creative jewish mom

DIY Logo Cupcake Sleeve

If you are making cupcakes, why not make some DIY cupcake sleeves to honor your special occasion or that special someone? Cupcake sleeves basically cover the cupcake paper and make them look really fantastic, even if your icing isn't all that great. And best of all you can customize your cupcake sleeves to your occasion, which I did here for my son's bar mitzvah. Or once you get the hang of making cupcake sleeves, you can always make some using that great paper you happen to have on hand, sky is the limit!

Okay, let's get started!

DIY Logo Cupcake Toppers For Every Occasion

If you have been following my blog you may know that my son became Bar Mitzvah last week, and so of course part of the celebration included lots of baking (for my daughter) and lots of graphics and centerpieces for me. The theme for the Bar Mitzvah graphics was a hebrew letter logo that I designed using my son's initials and the theme of the holiday of Shavuot which occurs just five days after my son's birthday. For these cupcake toppers I simply removed the central symbol and replaced it with the number 13, since that is the age we are celebrating!

If you would like a custome hebrew letter logo, just shoot me an email and hopefully we can work together! As far as making some of these really simply cupcake toppers for any occasionion, keep on reading......

Royal Icing Doughnut Cookies Are Perfect For Beginners

Aren't these royal icing doughnut cookies just the cutest? I don't have the time or inclination to devote to royal icing, but my fiveteen year old daughter does, so I'm enjoying watching her progress! These doughnut cookies were made to give as part of the mishloach manot for Purim, and looked especially cute presented in boxes with a window. We did think of making coffee cup cookies to go with the doughnuts, or take out coffee cups, but we ran out of time and I don't really thing Israelis would get it in any case. So just doughnuts it was and everyone oohed and awed!

If you are thinking about givine royal icing a try, this is the perfect beginner's royal icing cookies, as it is really very simple and looks amazing. Keep reading for some important tips......

Royal Icing Clown Hat Cookies For Purim

Yes it is true dear readers, this year I have had to significantly lower the bar for my traditional Purim extravaganza as there just haven't been enough hours in the day. And you know what, it really is okay, and our holiday will still be wonderful and festive on account of buying certain things we would normally make, or using decorations that we already have on hand.

My daugher on the other hand did have time to continue with her royal icing cookie adventures, and for starters she made these adorable clown hat cookies which I have already wrapped up and will use as gift tags, if you can imagine that? They actually are perfect and will look super sweet hanging off the handles of the bright bags I've purchased to fill with edible gifts for the neighbors.

Giant DIY Party Hats Centerpiece

Giant cardboard party hats are the perfect thing to make when you want to make a statement with festive decorations for a birthday party, or in our case the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim, but you don't have a huge amount of time to invest. Make them in a few sizes, and place them in the middle of the table as a fun centerpiece. Next time I think I'll go with solid colors and huge white polka dots and a yarn or plastic bag pom pom on top.

I'll let you in on a little secret though, I have actually used these hats as Purim party decorations for our community party for the last five years gasp, can you believe that? We just had our party two nights ago, and out came the hats, and now they are hanging out in my dining room here and there as Purim approaches. Truthfully they were a bit squashed this year when I took them down from the attic, but still made a great statement. I ended up giving a few away at the end of the evening, as I really had thought that maybe their run is over, but who knows, after Purim they'll go right back up to the attic, and make the decision whether to use them again or not, when the time comes!

Of course I always do some new decorations too, but it is great to have something to fall back on, especially at a time when I'm already super busy with all things Purim and life in general! Want to make some too, let get started.......

DIY Corrugated Craft Cardboard Gift Boxes

Here's a super simple DIY gift box using corrugated craft cardboard that you can use to hold little prizes and treats (as I did for Hanukkah) or a gift of any size. Make a bunch of these little boxes to use as party favor boxes for weddings, bat or bar mitzvahs, or birthdays, and add your own special touch. I added strips of colored paper punched on a craft punch, you can add a fun gift tag, ribbon or even little pom poms. This is a great DIY gift wrap idea to have up your sleeve anytime! Let's do it......

Book Sandwich Cookies For Your Next Siddur Party, Book Club Or Graduation!

eWhile I can't take credit for making these adorable little book sandwich cookies, I did take the photo, and I am going to share with you how I think they were made, so that counts for something, right? And of course, just for the record, these "book" sandwich cookies are actually meant to represent a prayer book, a siddur, as this was a dessert bar celebrating the "siddur party" the very special event which takes place in Jewish schools generally at the end of first grade, when the kids have learned to read and are ready to receive their first prayer book.

So whether your specnial occasion is a graduatiom day  book signing, a book club party, a book themed birthday party, a siddur party, or even a library fundraiser, these book sandwich cookies are sure to please, and I've got some tips for making them.

And I just realized one could use these for Rosh HaShana as well, since we say "may you be inscribed in the book of life", how is that for a fun Jewish New Year's treat?

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!

Floating Musical Notes Party Decor With Faux Helium Balloons

Here's an idea I came up with last night (for my son's guitar themed birthday party) that is soooooo simple and looks amazing, plus you'll be able to plan ahead and do an even better job than I did! And by the way, since Shavuot is in just four days, replace the notes with hebrew letters and you've got a great decoration to celebrate receiving the Torah!

Presenting floating musical notes that look like they're being carried away by balloons, you know like music floating up to the heavens! Best of all this music themed party decor idea could be used for just about any festive occassion, so be sure to keep it in mind! And as far as the faux element is concerned, well faux seems to be a hot topic of late in the blogging world with faux driftwood and faux crystals and faux succulents and faux shiplap etc. etc. So I now present to you faux helium balloons! This idea is something my daughter actually taught me, as it is a popular one around here! Keep reading for the simple secret and you'll just have to laugh, promise!

Quick Cartoon Character Bundt Cake Is Perfect For Birthdays!

Introducing my ten minute cartoon character bundt cake for a guitar themed party. Of course you can use my simple formula to make a cute cake that works perfectly for you, and best of all less stress and more time to focus on other equally important aspects of the party, like decorations, which after all really make the party.

Quick birthday cakes are the best kind really, in my opinion, after all it does get eaten......okay it is true you have the photos to remember your efforts, but in my book going for a larger scale wow factor with decorations is time more well spent. It may be that is because I don't know my way around icing or fondant or ganach, (and hope to keep it that way) or maybe it is just that after all the years of making fun birthday party decorations for my kids I realize that the cake needs to be a cute element within the whole look, and that can be achieved quite simply, yippee! And I'll admit, last night when I came up with these decorations for the last minute cake my daughter baked for the birthday, it was a huge relief that simple just worked. Especially since the birthday boy was waiting outside to be let into the decorated house when all was ready! A true life story, though of course he knew that he would have to keep himself busy after school, outside of the house, and had even planned this ahead of time, assuming that we would do our usual birthday party routine of surprise decorations.