I am re=posting this craft from a time when my kids were much younger (7 years ago!) and I made an extra effort to make each special shabbat special. (Today I made each shabbat special with the specific traditional family foods they love) I was looking for my images of key shaped challah, and came across this, so I thought I'd dust it off. Enjoy!
To honor this special shabbat, namely the first one after Passover in which we traditionally prepare challah in our homes once again, I just came up with a quick little key napkin ring craft as I'll be making bagels instead the traditional key shaped challahs that I have made in previous years!
And after all, the whole tradition isn't really about the key, but rather about the idea that when a Jewish woman makes challah, and makes the appropriate blessing over the dough before it is baked, she is bringing blessings into her home, which has the power to open all kinds of gates!
And shhhhh, my kids are out running some errands for me, so I'll keep these little key napkin rings a surprise until we set the table! And of course key napkin rings could be great for so many occasions, like a house warming, or a graduation, or a bar or bat mitzvah....you name it!
How To Make Key Napkin Rings:
Supplies:
- heavy weight aluminum foil, or even the weight found in disposable aluminum pans
- a ball point pen
- a sharpie
- scissors
- ribbon or yarn
How To: Quite simply draw old fashioned key silohuettes on your foil with a ball point pen, which makes the key look embossed on the opposite side. Cut out and attach to napkin with a ribbon or piece of yarn. My yarn is really too thin, (but this is what I had in the cabinet) so crochet a chain or use a wider piece of ribbon for the nicest results!
Oh and by the way, the tradition of schlissel challah is of Ashkenazic origins, the Moroccans brlng blessings into their homes immediately after Passover by preparing mofleta, which you can read about here.