creative jewish mom

Crocheted Kitchen And Bath Scrubbies Using Recycled Potato Sacks!

Crocheting with recycled materials is something that I find oh so satisfying, and so you can well imagine that these crocheted kitchen and bath scrubbies made using recycled mesh potato sacks are one of my favorite little projects! With a bag full of potato sacks waiting to be used and a long bus ride to a friend's wedding at hand, this became a fun take-along crochet project, yippee! These scrubbies are great to have on hand, whether for using in the kitchen (I use these as dishwashing sponges on shabbat) or in the bathroom, and you can make them using little scraps of left over yarn. What is not to love? And do check out my previous post, picot trimmed crocheted bath scrubbies using potato sacks as well, if you are looking for something a little less basic for gift giving.

One little disclaimer: that green kitchen scrubbie was actually made using a bag that held fresh almonds, check out my post from years ago here to see that bag in action, and of course similar mesh bags are used to hold other kinds of produce, so upcycle those too!

Ready to get started? Let's do it!

Quick Crocheted Summer Basket Using T-Shirt Yarn

In the mood to crochet something that is so useful you'll want to make a whole bunch to use this summer? Whip up one of these quick crocheted summer baskets to use in your home or at the beach or just about anywhere, and believe me, you'll be so happy you did! Need a fun hostess gift or a way to welcome some house guests? Fill the basket with toiletries or something fun and you're good to go! And assuming you choose some baskets that are on the small side (like mine), you could easily use this idea to make great party favors, teacher appreciation gifts or even to make some great looking storage baskets for your home.

Lets get started, shall we?

Summer Pool Party, By Kids, For Kids!

Yesterday was Rosh Chodesh, which means "head of the month", and since entering each and every new month on the Jewish calendar is a mini holiday, the kids have a half day of school and a special activity (in some families it includes a special Rosh Chodesh meal) is in order. With hot weather to boot, and our seasonal porch pool up and running I was able to convince the kids to use the pool together, and my daughter came up with the idea of a pool party.......all I had to do was supply the money to buy some pool toys and some special ice cream, and they did the rest, yippee!

My daughter made a sign for the door to the porch, that reads "welcome to the Rosh Chodesh party" together with our family name, the city in which we live and the Hebrew date. Something as simple as a few hand drawn signs really made the whole event seem like something special, highly recommended! So keep the kids busy this summer making signs, for real events or even imaginary ones!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

 

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Summer is a wonderful time to explore new avenues of creativity......crafting on the go, or perhaps sketching or painting watercolors.......or even knitting or crocheting or embroidering something if you have periods of time spent watching kids in the pool, or at the partk, or gathering with friends and family for some quality outdoor time.

So seize the season and indulge yourself, not necessarily in a trip to the art supply store, but in some time spent just creating and exploring your own potential, for which there are no limits!

And now, for the wonderful features from last week's party, enjoy!

 

 

A fun diy leather tassel necklace from living lavida holoka, and the cutest ever shoes for summer, DIY pineapple patterned canvas sneakers, from flamingo toes.

LOVE this up-cycled mens ties wreath, via duct tape and denim, and a fabulous DIY scaffolding bench from pillar box blue.

Croghan, New York A Mennonite Dry Goods Store And Gladiolas With A Story

Okay, really? Stalks of gladiolas for just 50 cents each, where is that? Well dear readers, you can certianly guess that I picked up a huge bunch for myself! These beautiful flowers that i once thouight only belonged in funeral parlors (no longer, love them now.....) were grown in the garden of this Mennonite family, who has a dried goods store and sells veggies and flowers from their garden. Truly charming and a lovely step back in time, in the town of Croghan, New York, in the southwestern foothills of the Adirondacks, and in the heart of dairy country. Ah yes, and right next store to the town of Lowville, that I shared with you a few weeks ago.

Take a little peek at what life looks like in rural upstate New York.......just i time to plan some of your summer adventures! (These photos were taken last August.)

Little Crocheted Flower Bookmarks Are Perfect Hostess Gifts This Summer!

Aren't these little crocheted flower bookmarks made using zip ties just the sweetest? And they are so simple to make that I'm whipping up a huge bunch to give as gifts when we visit with family and friends during our summer travels. A bouquet of them would be fantastic, as one can never have too many bookmarks, and of course one can make bookmarks like this with other little crocheted items too, you name it!

Ready to make some of these cuties to enjoy this summer? Let's get started.......

Super Simple Crocheted Flower In One Round......Make A Bunch!

Hey there, I've got the recipe for the simplest crocheted flower ever, simple because you crochet it in just one round, how about that? And better yet, you can use the formula to make teeny tiny, small or medium sized flowers by simply altering some of the parameters.....I've made three sizes so far, this one actually is the largest of them. These crocheted flowers can be used in so many ways, and are the perfect little project to have in your purse, or to make on the go.....each one takes five minutes or less, and in no time you'll have a whole bouquet! Use these flowers to make crocheted flower garlands, or sew them onto a pillow, or a garment of some kind. Love hot glue? Well then glue them onto an embroidery hoop or a branch, or onto some ribbon and make napkin holders. There's no limit to the ways in which you can use these little beauties, so use up all those odds and ends of yarn and make as many as you can......

Ready to get crocheting? Grab that hook and yarn, and lets get started......

Front Post Double Crochet Stitch Creates A Deep Raised Rib

Hey fellow crocheters, isn't it fun when you come upon a new stitch that you really ought to have know, but didn't? That is what happened with me and the front post double crochet stitch, which produces a deep raised ridge. Of course I have heard of the stitch, as it is used quite often to create crocheted cables and such, just never tried it. In the past I created ribbed crocheted fabric for my ribbed crocheted cowl, and ribbed crocheted hand warmers by simply crocheting in the back loop of the stitch, which is nice, but not enough of a rib for my current needs. If you are up on the trends in the crochet world you can surely guess what I'm going to use these pieces for, if not, well stay tuned!

Want to learn how to crochet the front post double crochet rib? It is so simple, just keep on reading.......

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

 

 

 

Welcome to craft schooling Sunday! I am writing this quickly before sundown Friday night, so that once Shabbat is over 25 hours after that, I don't have to run to my computer to start the party, it is on a timer! Yippee, the more time unplugged the better, right? And the more time for quality time with family, and for crafting and getting out and enjoying nature.

I hope you enjoy the features from last week's party, no time for more words than that, enjoy!

 

  

Love this key holder from pillar box blue and this dresden mini quilt from flamingo toes.

DIY night salve from midwest modern momma, and another great project from flamingo toes, a wall shelf to display embroidery floss!

Cinnamon Roll Cake Pops For The Dessert Bar Are Perfect In A Pinch!

Okay dear readers, I'm off sugar and flour entirely so I'm trying to post this fantastic idea for making cinnamon roll cake pops that look like lollipops without really looking too closely at the photos, and with the idea that while certainly I'm not encouraging folks to eat un-healthfully, sometimes you've just gotta bake that cake or make that special dessert for your child's birthday, a special event in school or important family occasion. If you're like me, and you're trying to mend your ways in the sugar department it may just be advisable to skip the baking and just assemble something from bakery bought items........and that is where this cinnamon roll cake pop idea really shines!

Of course if you love to bake, and especially if you can whip up a healthier version of cinnamon rolls using say spelt, why then go for it! The cinnamon rolls shown here were home baked by a friend of mine, and I just loved the idea so much I had to share it. Keep reading to find out how she made the display stand, an important part of the whole presentation!