creative jewish mom

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Today is the 17th of Tammuz a minor fast day and the very sad day on the Jewish calendar that marks the beginning of a three week period of mourning the destruction of the Jewish Holy Temple not once but twice! Not really the kind of day that one would have a party, but since this party is more about filling the world with creativity than having fun to distract ourselves from the woes of the world, I say, the "party" must go on. Creativity and crafting are wonderful ways to give back to the world, and to spread joy and peace and try our very hardest to erase persecution. Enough already, right? Just as the Jewish people has never given up hope of a perfect world with peace for all, so too, those of us who are makers need to move forward by making, and creating and encouraging others to do so as well. Each creative act adds goodness to the world, really! And now when you find yourself crafting rather than possibly doing other things you might need to be doing, you can say, "hey, creative jewish mom told me I'm contributing to the world, certainly more important than......" So with that in mind, I now present to you the very inspiring features from last week's party:

Look Down: Beauty On The Garden Floor

This week I've been posting all things party, so this natural confetti seemed just right. I love bougainvillea, and truthfully while some may be annoyed by all the falling petals, I happen to think that they look gorgeous, and especially when they are a variety of colors! Here bougainvillea petals are mixed with fallen purple Jacaranda flowers, and the effect is in my opinion just dreamy! If I were to blow this photo up it could be amazing wall art, right? I just might do that, or this could be great inspiration for an abstract painting, Either way, don't forget to look down when you are in the garden, as you may miss something beautiful! I just noticed a little weed that has made its way into the next photo, see if you can find it.........For a look at the Jacaranda trees check out my post here, for a look at the bougainvillea vines check out my post here.

Simple Cake Toppers From Supplies On Hand

Having just posted about our challenge trying edible printable cake icing, I just had to share with you once again my take on the whole cake decorating world, which is go simple! There are those who just love spending hours making a perfect and amazing looking cake, but that is not me, I have neither the skills nor the time, so I prefer simple, cute and from the heart. Using supplies I already have on hand, meaning quick and likely made at the last minute, sigh. Nobody really needs a cake that looks like it was factory made, right, they just want to see that you spent time thinking of them, and them specifically! So dear readers, do not run to buy fancy cake decorating supplies, stock up on colored paper, markers and skewers, and I can promise you that the birthday cakes (or any occasion cakes) you make will truly be memorable!  Okay, lets have a closer look at some of my favorite cake toppers.......

Monogram Engagement Cookies With Printable Icing Sheets

Baking is now my teenage daughter's department, and she is doing a great job at it, sometimes too great in fact as I'm trying to avoid sugar. These monogram engagement cookies could be posted as a craft fail, but rather than be that harsh lets just say we (she, rather) learned a big lesson with this one: don't try out something new when under pressure! Our neighbor's daughter got engaged and my daughter wanted to help make some deserts for the desert bar, fair enough. However, her schedule was packed and she had to make the deserts ahead of time as she would be away on a school trip the day of the party. She planned to make royal icing cookies with an edible printable monogram made with edible printable icing, and enlisted me to do the graphics. So far so good......despite being rushed with shopping for her trip, she printed the icing sheet at a store in town. Then she pastuerized the eggs for the royal icing, and at this point it was already at least midnight, sigh. (On top of that we had some guests that were supposed to come on July 16/17 and showed up on July 14, so we quickly had to clean the apartment where they would be staying, while they sat and waited, not a great situation, especially with cookies waiting to be made!)

If you are reading this, lets just go to the next page for the end of the story, shall we?

Simple DIY Party Decorations With Drinking Straws

Summer is the perfect time for fun and colorful party decorations, and quick party decorations take the prize, right? I shared my plastic straw themed birthday party decorations with you a few weeks ago, and now I'm sharing them with you as a total party theme, with links to each individual project. The star burst straw centerpieces are so simple to make, and could be great for just about any event, made in the colors to match your theme. Really truly, the simplest most festive decorations ever. So enjoy these ideas and give them a try, you might even decide to make your Succah decorations from plastic straws, which is great for making sure the Succah won't melt if it rains, a stronger possibility this year as Succot falls a bit later in the year!

And just a note regarding the fact that using plastic straws may not be eco-conscious: yes it is true plastic straws are not eco-friendly, and I am the first one to go the extra mile to recycle, but as I see it, these decorations are the kind of thing you'll use over and over again, as opposed to something that likely will go in the trash, so that in itself is eco-conscious? And if you have no use for these amazing plastic straw decorations after the party, donate them!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Summer is in full swing, and the perfect time to get crafting, so don't let the months pass you by, get those creative gears turning! i have been too busy to take my own advice, but shortly am leaving for our yearly summer adventures (photos of which for 2018 I still have not shared entirely.....hopefully soon) which will at the least include a sketchbook practice and hopefully painting of some kind, likely with gouche and watercolor. I love you all but looking forward to unplugging and enjoying nature, and feeling really fortunate for the chance to see new things and get together with family on another continent. So dear readers, don't forget to be gratefull for all the good things, take some time for yourself to satisfy that creative voice, and consider including more acts of kindness in your everyday. And now, for the inspiring features from last week's party, enjoy!

Simple Crocheted Coasters Are The Perfect Tiny Gift And Summer Take Along!

Someone just contacted me via the watermark on this photo, saying she saw the project on Pinterest, and the photo took her somewhere that did not link to my original post. She then couldn't find this project in my archives. Since she took the time to write to me, I figured I'd have a look in the archives! So I dug way way down and dusted off this sweet crochet project that is perfect for summer, and a great project for beginners with fantastic results. Enjoy, and make a bunch while you are at it, as it's always great to have some homemade gifts on hand, right?

Super simple crocheted coasters with rows of color applied on the surface, also with a crochet hook, are so fun to make! I haven't actually crocheted coasters in the past, as I don't have much use for them, but I realized that they would be a useful gift for a certain loved one who does have an antique wooden breakfast table. So these simple coasters were born, and sent off and I've already made another set for myself, which I'll share with you soon.

Fun Ways To Print Your Own T-Shirt

Summer vacation for kids can be 2-3 months long, it is no wonder that parents struggle to find activities to do with the kids. In fact a survey of 2,000 parents found that it takes around 2 weeks before they begin to struggle. This is why it is important to plan creative and interesting ways to entertain them. Learning to print your own t-shirt is an inexpensive and enjoyable activity with custom wearable results! From sketching out initial designs and choosing colors, to hand printing, or using professional design software, there are so many ways you can inspire creativity in your kids and in yourself. And you just never know, you may even be encouraging a future clothing designer! Lets take a look a a few of the possibilities for printing your own t-shirts.

How To Upcycle Clothing To Make DIY Home Accessories

Upcycle old t-shirts to make DIY t-shirt yarn, and then crochet with it to make a fun t-shirt yarn bathmat. Perfect summer craft!

We live in an age of minimalism where many are interested in learning the art of decluttering. It’s also the age of DIY projects made out of upcycled items around your home. So when it’s time to clean out your closet, and you’re left with piles of unwanted and unused clothing, give them another purpose by turning them into chic and stylish DIY home accessories ! The following DIY project idea are fun and creative. So grab your scissors, sewing machine, cutting tools and craft matt because it’s about to get messy… in a good way! Keep reading to learn how you can transform your old clothing into stylish home accessories.

Mosaic Crafts For Kids

Summer is the perfect time to get kids interested in crafts, and I recommend giving mosaic crafts a try. A mosaic project is something that one could do over the course of a few days or even a month, and it is so much fun. I'll admit I've been wanting to make mosaic garden stepping stones with kids and have yet to give that a try, though anything mosaic for the garden is a great project. Of course with kids I wouldn't recommend using broken plates or mugs etc. as the edges can get quite sharp, but broken tile is likely okay for older kids. That said there are so many ways to make mosaics, so check out the round up of projects from my very own archives, and enjoy!