creative jewish mom

Hanukkah Dancing Characters Craft For Kids

Here's a super cute idea to add some cheer to your home this Chanukah— dancing dreidels, doughnuts, menorahs, candles and oil flasks! You only need a few simple supplies and everyone can have fun creating their own dancing characters. We'll most likely be hanging these garland style, which we have yet to assemble, but they're much easier to photograph at this stage! In any case I figured I'd share this with you now, as it's time to get crafting my friends— Chanukah is in just a little over a week! Yikes, why did I have to mention that?

You'll Need:

• colorful card stock
• paper fasteners
• a hole punch
• pens and markers
• a little imagination!

How To: Draw the body and arms and legs separately on the colored paper of your choice. Add details with felt pens, cut out, punch holes where needed, and attach arms and legs and heads (where needed) with paper fasteners. If you're in need of some big decorations, so make some of these in which the body fills the entire letter sized sheet, the bigger the better! Enjoy!

Geometric String Craft Stars Make Gorgeous Holiday Decorations!

Aren't these geometric string craft stars fabulous? I've been wanting to do some crafting with my kids to revisit the geometric string crafts of the 70's, and this was a perfect start. Plus I think these work perfectly with dreidels and menorahs and candles as a part of our Hanukkah themed crafting! And the only one that I did was the gold one at the bottom, the rest my kids did with a little help at first, and then with no help whatsoever, though I did cut the circle and the slits for them.

We used recycled cardboard from food packaging, so the other side looks like this (above) though if one want to make hanging two sided ornaments, just use plain cardboard. The patterns are different on either side, making the project that much more interesting!

You'll Need:

• cardboard, recycled preferably
• a circular punch, or something round to trace, a mug, a glass etc.
• heavy thread, string or yarn, depending on the size of your circles, I used fine crocheting thread that comes in those little spools in tons of irresistible colors.
• scissors

How To:

1. Cut out circles, our circular craft punch wasn't able to handle some of the cardboard we used, so some of the circles were hand cut, which is why they're not quite perfect!
2. Cut slits in circle either 8 or 16 evenly spaced. If you're planning to do a bunch, make one circle with slits perfectly placed and then use that as a guide for other circles. Remember how to divide a circle dear readers? 
3. Now it's time to have some fun. With the end on the back side insert string into slit 1 and bring down to slit 9. Carry string across the back and insert into slit 2. Bring string across the front and insert into slit 10. Carry string across the back and insert into slit 3. Continue working in this fashion until you've gone around the circle at least twice. Turn you circle over to reveal, ta da, a beautiful geometric star, like the metallic gold one in the top photo.
4. To create the star seen in the exact middle, turn circle over and repeat above steps with a second color. Wow, too much fun, and of course there are so many designs one can create!

I was inspired to create these geometric string craft stars by a contribution submitted by putti's world at this Craft Schooling Sunday linking party. Thanks so much to Putti from Florida for being such a wonderful little crafter, and to her mom for making it happen! You all can do it too!

 

Hanukkah Card Craft With 3D Dreidel

Here's a fun idea that kids can make with just a tiny bit of help — a 3d dreidel Hanukkah card! Of course these look great standing on a mantel or shelf as holiday decorations too, so be sure to make some extras to keep for yourselves! This idea was suggested by vista print, and I'm happy to say, it got us to do a little card crafting that we may not have done otherwise! Of course one can certainly make these cards with 3D dreidels made from patterned paper, though I love the look of bright solid colors and the little designs my kids quite simply cut out using good old scissors. And do check out the cut paper Hanukkah cards we made yesterday for some fun ideas for decorating the outside of your cards.

You'll Need:

• colored stock weight paper
• glue or a glue stick
• a pattern for how to cut the dreidel, below

How To:

Cut dreidels according to the pattern above, size of course depends on the size of your card. Open card so it lies flat on the table and position driedel so that it's fold lies directly over the middle fold of the card. Decorate cards before attaching driedel, or afterwards, it's up to you, though it's best if dreidels are set aside to dry. Apply glue to flaps of dreidel and affix to card. Set aside to dry and enjoy!

Hanukkah Card Craft With Cut Paper

Here's a fun Hanukkah card craft using cut paper that's oh so simple and yet the results are just beautiful, don't you think? I always love cut paper, and am so happy to found a use for it this Hanukkah! And of course, this is a great project for any age.....just look at the great little works of art my seven and nine year olds did (mine is the purple one)!

You'll Need: 

• colorful card stock
• a glue stick, or white craft glue
• scissors

How To: Start with a little art lesson explaining the beauty of simple shapes and combining colors, and get to work. No instructions necessary here, right? And of course, if you don't need any Hanukkah cards, so how about some beautiful works of art to hang around the house?

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! Holiday crafting is in the air, so it's time get inspired with some ideas from around the world!

In order to avoid the confusion that goes with holiday time, a Jewish blog and a readership that celebrates a variety of holidays, I'll be taking a vacation from Craft Schooling Sunday for the month of December. So my friends, this is the last Craft Schooling Sunday of the year and will look forward to re-connecting with you all in 2013! Last weeks party was full of great ideas, and here are just some of my favorites:

 Artsy coffee filter garland from Aunt Peaches, a crocheted circles garland from Estrea Chikitu.

Make your own stamps from take out container styrofoam, from can't stop making things, and an introduction to a great crochet stitch from homemade at my place.

Love these variations on star ornaments made with cardboard and yarn or embroidery thread from putti's world!

 Love the little mason jar gardens from aduo scriptum, and this stunning fabric bunting from daisey jayne.

Red Ted Art made a gorgeous leaf mandala with the kids, and gingerbread snowflakes shared yet another fabulous idea for a six pointed star ornament. 

Lanas e hilos crocheted this cheerful baby blanket, and Anne Marie is at it again with this simply adorable crocheted granny mushroom poncho. That's all for the features, what have you been up to?

Hanukkah Drawings On Graph Paper Re-Visited

The other day my 9 year old son came home with this version of the little graph paper Hanukkah doodle that I posted last week. Of course I uttered a few oohs and ahhs, as it's quite a work of art. Okay, not exactly an example of pure creativity, but the idea is to create, even if it means drawing within the confines of graph paper for those who lack the confidence to just draw. Sigh. (Do check out that previous post here for step by step instructions courtesy of my 10 year old daughter!)

And, for those who even have a hard time drawing something using the graph paper squares, so get them to make a pattern by simply coloring in the squares, the results are beautiful too!

And once you have a beautiful pattern like this one, you can certainly cut the paper into shapes to glue onto holiday cards or gift tags! Honestly I wouldn't mind sitting down right now with some markers and graph paper, it seems like such a relaxing mindless little activity that everyone could benefit from once in a while!

More Hanukkah Hama Bead Crafting!

We love hama beads and they're perfect for making little ornaments for Hanukkah! I think we may very well have enough now to make a Hanukkah mobile, so that's next on the growing list of crafting we need to do in the next two weeks, yikes! And if you don't have enough ornaments to make a mobile, they would make very cute little gift toppers, or hung singly just about anywhere.

And I don't know about you, but hama beads sure seem like a great activity to pull out on a rainy day, and since they're waterproof you can even photograph your creations to share with others! A blogger has got to be on her feet, right? Happy Hanukkah crafting, more to come!

You can see our previous hama bead Hannukah ornaments here.

Craft Foam Magnet Craft For Kids

Here's a fun little craft foam magnet craft for kids that's great any time — as a birthday party activity, as a seasonal or holiday craft, or even to make as gifts or gift toppers. All you need is a few simple supplies, and the kids can go to town with all kinds of themes and fun shapes.

You'll Need:

• craft foam in several colors
• high tack craft glue
• googly eyes (optional)
• a pencil,a black permanent marker
• magnets, preferable recycled from business card size flat magnets

How To:

Draw shapes with pencil on craft foam. Cut out shapes and glue together. Add details with permanent black marker and glue magnets to back. So very simple that in no time your fridge will be filled with fun magnets!

For a grown up's version of this craft check out my rosebud craft foam magnets, also a great party project or to make as little gifts!

Crocheted Starburst Baby Blanket

Introducing a fabulous crocheted baby blanket, appropriately named the crocheted starburst baby blanket. And in addition to sharing with you this simple yet lovely project, I'm so happy to say that this project was a collaboration between myself and a reader, who quite simply went to town with my filet crochet starburst square. Lucky for me, my end of the collaboration only involved a few emails and back and forth, while Diana did all the work......and this lovely blanket was born!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, the weekly international and very crafty linky party that is sure to inspire! Every week crafters from around the world gather here, last week from places like Japan, Jakarta, Australia, The United States, The United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Turkey, South Africa, Slovenia, and Israel (just me usually, hear that Israeli readers?) and maybe more places that I've missed? And my apologies to those of you who contributed last week but did not receive a comment from me, it was a busy week with lots of out of town travel involved, and well, sometimes it is not possible to do it all. Thanks so much to all of you who take the time to share here!

Love this tutorial for a drawstring backpack from happy in red and this faux turquoise cork necklace from family chic.

Love these wild animal paintings on canvas from Se7en, and a great DIY for a simple cardboard book from the cardboard collective.

Adorable crocheted edging baby socks from Anne Marie and crocheted frames from Joy Jonne, which you can also turn into beautiful little ornaments as I did here.

Some sweet crafts for the kids: spoon dolls from family, home and life, and a fun way to give a gift of money from mermaid's creations.

Love the idea of punching shapes out of fall leaves, from little lucky, and  DIY glitter dishes from Aunt Peaches. That's it for the features, will you find a few moments to incorporate some of these ideas into your week?