The solemn Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av is coming next week, so now is the perfect time to do some crafts relating to the holiday! And the really nice thing about this Jerusalem embroidery project is that you can pack it away carefully and then use it in the Succah! You see as jews the concept of "Jerusalem" namely our holy temple is always on our minds, and that juxtaposition of sorrow and joy, which is truly what life is about, is ever present. So, make a embroidered plaque using a styrofoam tray for Tisha B'Av, and leave it on the plain side, and then when Succot rolls around maybe add a beaded fringe or some ribbon! Lets get started.
You'll Need:
- styrofoam food tray,or the top or bottom of a styrofoam takeout container (styrofoam that had direct contact with meat or fish is a health hazard, so please don't use those!)
- embroidery thread and large needle
- marker or pen
- colored paper
- white glue and hot glue
Note: If you don’t have any styrofoam on hand you can certainly do this project on a piece of felt, (in which case you won’t need to punch the holes) or even on a piece of lightweight cardboard.
How To Embroider On A Styrofoam Tray:
1. On a piece of paper that is the same size as your styrofoam tray spend a few minutes drawing possible designs. There are many examples of Judaica with scenes of Jerusalem, you may want to look at some of those for inspiration.
2. Draw your design on the front of your tray with a fine pen. My marker wiped right off which was great for correcting mistakes!
3. Using your large embroidery or yarn needle, poke holes roughly 1/4” apart along all the lines of your drawing.
4. Embroider the outline of your design with a back stitch, meaning you need to go through each hole twice. Go up through hole #1, down through hole #2, back up through hole #3 and then back down through hole #2.
5. Add some more color and help define your picture by glueing small pieces of colored paper within the stitched lines here and there.
6. Glue your tray onto a piece of colored card stock (hot glue is the best for this) and cut around 1/2” from the edge so that a border of color peeks out, making a nice frame.
That is it, now go and make your very own version of this fun recycling craft, better yet make a whole gallery of them, you'll be glad you did when Succot rolls around!
