creative jewish mom

Chinese Style DIY Paper Lanterns Make Perfect Party Decorations

Festive paper lanterns using the simplest of supplies, colored paper, are so simple to make, and with gorgeous results, especially if you choose the right paper and colors that really pop! I made around forty or so Chinese-style paper lanterns for a community event, and I really didn't know exactly where they would hang or how I'd use them on-site, so I figured one can never go wrong with lots of brilliant color, and I just kept making lanterns, in different sizes and colors until I had run out of all the giant sheets of paper I had purchased. Check out the lanterns in progress on my living room floor here.

My creative process is really almost always just something that happens, and that is part of the fun! I hadn't even thought of using metallic gold contact paper, I just happened to spy a roll in one of the kitchen cabinets I was poking into, and in the end the gold really gave the lanterns a fabulous elegant touch.

Paper Lanterns: A Peek Behind The Scenes

Behind the scenes photos aren't always so great looking, but in this case, the vision of a bunch of Chinese-style paper lanterns filling up the floor in my living room was so gorgeous I just had to share it with you! I was asked to make decorations for a Chinese Auction themed evening for the women in my community, so I of course thought of these simple paper lanterns which are a winner on all fronts, and the results were really stunning fortunately, as while it is quick to make two or three, forty or so does take quite a while! Now the problem is what to do with them all after the party!

The great part about making paper lanterns using this simple paper lantern tutorial, is that you can make them in just about any size and in colors to match the theme of your occassion, and they can sit on tables as centerpieces, or be hung overhead. And since they are truly simple to make, even not so crafty individuals could certainly join in the fun if you need a ton of them! As you can see, I added strips of colored paper and metallic gold contact paper to the basic lantern base to make it more interesting than the basic paper lantern usually seen everywhere.

Another Handpainted Poster, This Time All By Himself!

This large sign that my son painted says "Yom Huledet Sameach" meaning happy birthday, and I am sharing his sweet wishes for a family birthday to make a point, which is that sometimes when parents do a project together with a child, like the Hanukkah poster we painted together, it gives the child enough confidence to then go and do something similar all by themselves, yippee! I was so happy when he agreed to do everything himself this time.

I did advise him on the scale of certain objects and he needed advice as far as what colors to use, but other than that, it is all his.

Forcing Amaryllis Bulbs In Pots Year After Year After Year!

There are very few things quite as stunning as a pot of forced Amaryllis bulbs in bloom. And the good news is that this exciting process is so easy to achieve year after year, with just a few simple Amaryllis bulb forcing directions under your belt. Unlike other bulbs traditionally forced to fill our homes with flowers during the winter, Amaryllis bulbs require no preparation, and only get better over the years, so whatever you do, don't throw them out! I almost forgot about my pot of bulbs that were in the garage sleeping for the past few months, but it is still not too late, to get started, so here we go! And just to get you inspired, check out my blooming amaryllis bulbs from last year that didn't actually bloom until April since they decided to keep to their own natural clock.

Here is the same pot of amaryllis bulbs that I forced last year. After my bulbs finished blooming indoors, I put the pot outdoors for the summer, and continued to water the plant until August. Then I let the plant dry out and put it in a dark cold spot until I was ready to bring it indoors and start the process all over again. As it turns out, last year only three out of four bulbs bloomed, as one of the bulbs was actually using its energy to make some babies! So this year I separated the babies from the mother bulb, and placed them in their own little pot.

Patchwork Fleece Gift Pouch

Patchwork gift pouches sewn from scraps are the perfect little handmade touch, and turn even the simplest little gift into something special. And when they're made from fleece, they're cozy too, which might not seem important for a gift pouch, but the results are really so much fun and perfect for winter-Patchwork gift pouches sewn from scraps are the perfect little handmade touch, and turn even the simplest little gift into something special. And when they're made from fleece, they're cozy too, which might not seem important for a gift pouch, but the results are really so much fun and perfect for winter-time gift giving.

I actually made these striped patchwork fleece gift pouches for my kids for Hanukkah instead of my usual crocheted gift pouches, and the kids loved them, and never guessed that I whipped up three of them in an hour or so. And if you aren't quite as short on time as I was, you can also invest the extra time and make a hidden drawstring, though I actually love the basic craft chord closure that I used here.

Today Is The Solemn Day Of The Tenth Of Tevet

The 10th of Tevet (this year, December 22, 2015) is observed as a day of fasting for many, mourning and repentance. Why you may ask? Well, a mere 2.000 years ago, on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet, in the year 425 BCE, the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. This was the beginning of the chain of events that culminated with the destruction of the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem (The Beit HaMikdash) and the subsequent exiles of the Jewish People from their land. As you may know, that exile scattered Jews around the world, where they both flourished and suffered greatly, but that is of course a whole megillah that I won't go into right now.

What is important right now is to focus on the specific energy of this day. The Jewish faith and all aspects of it, while rooted in the past are just as relevant to us today as they were thousands of years ago.....you just have to pull back the veils of the modern world and quiet all the noise that distracts us from our true inner core, to realize this and more importantly to embrace it.

Today is a day to think about what we as individuals can do for the world, how our speach and actions in our homes and in our workplaces and with everyone we meet have an influence, and how we must strive to be the very best versions of ourselves. In doing so we can each contribute goodness to the world, a world where goodness must prevail over evil. There is no time like the present to get to work, so I encourage each and every one of you to take baby steps, if necessary, but start doing good things and thinking good thoughts. That is the only answer. And today on the Tenth of Tevet is the perfect time for new beginnings.

 

 

Jerusalem Artichoke Tastes Like Artichoke Hearts

If you saw these tubers in the store, or even just sitting on a counter in someone's kitchen, would you be able to identify them? Truthfully these Jerusalem artichokes only slightly resemble the ones usually for sale so I was quite surprised by their truly fascinating look. in past years they have only consisted of the middle section, (see my previous post with photo here) without those little fingers, and so they weren't nearly as photogenic! When I served Jerusalem artichoke with my standard Moroccan meat with tumeric and celery last shabbat, most of the guests just assumed that those oblong yellow things on the platter were potatoes, and when I brought out these to show them what the raw version looks like there were many wide eyes at the table.

Crocheted Lampshade Round-Up To Inspire!

 

There is something about crocheted lampshades that is just so wonderful, and winter seems like the perfect time to add at least one to your home decor. You can choose a project that is quick to whip up or something more detailed depending on your preference, and of course, a crocheted lamp shade works equally well on tabletop and floor lamps as well as on hanging lights. I've put together a selection of some of the best crocheted lamp shades out there, and while some of the images are for inspiration, others have links to actual patterns, so take a look and enjoy!

Mini Doughnuts Using A Combo Mini Doughnuts Machine!

Doughnuts are a traditional Hanukkah treat, though I've always wanted to bake some rather than serve my family the oil laden traditional fried ones. And this year, ta da, we made a whole bunch of mini baked doughnuts thanks to a Bat Mitzvah gift certificate that my daughter finally redeemed (a year plus later) at a department store on our trip to Tiberius. To my great surprise, the only thing that we found in the whole store that was really worth the 250 shekel gift certificate was a combination waffle iron, cake pops, cupcakes and mini doughnut maker!  And just in time for Hanukkah too, so I guess it was just meant to be. My daughter actually made a ton of these but we were so rushed that I hid about five of them to photograph after the houseful of guests left and I could find time to take some photos!

An Amazing Archeological Site In Meron, Midrash Rashbi

On the last day of Hanukkah we took a little trip to Meron, to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, and just as we were about to get in the car I at long last had the opportunity to take my kids to one of my favorite places, the archeological site of the actual yeshiva of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, referred to as Midrash Rashbi. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai left this world around 200 CE, so this site is around 2,000 years old, can you imagine that?