fun and fresh DIY artwork for your home. It isn't quite Spring here either, (we are fortunately getting some heavy duty rain today!) and I'm really enjoying this joyful shot of color. And best of all, you can whip this up quite quickly, especially if you have some worn vintage frames sitting around waiting for their makeover! Or if you don't have any frames sitting around, so just attach them to a large piece of cardboard, make a frame with ribbon or rickrack, and that would look great too!

You'll Need:

• paper flowers, tutorial from my post here
• a worn frame, the more beat up and stained the better (I found this one without its glass and simply pealed off the artwork, and voila, the sun and time had done a great job of making a nice frame on the backing cardboard!)
• hot glue
• wide ribbon (optional)

How To:

Line up flowers and move them around until you're happy with the arrangement. Affix with hot glue. Enjoy your breath of Spring!

 

Colorful Eggs From Paper Pulp For Spring Crafting!

Spring is just around the corner, so now is a perfect time to make eggs and bird's nests! You're right, I didn't make a nest, since these eggs look so lovely in the glass bowl, but maybe you'd like to? And honestly, we're in the middle of some Purim projects that we really need to finish so that I can clean off the dining room table! (I'll give you a hint, it involves paper mache.....) Then again, if the weather dries up a bit I may just take the kids on a nature walk and collect some little sticks to make nests. Sounds like a great activity to me, though I think we may just have to make some birds too! (And I've been wanting to make birds for months so maybe the Purim crafting can wait?)

You'll Need:

• styrofoam or plastic eggs
• paper pulp made from your crafting scraps
• instructions, from my previous paper pulp project, found here
• or, simply decoupage the eggs with small bits of torn paper for a simpler project that would be more suited to younger children

And by the way, if you can find the plastic eggs that open up to hold treats, wouldn't it be great to fill an egg carton with a bunch of those for Purim? And how about getting the kids to dress up as chickens? And you could be the farmer's wife? Your family will definitely be the life of the party, don't you think?

 

Crocheting For A Cause.

It's a great feeling to use your crafty skills to do acts of human kindness. And while I do lend a hand quite often making centerpieces for Bar Mitzvahs and other community events, I've never actually taken part in a worldwide project. So when I saw Sarah London's request for granny squares, to make blankets for the victims of the flooding in Queensland, Australia, I thought "I can do that!" Plus when I looked at the list of crocheters and their countries, no one from Israel had joined the group, so I just had to!

I used up lots of scraps of yarn, and the project led to a nice discussion with my children about all the ways in which one can do good in the world. Now I will be packing these up and sending them to Australia. I have no idea how they will work with the other squares women are sending in, but I'll leave that up to the experts! If you would like to participate in the Crochet A Rainbow project, you can find the info here.

And of course there are many many organizations worldwide that organize the giving of handmade gifts to those in need. Not just those in need of the actual item, but also those in need of human kindness. So do think about donating a little bit of your crafting time for a good cause.

Creative Recycled Packaging Ideas: A Round-Up For Purim From The Archives!

Yes, Purim is coming so I thought I'd get a start by showing you some of  my favorites from last year. These ideas can all be used for Mishloach Manot, the gifts of food we give to friends, neighbors, co-workers, teachers etc. on Purim. And of course they can also be used as gift packaging or party favor packaging any time! Enjoy.

Recycled cereal box packages are my favorite! (With more ideas to come this year, so save them!)

Recycled plastic plate purses are the perfect packaging for the little fashionistas in your life!

Recycled baby formula can packages are a gift in themselves! If you don't have a baby or one that drinks formula, I'm sure you can get a friend or neighbor to save them for you!

Recycled soda bottle packages look great, and are simple to make.

That's all for now, I'll be back with some new ideas for this year any day now. In the meantime, take a deep breath, there's still plenty of time to make this Purim memorable for your family. And I'm here with you, so feel free to drop me a line with any questions!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Wow what a party last week, still cleaning up! And my apologies to the very few of you who didn't get thank you comments from me, I'll blame it on my dinosaur computer who has been very very slow these days. But do know that I appreciate each and every one of you! There were some super projects, and picking my ten favorites was certainly difficult. Oh, and one contributor, even got featured over at Craft Gossip since the editor saw her project on this very party! I'm more than happy to help make you all famous, just give me your very best!

Oh my, isn't this sock stick horse from light blue grey (from The Netherlands) just adorable? I am actively in the process of trying to convince my five year old that he needs a horse for his Purim costume. I think if I show him this picture it may be a done deal, don't you think? And this doily wall art from Amy over at modpodgerocks, just lovely and quite simple really, especially if you're lucky like Amy and can find some colored crocheted doilies in the dollar bin!

Great and simple enough for kids— these hip yarn wrapped luminaries by Camilla over at Family Chic.
And if you hadn't already guessed, this aluminum duct tape lamp shade cover is by none other than the brilliant, eclectic, and very creative Aunt Peaches.

Isn't a magnetic street strip on the wall of a little boy's room just brilliant? And I love how it looks too, thanks to  cutesy crafts for this great idea, and a nice photo tutorial. Love this sweet little plush bunny made from a recyled shirt, don't you? For the tutorial head on over to chez beeper bebe.

 

Okay, isn't this milk carton boat from Courtney over at between U and me, just the cutest? Love those waves, a great way to use a circle punch! And isn't this little birdy cage embroidery by flamingo toes great? It's all done on the sewing machine and there's a great photo tutorial too!

 
Aren't these retro toothpick holders from Carolyn's Homework super? And this simply adorable cupcake softie from Alicia over at The Red Deer comes with a tutorial, so you can make one too!

Okay, that's all folks, and now for another week of inspiration, get your tickets right here! For those of you who have something to share, please don't be shy, and do link back to the party.

Slice Of Life: Clowns And More Clowns!

Last Friday we ushered in the month of Adar, which means Purim is coming! And for my little ones, Purim for some reason means clowns. That's okay with me, since I think their clowns are pretty sweet. And just wait until you see the big clown project that kept them occupied at the dining room table for three evenings in a row! But in the mean time, I thought I'd also share with you this simple balloon idea that my five year old brought home from school. Great anytime as a fun reward or a little party favor! The candy nose was just taped right onto the balloon, though one could certainly use double stick tape for the best looking results. And hey, I bet even some adults in your life would love a balloon like this. Give it a try. Like I always say, just blame me if they think that maybe you're a bit off your rocker. And of course you could gently remind them that humor is a great thing! And certainly something as innocent as a little clown balloon, right?

Paper Pulp Crafting: A Tray Made From Recycled Paper Scraps!

   

Ever made anything with paper pulp, or with a styrofoam tray? Well, I've recycled styrofoam trays and used them for paper mache projects and for making fun prints, and now they've found another purpose – as the base for a unique paper pulp project.

Now, as far as I know, paper pulp isn't usually beautiful and requires painting afterwards, but I decided to try my own technique wherein the color and beauty of the paper was still evident in the final product. And I think it worked. Mind you, the results are quite artful and far from perfect, not my usual style, but I'm trying to stretch myself a bit, and you should too, or at the least get your kids to create out of the box and not seek perfection! Why? Perfection does not equal creativity!

  
Look at that pile of scraps on my floor, beautiful right? It almost ended up in the garbage, but the friend who came over to craft didn't have time to clean up her mess...(don't worry, she offered to come back later) and I had the feeling that something interesting would come out of it. Plus the scraps just looked so lovely I had to come up with a way to use them! A little challenge between me, myself and I, that is still in the works with more paper pulp projects to come. Well, actually no promises, they're still drying so we'll have to see what the results are!  And in the mean time, I'm just going to have to figure out where to put my new little object.

You'll Need:

• colored paper scraps, these are laser printer paper weight sheets of paper
• a recycled styrofoam tray (this one held ground turkey)
• a large bowl, and water
• medium: mod podge or paverpol, or slightly diluted white glue

How To:

1. Tear up the paper into smallish pieces and place in the bowl, possibly fun for some kids (my five year old), tedious for others! As the pile grows, slowly add just enough water to moisten the paper.
2. Add just enough water to make all the paper wet, and even mushy but not so that there's excess water in the bowl.
3. Let the pulp mixture sit for a few hours to absorb more water. Covered it can keep for several days or more until you get around to using it. Just don't wait too long, because after a week or so the colors will start to look a bit muddy.
4. Working on small areas at a time, and using your fingers, smudge some mod podge or paverpol on the tray, and on the underside of a piece of the paper pulp. Press piece down onto tray and smudge some more medium on top. Continue working in this manner, being careful to maintain a consistent thickness of pulp, and using pieces that have a nice combination of colors. Fill in holes where necessary with small pieces of pulp.
5. I completed the top and then left it to dry for 24 hours before turning the piece over and working on  the bottom.
6. Set aside to dry (this may take several days) and once mostly dry, give one last coat of modge podge or paverpol. Before the final coat of medium, apply a small paper doily coaster, or just about any decorative element...even some stamps might be nice, or a picture of a bird's nest....
7. Enjoy your little artful project and use it as a catch-all for keys and coins, or even as a dish to serve tiny treats.

Oh, and by the way, if you'd like more information on the product Paverpol, and what it can be used for, click here. And if you live in Israel, take a few minutes to enter a great giveaway to win some Paverpol product, info here.

 

Parsha Parenting: Learning Life Lessons From The Garments Of The High Priest

After last week's very poignant parenting post by Eydl Reznik regarding ADHD mis-diagnosis (if you missed it you really should take a moment to read it) we're back with Parsha Parenting. I think you'll find this installment really interesting— from learning the specific reasons why the Jewish people have preserved the Torah for so many thousands of years, and what kind of character traits the Jewish people expect from their leaders to the specifics about the garments worn by the High Priest in the Holy Temple. And hopefully we'll all be working on our ultimate goal as parents —to be respectful and moral role models. Right here is a good place to start.

To read this week's Parsha Parenting, Parshas Teytzaveh, click here.

Another Super Simple Crocheted Baby Hat!

A super simple baby hat to crochet, pattern here, and bring along as a gift when you visit your friend after birth! I gave this one yesterday, as I just couldn't show up empty handed right? And buying something certainly wouldn't be my style. So I used up some more of my yarn odds and ends, and I love the vintage look of this slightly unexpected color combo...light pink and orange. And by the way, if you're thinking of skipping the little bobble on top (which is actually my crocheted button cover pattern without the button inside) don't, it makes the whole hat!