creative jewish mom

A Quick Crocheted Spring Basket

Spring is here which means it is time to get started with the Spring/Pesach organizing and cleaning......but first of course as I was recovering from a very festive Purim I spied a cute little basket with holes in it, that could be much more useful if one could not see what is inside, for me the hoarder that is! So I present to you a quick crocheted spring basket using an existing plastic basket with holes, an idea that can be used on many types of plastic baskets!

And yes, to make this project "quick" one does need the proper supplies, namely yarn and hook sizes that are large, so keep on reading for those oh so important tips, since right about now time is of the essence.......well at least on my end!

Hedenbergia Vine In Bloom, On The Late Side.....

If you follow my blog, you may already know that I just love sharing with you signs of the changing seasons. Migrating birds, blooming trees, ripening pomegranates and grapes are just a few of the things that make us excited around here, and I now share with you my yearly photos of my hedenbergia vine in bloom.....something that usually happens during the winter as opposed to early Spring, but so be it! Right about now, when some of you may be thinking about your garden, whether in containers or in actually earth, I'd like to recommend this lovely vine to you.......it blooms in the winter when all else in the garden is sleeping (at least in my zone) and in the summer is it a lovely and lush vine, that grows quite quicklym and happily attaches itself to whatever it can.

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

 

 

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday Purim Edition! The very very festive Jewish holiday of Purim starts Saturday night, with a reading of the Book of Esther, and then, I'll be getting busy preparing food and gifts of food for the day of parties on Sunday. Costumes and music and general craziness are all part of the holiday, and where I live we are all celebrating together, so neighbor hopping happens a lot as well, not to mention the stream of others who will drop by. You can always learn more about Purim by googling it, the history that we are actually celebrating is truly fascinating!

Speaking of fascinating, last week's party was full of great inspiration, so lets get this party started with the features from last week:

 

 

Love these DIY faux crystals from rain on a  tin roof and these gorgeous mermaid inspired bracelets from Flamingo Toes.

A fabulous whale baby quilt from flamingo toes and fun industrial style pencil holder (from a brick!) from grillo designs.

Migrating Cranes Flying Over Northern Israel

Two days ago my daughter called to me "Mommy, come quickly!" you won't believe it! To our great delight we witnessed the largest group of migrating cranes flying overhead. Not one group exactly but three, one after the other, each one larger than groups of cranes we generally see every Spring and Fall as they make their journey to and from Europe. I have shared our little observation of migrating cranes many times, and honestly, I still get just as excited as I did the first time I saw these magnificent creature migrating over Jerusalem when we lived there. And when you realize how large these birds actually are, it is even more amazing.......

Washi Tape Treat Boxes Recycling Craft

If you are like me, you likely find yourself saving little plastic food containers of all kinds that you know you can upcycle sometime. Purim, when we give gifts of food to friends and neighbors is a perfect time to put that pack rat collection to good use, and with just some simple supplies you can create something festive and cute! Time is of the essence, as I've still got lots and lots to do before the holiday starts Saturday night, so lets get started!

Simple Paper Cup Flags Centerpiece

Yes dear readers the pressure is on, with Purim rieally right around the corner, but you still gotta make your table look festive right? So how about whipping up some paper cup flag centerpieces which are really quick, look great and can be embellished however you like. Not to mention you can use them again and again for different occasions! I'll tell you a little secret, shhhhh. I actually made a few of these for my son's bar mitzvah dessert table, and have since used them for Chanukah, Tu B'Shevat, and now Purim! Yes I did in some cases add something different and taller to the center, which one certainly can for Purim, namely with a crown, or a clown or a pom pom......so let's get started!

Quick And Cute Cake Flags From Paper Cups

If you are celebrating Purim this coming Saturday night (with the major festivites actually on Sunday) then like me, you are likely in need of a few quick and cute ideas to help make your holiday festive. Yes, little tricks that give your table and your mishloach manot that extra little touch but actually took very little time! I introduce to you the idea of paper cup flags, paper cup toothpick flags, and paper cup dessert cups.....these three items all made from one single cup! Keep reading for complete instructions, and yes I know time is precious, so I'll make it quick!

Collage Using Crafting Paper Scraps

Ever felt bad about tossing all those scraps of paper left over from a big crafty project? Well I sure do, and so this time I decided to make a few quick collages with all those fun shapes and bits of shiny or glittery paper left over from making a bunch of Purim castles. One of the pieces I'll use to make some gift tags, and the other pieces I've already used as part of my pizza box top robots! So next time you've got a bunch of little bits and bobs, why not craft with them, and who knows the results might must be truly fantastic!

Recycled Pizza Box Top Robots For Purim

The Jewish holiday of Purim starts this coming Saturday night (Sunday night for those living in Jerusalem proper) so lets turn up the heat and get crafting! These cute pizza box top robot clowns are just one idea to get you inspired. For starters, take a look around the house and use what you have on hand — the very best way to really truly get creative without having to run to the store, and spend time (and money) unnecessarily!

And truly, these robots came about literally on account of the above advice. Last Tuesday I was working hard making decorations for a community Purim party, and my kids were treated to some takeout pizza since mommy was too busy to even think about preparing food, not to mention cleaning up the huge mess she had made, yikes. Upon arriving home, I was greated by two medium size pizza boxes whose tops were clean, and my huge pile of crafting mess, mainly little scraps of paper. So of course, I thought that some pizza box top robot clowns would be a perfect start to our Purim crafting. With only a few days left to truly get into the Purim spirit, my advice is, go large, go funny, and go recycled.....here's how:

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! Spring is here and my desires are divided between crafting indoors and getting out into my container garden and doing a bit of freshening up. Ah yes, but with Purim in just a week, that container garden will have to wait as this is prime crafting season! My kids have now outgrown the school costume thing, and really just want to buy a crazy hat or wig, so having kept them out of the stores for years so as not to be tempted by all the store bought stuff, this year we'll just go ahead and gasp, just shell out a few shekels for some what we'd call "Purim shtick" namely comical accessories.

So without the usual costume flurry, things will be a bit different this year, and hoping to have a slightly calmer landing into the very holy holiday! Of course there are many things to do as always, so lets get started with this party!

Here are the features from last week:

 Love these crocheted chair cushions from Pillar Box Blue, and this great looking cowl from Anne Marie.

 A simple DIY for a hanging plant from a bowl from Brittany Goldwyn, and a fun faux cowskin lampshade from rain on a tin roof.