creative jewish mom

Crocheted Cactus Applique To Use In So Many Ways

Crocheted cacti are just the cutest things, really, and despite my late arrival to the trend (Truthfully I made these a year and a half ago, just had no time to photograph them, sigh.) they still look great. This crocheted cactus applique can be used in so many ways, I actually used it as a birthday garland recently, and am hoping to make a dessert scene wall hanging in the future. I found the pattern on Pinterest and changed it just a bit to suit my personal aesthetic, namely I made the cactus taller and used two strands of green yarn in different shades to add texture. I just love the results, and you will too! Ah yes, I was just thinking you could use these little cactus appliques as napkin rings or stiffen them and even make key chains. Enjoy!

Simple Crocheted Cactus In Bloom

It is true I may have missed the boat when it comes to the crocheted cactus trend, as I actually started this cactus back in July 2017, but truthfully after finally completing my first crocheted cactus and enjoying it a bit in my dining room, I think this is a trend that is worth keeping around. And if you follow my tutorial for making this crocheted cactus, you'll realize that this is actually a quick and simple crocheted cactus, and oh so simple to whip up! Better yet, whip up a whole collection and you'll be so happy you did, no water or light needed for you new garden, just some crocheting! And the great thing about this pattern is that you can use it to make cacti of all sizes, tall, wide, short, you name it! Okay, lets get crocheting!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here, and a big thanks to all the amazing contributors who continue to make this party fantastic! Last week we celebrated the Jewish new year for the trees, which means the next Jewish holiday on the map is Purim! The good news is that the pressure is not on as this year is leap year, which means we have two months of Adar, and Purim occurs in the second Adar, so which there isn't a huge amount of time there is still a good 7 weeks or so, (the holiday is on March 20th) meaning time to get a head start on the holiday crafting, me included! Last week's party was full of amazing creativity, so now for the features, enjoy!

In My Sketchbook: Drawing Succulents With Markers

Dear Readers, I think the time has finally arrived, not only to start being consistent with the creative practice of keeping a sketchbook, but also sharing some of the results with you! Truthfully all the illustrators that I admire keep really great sketchbooks, so I realize that there must be something to it! I started this sketchbook this summer, and at first was even afraid to do anything in the sketchbook for fear of wasting pages, but I tried very hard to get over that and realized that I wasn't going for perfection just starting the journey, yippee! And, I have two very lovely empty sketchbooks that I'm afraid to start, but at this moment I also realize how very silly that is, so I'm going to start those, since the paper is nice and thick and perfect for painting in the next few days, promise! In the mean time, here's a little peek at some very simple pen and marker drawings I did using one of my pots of succulents at the model. No pencil drawing first, just go for it!

Crocheted Flowers Plus Dishtowel Equals A Great Wallhanging!

Now you too can make a gorgeous crocheted flower wall hanging that is a breeze to whip up and is truly unique. I love the pastel colors for early spring, or baby's room, or you can go with brights or neutrals to make something that looks amazing in your special spot. Come to think of it this could also be great inspiration for a DIY wedding backdrop, right? Of course you'll need a bit of time to crochet all those flowers, but it would be amazing!

A full year ago I shared some fun crocheted flower pillows, that would be nice partners for this wall hanging, but first lets get started!

Crocheted T-Shirt Yarn Pears

I have been wanting to crochet a pear for ages, partly to go with my daughter's pirum parum poster, and partly because who can resist a crocheted pear? And who can resist a crocheted pear that is big enough to be a pillow or couch prop, certainly not me, and I am truly in love with the results of taking a regular crocheted pear pattern and using t-shirt yarn to make it something different altogether, yippee! So, as you can see, once you start crocheting pears from t-shirt yarn you really have to crochet at least three, as they look just so amazing together, right? I was crocheting that black pear on a car trip with my husband and he had no idea what I was up to, and only saw the results when I gave it to him as a chanukah present......of course he didn't appreciate my efforts, but that is okay, I didn't really crochet it for him, but rather as some fun decor for our bedroom or any little spot in the house in need of some giant fruit! Okay friends, lets get crocheting......

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Sometimes when the party resumes after a break things are a bit slow getting started, but not in 2019, the first party was packed with amazing projects, some of which I'm dreaming of doing myself......maybe someday! Sunday night is the wonderful Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the New Year for the trees, a minor holiday that involves a Seder with 4 cups of wine and eating lots of different kinds of fruit, yippee! The holiday marks the awakening of the fruit bearing trees, and is a lovely day to celebrate during the dead of winter! I'll be going out to a local Tu B'Shevat Seder with my daughter as we'll be the only ones home, and holidays are always so much more enjoyable when observed with others! So dear readers, have a wonderful Tu B'Shevat (that means tet vav shevat, shevat is the month tet vav is the day of the month) and enjoy the features!

A Fun Craft For Tu B'shevat: Paint Blooming Trees With Q-Tips

The Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, which is the new year for the trees, is on Sunday night, so now is the time to whip up some crafts to celebrate! Ah yes, and in case you are not familiar with this lovely holiday, which marks the cycle for fruit bearing trees, then you might be interested to know that it includes a Seder, which like Passover, includes four cups of wine! Of course one does not have to drink four cups of wine (while one does for Passover) as that might be a bit much, but rather the seder includes red and white wine and mixtures of the two. Okay, enough about that, before we get into the holiday where we love to eat as many types of fruit as possible, lets paint some pretty pictures! The almond trees here in Israel are the first fruit bearing trees to bloom, and generally bloom right around Tu B'Shevat, but since this year is a leap year and we are adding a whole extra month into our calendar, I'm guessing the trees won't be blooming just yet. Plus we've had a really wet and sometimes cold winter, which I believe keeps the trees dormant a bit longer, that means that this year we need to paint some lovely almond trees,and it is so fun you'll want to fill the walls, Let's get painting, with Q-tips........

Embroidery With T-Shirt Yarn On Benches In Jerusalem

I came across these photos of benches embroidered with t-shirt yarn in Jerusalem, and I just had to share them with you because truly I just love everything about this project! Yes, of course I'm bound to like just about anything that uses t-shirt yarn plus creativity, and the peacock bench (continue reading) takes the prize! I don't know too much about this commissioned yarn bombing project, or whether the benches are still intact, but I may just have to go and see for myself sometime soon.

The photos here are courtesy of a great article on mymodernmet, and the copy below is quoted from that article as well, which you should check out, so inspiring!

"Jerusalem-based artist Talya Tomer-Schlesinger sees artistic potential hidden within every corner of the world. The director of the Baka neighborhood asked Tomer-Schlesinger to brighten a local road for an upcoming arts festival and, when she was deciding what to create, the artist looked to the street’s benches. These latticed structures reminded her of her grandmother’s embroidery grids, which inspired her to weave recycled materials directly onto the seats. Since the benches are outdoors, Tomer-Schlesinger used old bathing suits in place of thread or regular fabric to prevent weather damage.

While she embroidered flowers, leaves, and even a vibrant peacock on the bus benches, the artist invited locals to join her. This expressive production evolved into a community project, bringing joy to those who participated in and witnessed the benches’ evolution. Hopefully, this venture will inspire other cities to bring their residents together as they add a bit of creative color to their own streets."

Crocheted Doll Bassinet With Changing Pad

The best present you can crochet for a little three year old who loves baby dolls is this moses basket or baby bassinet crocheted using t-shirt yarn. Fun to crochet and the results are just too adorable. I followed an existing pattern more or less, and felt like adding a little mattress/changing pad, which give the bassinet that little extra something. Of course that is only if like me you tend to get obsessed with the crocheting, the bassinet alone is fantastic too! And if you don't know how to crochet, well maybe this project is the one that is going to get you inspired? Crocheting with t-shirt yarn is so much fun, and think of all the rugs and baskets that are waiting to be made, right? Okay, lets get this project started......