creative jewish mom

Recylables To Collect Now For Chanukah Crafting!

The 8 day long Jewish holiday of Chanukah starts on the eve of December 22, which means now is the time to start planning all the amazing crafts we can do to make this holiday extra special for our families and friends! Seven weeks or so may seem like a long time, but truly it is not, so NOW is the time to start collecting recyclables so that in another few weeks or so you'll have some of the supplies you'll need on hand to get crafting! I have already started this process, then again I save recyclables all year long, and I"ll admit I often pull things out the garbage that my family just doesn't seem to realize is great crafting material! Today for example after one of my sons removed 5 new dress shirts from the packaging he threw all the tissue paper and plastic and cardboard inserts into the garbage, ah yes and there was some great logo imprinted ribbon as well........so I rescued the shirt liners as they are cardboard  pieces with cut outs that I can use in many ways, and that ribbon, I have a plan for that too. But lest I digress, I have taken a photo here of some of the most important items to collect, and keep on reading for a list as well as links to my favorite Chanukah crafts that use these items, or most of them!

7 Ways To Make DIY Gift Wrap: Fun For All Ages!

 

With Chanukah on the distant horizon, as well as gift giving season for many, it is nonetheless quickly approaching, so now is a great time to get those creative gears spinning with some fun projects to save for the future: DIY wrapping paper! The fun part about creating your own wrapping paper is that it is fun for all ages, and seeing little ones light up later on when their creations have been used to wrap gifts is just too precious to miss! DIY gift wrap is also a great way to practice some painting skills, or become familiar with all the fun ways one can print shapes, namely with potatos, sponges, kitchen tools, leaves, you name it! Ah yes, and then there is doodling and exploring the wide variety of art supplies with which to make  DIY wrapping paper, whether it be watercolor paint, acrylic paint, simple kid's craft paint, stamp pads, or markers! Lets take a look at the seven ways we've made DIY gift wrap over the past ten years or so, and enjoy. After your wrapping paper had dried, roll it up, put it in a safe place and use as needed!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! With the Jewish Holiday season now under our belt, and Chanukah in the distance, maybe there is time for some creativity just because? Then again, I'm planning the birthday party of the year for a sweet seven year old (which fortunately we celebrate together with my husband's birthday) so maybe I'll just get started on that, because he is anticipating this event all year long. Over doing it with the birthday parties does set one up for having to keep it up until the teenage years, but hey, the photos years later are just too special, and if you can do it, why not? Our birthday parties have always been about Mom's creativity, not presents, so while the kiddos have been spoiled in the decorations department, at least there was never a huge stack of presents to truly spoil them! I'm thinking Chanukah winter wonderland tablescape with recycled materials (of course) for the birthday, and lots of snowflakes made from the number 7, stay tuned for that and wish me luck! In the meantime, lets get inspired by last week's party features......

Swedish Summer Paradise On Lake Siljan

Ready to learn about a jaw-dropping vacation spot in the Dalarna regions of Sweden? This is it dear friends, and I am still feeling very very blessed to have experienced such an amazing lake view, and a dock to match, with clean cool water for swimming! And no, this does not cost a fortune, but rather about $60 a night, (for 3) with bring your own sheets.......a true Swedish summer experience, and I'm still pinching myself looking at these photos! And just by the way, Sweden if full of very inexpensive summer cottages to rent, especially budget friendly if you're willing to forego a toilet! Okay, back to the subject at hand, Lake Siljan, just outside the town of Mora was our destination, and it was truly special. Not to mention wild flowers and berries everywhere........Let's take a closer look!

A Gorgeous Drive North From Stockholm To Dalarna, Sweden

Above: Lake Siljan, Sweden approaching from the South

This summer our 2 1/2 weeks in Sweden were amazing and very photogenic, to say the least, so now I share with you the drive we took North to the Dalarna region, after leaving Stockholm. The Dalarna region is where Sweden first became a country, and the home of the iconic Swedish wooden horses, yippee! (Stay tuned for our wooden horse factory visit.) If you love fields and forrests and more red barn buildings than you could ever imagine (I do!) then Sweden might just be the destination for you. If you love action and the grit of the city, hmmm, stick to New York City, because Sweden is truly all about nature, and more nature, which includes lots of water, be it lake, river or ocean! So, after that introduction, you can imagine that the drive North through the countryside was indeed peaceful and lovely, won't you join me?

Fun Decoupage Fabric Apples Last For Years And Are A Crowd Pleaser!

Six years ago I had the idea of decoupaging (is that a word?) fabric strips onto styrofoam apples to make fabric strip apples, and those very same apples are still holding up despite lots of wear and tear and years stuffed in a box in a damp basement! This year we didn't find the decorations I had made last year, so called upon a bunch of old favorites, and these apples were one of the things that guests asked about repeatedly! So there you have it, crafters, these decoupage fabric strip apples are a winner! You can use them to make a centerpiece, which I just realized I have done previously here or hang then eiither one by one, or as a garland of some kind. Of course, I'd recommend making them for Rosh HaShana (or a great teacher appreciation gift!) and then enjoying them for the entire Jewish High Holiday season. Then again, make them in pastel patterns and they'd be perfect for a baby's room or how about in black and white patterns and use them for a baby mobile. As you can see, there is really no end to all the ways one can use these charming apples, so do make some! I have photographed the apples in our succah, just before the succah was taken apart......truthfully we don't use this lovely Moroccan mosaic table in the succah, but it does make a great backdrop for these photos! Keep on reading for a few more glimpses of these fun apples, and pick up some fat quarters or tear up some warn clothing — I was just thinking that plaid apples could be perfect!

Use Magnetic Poster Hangers To Display Your Art!

The Jewish Holiday Season is now officially over in Israel, while folks in the rest of the world are currently celebrating the holiday of Simchat Torah. Packing away the Succah is always a bit sad for me, as I just love the holiday of Succot, especially when celebrated here in Northern Israel, nothing quite like it, truly! I was able to get my famlly to give me a day to take some more photographs before the Succah disappears into boxes, and first I thought I'd share with you an amazing way to simply display your art with no committment. Introducing magnetic poster hangers! I have been aware of this product for some time now, so when I spotted the wooden poster hangers in the gift shop in The Nordic Museum in Stockholm I just had to purchase 2 sets. Little did I know they'd come in handy in our Succah, as I used them to add some color to a blank wall via a little collection of my floral paintings. You know, those paintings that I worked on for a few months a whole year ago, sigh......In any case whether or not I'm successful at picking up where I left off at the end of last January at painting #77, it was truly wonderful to add some artful color to our celebration! I just saw that Ikea is selling something similar, with clamps I believe rather than magnets, so either way, do add some poster hangers to your home (or Succah), you'll be glad you did!

Adorable Mini Torah Scrolls Craft

With the 7 days holiday (here in Israel, 8 elsewhere) ending tonight and the immediate transition into the holiday of Simchat Torah, this might be a craft to keep in mind for next summer, namely to make ahead, as honestly right now, we are still celebrating one holiday and can't prepare crafts for the next! At the end of the day today we literally move our dining room table out of the Succah and into the house, and continue with the new holiday, which includes a very different schedule due to festive dancing with the sefer Torah in the synagogue, which literally goes on for hours! I am always sad to say goodbye to the Succah, so I guess the craziness of Simchat Torah just whipes all of that away with a whole new energy that one just can not ignore. So wishing everyone a wonderful Simchat Torah, and for those outside of Israel, have a meaningful Shemini Atzeret (the last day of Succot outside of Israel) and then joyful Simchat Torah!

I am re-posting a craft from the archives so that my blog can represent the holiday at hand!

Here in Israel, the joyful holiday of simchat torah begins tonight, (it begins tomorrow night outside of Israel) so there is no better time than to keep the kids busy with the simply cute mini torah scrolls craft! While many do not craft during the week of succot, I do believe that if you are making these as decorations for food it may be permissible. I'm planning to hot glue them to some skewers and use them as cake decorations.

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! We are now in the middle of the glorious Jewish holiday of Succot, which means 7 days in the succah (eight outside Israel) and lots of time spent with family and friends. A storm and huge gusts of wind toppled many succahs on the second day of the holiday, forcing us to go into our homes for part of the holiday, but now with just 3 days left the sun is out and all is dry! We do not craft or create during the holiday, so while there is yet another holiday, Simchat Torah, coming up immediately after Succot, (we literally just move the dining room table inside and start the holiday) I can't really do anything for it at the moment, which is actually a relief, as guests are coming and there is so much to do as always! So with that, wishing everyone a wonderful succot, and enjoy the inspiration from last week's party:

The Nordic Museum, Stockholm

There are many museums in Stockholm, and the two that we visited, and I would recommend are the Vasa Museum and the Nordic Museum, which are next to one another and neither require incredible museum patience skills. Okay, I'll admit, that after the Vasa Museum (which is a museum dedicated to the 1620's sailing ship Vasa which sunk on its maiden voyage and was recovered from the brakish Stockholm harbor mostly intact in 1961 and now in the museum) my husband chose to wait outside while my daughter and I race walked the Nordic Museum. I took my time in the gift shop though, which is also delightful, so don't miss that!

When the  Nordic Museum was finally completed in 1907, after almost twenty years of construction, it was one of Stockholm's grandest buildings and its silhouette is still visible for miles around. The enormous building was created by the Swedish architect Isak Gustaf Clason in a Danish Renaissance style and as large as it may be, it was originally conceived as the entrance hall to the actual - but never realized - museum. So, if you love architecture, as I do, and are interested in Nordic culture, as I am as well, this museum is worth a visit. And in the summer there are some canvas sling chairs where the rest of the family can snooze outdoors while you enjoy!