creative jewish mom

Summer Camp Crafts: A Graffiti Logo Sweatshirt With Splashes Of Color

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   I am so grateful that my teen daughter loves crafting, as with no school for months now due to Covid-19, she has had lots of time to delve into creative activities that she loves, the latest being grafitti sweatshirts! Her friends are begging her to make some for them, and while I was just thinking she could do a class, maybe just buying an airbrush and semi-mass producing them would be a better idea? Just to be clear, my daughter isn't wearing this sweatshirt out and about, but she certainly has fun wearing it as pajamas! The graffit sweatshirt idea all started with a Purim costume which led to a black and white graffiti sweatshirt, which then led to this colorful creation, all done by aforementioned teen daughter on the floor of her tiny Israeli sized bedroom......of course the bedroom is a cute as can be, complete with tiny lights and dreamy decor, so it is actually a nice sanctuary for creativity. This project is perfect for summer as a whole family or group of kids could make them together and even make each shirt or sweatshirt together to reflect the group as a whole, which could be a really great memento of time spent creating together. The instructions for this project are quite loose, so you'll really have to rev up the creative gears, but if you start with a word or a logo in the middle and then go from there, you really can't go wrong. And if you do, just pour some paint over the areas that weren't so successful and keep on going! Okay, lets take a look at the supplies we used for this graffiti sweatshirt......

DIY Queen Esther Costume Uses Upcycled And New Elements

Isn't our little Queen Esther just the sweetest? And honestly what I love about this DIY Queen costume (fit for a princess too) is not only the rich theatrical combination of colors, but the fact that my now 16 year old daughter wore that same "dress" as a part of a Queen Esther costume I made for her around 13 years ago! Now I'll have to say, this version is much much nicer due to the use of a sewing machine and having a bit of practice under my belt.

Truthfully, sometimes being a pack rat pays off, at least in the costume department. (I'm now currently paying big time for the rest of my pack rat tendencies as I start to clean for Passover.) So dear readers, if you have an attic or an organized garage or a basement or all of these, certainly do save the very best pieces of clothing of all kinds to be used as costumes. I just put aside a fun skirt with huge red roses that my daughter never wore, and am dreaming of a Queen of the Roses costume, with the waist of the skirt forming the top of the dress, just as I've done here, with the addition of some ribbon straps. Got it? Okay, lets make a list of all the items you'll need for this costume, thrifted and created, and hopefully this will inspire you to make your own amazing costumes!

DIY Simple Costume Cloak With Fur Trim

This year for Purim one of my favorite acheivements was designing and whippping up this fur trimmed DIY costume cloak for a toddler, well three to be exact. I'll admit my daughter actually saved the day by commenting that my original design (before I made the front really short) was just way too much fabric for a three year old, and she was sooooo right. This cloak turned out perfectly and apparently was comfortable to wear, as little Queen Esther did not take it off all Purim, which means we got to enjoy seeing her dressed like a queen for hours on end! While I did sew this cloak on a sewing machine, one could glue the seams or even make the cloak from fleece or any fabric like thick jersey (sweatshirt material) that doesn't unravel, and use only one layer. Of course, part of the beauty of this cloak is the purple lining, but maybe your costume will be just fine with a cloak in one color. Go for simple I say, and add accessories, so that no one element of the costume has to be such a masterpiece, but rather the total look is fun and creative. Okay, shall we learn how to make this simple DIY cloak? (I know, I want one for myself too, so will just have to make one next year to wear over the Moroccan robe I wore this year!)

DIY King Of The Dragons Costume

When a sweet six year old requests a dragon costume, you can sort of make up a costume that vaguely represents a dragon without having to create claws and fire and anything scary, and believe me, the results will be even better than you imagined. You know, like a sweet dragon, or king of the dragons, and in our case, we called him a mitzvah dragon, namely not an evil dragon, but a dragon who does good deeds! I had thought about horns and spikes and fire, but instead just started creating and kept the whole costume on the simple side. And, as you'll see if you keep on reading, the costume was a success, and I was even able to get some good photos, yippee!

I love costumes that combine thrifted or hand-me-down clothing with some new items as they tend to look much more theatrical and original than a costume made from entirely new elements. Plus it is great to get kids used to creativity when it comes to costumes, I'm not against buying a few items like gloves, hats, masks, etc. but other than that DIY is the way to go, right?

DIY No-Sew Dragon Cape

When I was requested to make a dragon costume for Purim, I knew it would be very loosely a "dragon costume" and in the end, on account of the king masquerade mask, the recipient deemed it "king of the dragons" meaning a very nice king who encourages good things! The most important part of the costume is of course the cape, which suggests dragon wings and makes the costume dramatic and fun. Little elastic wrist bands sewn to the inside at the end of each wing means that when the child raises his hands he has wings! And while you can't see it in this photo, the inside is the orange color you see peaking through, which made the whole thing fun and lively. I'm so glad I didn't go with black or grey as I had originally envisioned, phew! This cape is quite easy to make, and you can choose to sew it or glue it.

I took this photo before I lost my daylight, and before I decided to sew everything together as I did not know where my iron on adhesive was. I have made a few other costume capes, like an eagle and a peacock, and those were glued as that was pre-buying a sewing machine for the daughter! In any case if you need to make a cape for a loved one, I hope this idea will be a hit! Ah yes, and in case you examined the photo, I made the dark green pieces with felt I had on hand, which explains why there are multiple pieces. And then a funny thing happened, because of using those multiple pieces there ended up being pockets, which I had promised to put on the inside! This small change in the design was well received fortunately, and the costume was a hit, yippee!

A Kippa For Purim, To Go With That Costume.......

Once I decorated a kippa with yarn spaghetti and meatballs for my son's Purim costume, and this year I decorated a kippa with scales as part of a King of Dragons costume, which I'll be sharing with you shortly. This decorated kippa pairs nicely with the king masquerade mask, so make them both! Truthfully, a kippa covered with scales could be perfect for any lizard, fish or bird (feathers and scales could look similar) costume, and is simple to make while making a fun statement. And of course, one could cover a kippa with a variety of shapes in the same way to make something equally exciting, right? Okay, Purim is coming so lets get started!

Simple King Masquerade Mask

With Purim starting on Wednesday night everywhere except Jerusalem (where Purim is one day later) the rush is on, so I have a few simple costume ideas for you, which could come in handy right about now? Truthfully these ideas are part of a larger costume which I'll be presenting shortly, but first things first, how about a simple king masquerade mask to complete your Purim look? The supplies are inexpensive and you can whip this one up in a few minutes, for yourself or a whole group of kings, queens, princes and princesses, all in masquerade! Store bought masquerade masks are a great way to make a quick costume, and hopefully this simple idea will get your gears turning. Lets get started......

When Your Kids Outgrow Your DIY Costumes

Photo Above: Just to clarify, this is a costume my son threw together himself last year, with bits and pieces, it is a Moroccan Sherrif clown!

Purim is in another month and it is time to get going with the costumes! DIY costumes have been something that I've spent a lot of time and effort creating over the years, and guess what, I can now use that time for some other creative pursuits, as my kids have outgrown my DIY costumes! An end of a sweet era I must say, on the other hand I'll get a bit more sleep on those nights before the Jewish holiday of Purim! It isn't that they don't want to dress up at all, it is just that they want to be like everyone else their age who just throws together a few fun accessories. There is no Purim costume day at school, and the idea of costumes is downplayed once kids become teenagers. (Purim is a day of extreme fun, but also a very very holy day, a very interesting mix that is sometimes a challenge to remember......) Of course I do help neighbors with costumes, but the pressure is off, yippee! Or waaaah, where did the years go? Fortunately I have all the pictures of my best efforts on this blog in the DIY costumes category, and it is s fun to look back at the photos over the years.

And guess what, my kids do just fine without my help at this point, as you can see by my 12 year old son's Moroccan sherrif clown getup from last year. And truthfully I needn't be too sad, the next generation of grandchildren will be happy to have some DIY costumes, I'm sure, and in the meantime I've got tons of little neighbors........then again I think I'll embrace this new period and start doing some of the things I never had time for, like illustration and painting and hey, what about that craft book series?

Giant Watercolor Lollipop Costume Prop Or Party Centerpiece

Need a giant lollipop for a costume or maybe a whole bunch to use as centerpieces for a birthday party or even a bat mitzvah? I just made this one for my daughter to use as a prop in a play that was part of her graduation from 8th grade ceremony, and it looks even better from far away! It is true, the results are not what I'd call "perfect" but with all the perfect looking crafts being churned out these days courtesy of cutting machines and ready-cut everything, I'd say it is time to get a little bit imperfect, now and then. Ready to make some giant lollipops? Lets get started!

DIY Rubik's Cube Costume That Is More Than Just A Cube!

Purim is a Jewish holiday that involves costumes, at least for younger kids, and this year I had a great time making m youngest a rubik's cube costume that actually turns, as opposed to a static cube, as well as a fun piece of cake pinata costume for my daughter. On Purim afternoon as we headed to a friend's home for a huge and festive Purim meal I was blessed with amazing lighting which enabled me to take some nice photos of the costumes in a historic alley just above our home. My only regret is that the beard and mustache that my some wore with this costume the day before has disappeared.....so bit it, just do keep in mind that some fun facial hair looks great with this costume, as does round glasses and even a crazy Einstein-like wig. I also saw a clever rubik's cube costume in which the  girl was dressed in a traditional Hungarian style dress with a rubik's cube on her head......here in Israel it is a called a "Hungarian cube" so everyone gets the costume, and it was quite good! In the USA I highly doubt that people know where Mr. Rubik was from, so that would be an educational costume!

This rubik's cube costume was a six or seven hour endeavor, but the results speak for themselves, and afterwards the costume can become a giant rubik's cube to hang in a child's room (with the addition of a bottom panel, or not.....) If cutting a bunch of squares all the same size doesn't phase you, this might be up your alley! Lets get started.