creative jewish mom

How To Cut A Recycled Plastic Soda Bottle For Crafting

With Succot crafting just around the corner, after the Rosh HaShana crafting, it's time to start saving those plastic bottles so you'll have some of the basics on hand for some exciting DIY Recycled Bottle succah decor.

I'd recommend starting to cut those bottles as you save them, to be one step ahead of the game, and to possibly save just a bit of space. I will be doing crafts with three different sections of soda bottles labeled in the diagram above. And if you really want to go all out, you'll need many more tops and bottoms than middle sections. The bottom section (#1 in the diagram) is very easy to save in stacks, and the top section also stacks somewhat. That middle section is a bit bothersome, but hey, it's just until Succos!

How To: Squeeze the bottle slightly with one hand and make a cut with a sharp knife in the other hand, cutting on one of the lines I've drawn for you. You can finish cutting with the knife, or hand off the bottles to kids to finish cutting with sharp scissors. That's it, more to come soon!

 

Pom Pom Flowers For Fall

Pom pom flowers made from variegated or space dyed fall-color yarn with natural branch stems look great right now. And you can do something just a bit different and tie the branches together with some gold ribbon as a fun element on your fall table.

Okay, it's not exactly fall yet in most of the world, and I have to say, I prefer a gentle transition from the brights of summer to the rich colors of fall, which is what I've tried to do in this photo. My eye really isn't ready for the deep burgandy and reds that we generally associate with Rosh HaShana here is Israel, and certainly not for the orange/brown black palatte seen across the United States. 

I'd say start gathering some items from around your home, touches of wood, some metallic gold, and mix them with some brights here and there. Nothing drastic, just a slight soothing change in the colors we choose to use on our tables and around our homes. 

And if you haven't yet discovered the joy of pom pom flowers (which you can always pull out at a moment's notice to make a festive centerpiece) I highly suggest that you make some! Stored in a dust free spot, they'll last for years and are so much fun, believe me! See my post from last year for more information regarding pom pom flowers. Perfect any time of year, just switch the yarn colors to suit the season. Metallic gold and silver ones would be great too! And while you're at it, make a bunch so you can lend some to the neighbors when they need a festive centerpiece in a pinch- as I always say, nothing beats using our crafting skills to do acts of kindness!

Wine Cork Stamp Rosh HaShana Cards

Wine cork stamps are super simple to make and a great way to make some quick and sweet Rosh HaShana cards. With the Jewish New Year just around the corner in three weeks, now is the perfect time to make cards so that one can even send them to friends and relatives near and far. The apple is one of the traditional symbols for the Jewish New Year, and the perfect shape for making a wine cork stamp!

You'll Need: a wine cork, a sharp knife, a red stamp pad, a black pen, some card stock.

How To: Using a sharp knife or a craft knife, simply remove from the cork two notches, one for the indentation at the top of the apple and one for the indentation for the bottom of the apple. That's it! Stamp carefully, with a towel under the cardstock to enable a better print, and set aside to dry before adding details. 

And of course you can certainly use your little stamp to make gift tags, napkin rings, treat bags, you name it! And if you'd like to explore some other methods of stamping, you can see my previous posts here: potato printing, craft foam stamps, styrofoam tray printing.

 

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! As you all know I just love the fact that while the majority of the contributors at every party are from the US, (makes sense since this blog in in English, right?) there almost always are representatives from around the world. This week we had contributions from:  Nigeria, Italy, Malaysia,The Netherlands, The UK, Israel, India and  South Africa as well as the United States. Hope I didn't miss anyone, if I did let me know, it's not always so clear where everyone is from! That's all for now, enjoy the wonderful featured projects below that I've picked as favorites from last weeks party:

First of all, I just love this quilted child's duvet cover made from Kath Kidston fabric with a little Amy Butler thrown in there, from The Gingerbread House. And aren't these quilted kulottes from Aesthetic Nest just fabulous?

I love these industrial/retro candle shades from mod podge rocks, and am crazy about this crocheted bath mat from Shropshire Scrapper. You can fully expect to see one of these from me in some lovely colors to place anywhere except the floor......my little spot here in the Middle East is just way too dusty to consider putting anything I like underfoot! And this my friends is why our most popular method of cleaning is to hose down the house. Okay not literally, but lots of water is involved.....sorry, didn't mean to digress! (But at least I know I've got the Israelis in the crowd chuckling?)

These camp fire skewers from Mel designs are really great, a nice original project, and this sweet doll sewing project from Nurture Store would capture anyone's heart.

Mich in L.A. made some great bracelets from watch bands and crocheted flowers, while Maize Hutton made these brilliant little flower pot thimble necklaces.
 

And now for the acorn projects at the party! An adorable bug village with acorn cap trees from Crafts By Amanda, and these very lovely little crocheted acorns from Anne Marie. Thats all for now, enjoy!

 

Israeli Mediterranean Coast Just South of Lebanon, Gorgeous Achziv

Ever been somewhere without really knowing where you were? When I spied this coastal spot last year just across the street from our short stay on the Moshav of Lemen (just north of Nahariya) I made a mental note to return. Last week we decided to take a little family outing and I said to my husband, "head to the coast" with this spot in mind. We found a nice fairly private little lagoon for swimming and enjoyed watching the fisherman. It was wonderful to finally sit on the edge of the mediterranean, and though the sun went down way too soon, we were happy that we all listened to the voice in mommy's head that said "we need to see the water!" Ahhhhhh.

This is the view looking north, and you can see the white limestone cliffs of Rosh HaNikra (which we visited here) in the upper right hand corner. And amongst that group of people swimming in the next lagoon over happened to be a family that used to be our neighbors, small world!

One of the highlights for me, was coming upon these interesting wild succulents! Wow, wild succulents, who would have thought! There were tons of them growing in huge bushes, so I hope it was okay that I gathered a few specimens that I will try to root and grow in my garden. (But first I've been enjoying those specimens as part of my succulent centerpiece!)

Here it is my friends, the sun setting over the Mediterranean. And oh how I miss the ocean sometimes, though now I realize that this spot is really quite accessible in times of need, just about an hour's drive from our home, and just a bit longer by bus on a very lovely scenic route along the border of Lebanon and Israel.

And about that idea of being in a place without really knowing where you were, well I looked up Achziv, and it turns out to be an important historic site! Oh, that's why there was a parking lot filled with cars! Okay not where we were exactly but just down the road is a national park with an entrance fee, and within that area are the ruins of a crusader castle! (As well as a beach with a lifeguard apparently.) Achziv was a station on the ancient coastal road that linked Egypt and Phoenicia, and Nahariya which is just to the south has been home to Jews since the Second Temple period! Wow, that is history for you. And I'm happy to say that we created a little happy family history on this gorgeous site as well. We'll be back for more.

 

DIY Cake Flags Festive Anytime

These DIY cake flags are just about the simplest thing one can make as a gorgeous cake topper. If you have the supplies on hand you can make these in literally minutes and your cake will be the most stylish in town! And though I made these for my daughter's birthday, I think these would be great for Rosh HaShana or any holiday for that manner. But their regal look seems just right for the New Year. You could even put them in individual apples and place an apple on each plate for a really festive and fun table setting!