creative jewish mom

Fun Cardboard and Paper Collage Cut-Outs For Rosh HaShana

We are in the heart of our short summer vacation here in Israel, and with war and so much heartache looming over our heads, crafting and preparing for upcoming holidays and happy occassions is a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Get the whole family together or even take time for yourself, creativity is my solution to managing stress and it truly works! Now, if I could just bury my head in the art supplies around the clock! In the past I created lovely doodle apples and doodle bees, which still look great a few years down the road, but yesterday I decided to make a more younger child friendly version using cereal box cardboard, some colored paper and a glue stick! Of course my version does look a bit too perfect maybe, so can't wait to see the charm that the little crafters I'm working with will bring to this project. But in the mean time, get to work and start preparing for Rosh HaShana, it is quickly approaching and apples and pomegranites and honey and bees and fish all make great subjects for crafting, right?

Oatmeal Can Airport Craft To Hold Paper Airplanes!

Introducing oatmeal can airports! I thought we'd wrap oatmeal cans with the airport art created last week, and make Q-tip airplanes to put inside, only the Q-tip airplanes I tried to make were a flop and didn't even fly, yikes, so much for that! But the boys didn't complain and made airplanes that don't fly, and we folded some origami ones as well, so it all worked out just fine in the end.

And so, this sweet oatmeal can craft with an airport theme, made by a group of 9 year old boys became much more sculptural than my original idea as the boys decided that the can needed embellishment with Q-tip airplanes, flags and airport signs! And truly, worrying about perfect results is not the point, and so any cans that were a bit roughly made, well that is just fine, the emphasis is on the making of the project and enjoying the creative process!

Op Art Craft For Kids: A Dimensional Hand Drawing

Looking for a interesting craft with simple supplies for all ages from 8 (or so) and up? How about creating Op art dimensional hand drawings? This is the second time I've tried this line drawing exercise with young kids, 12 years ago I did it with my 7,  8 and 9 year olds and last week I did it with a group of 8 and 9 year old boys for whom I'm doing an after school art/craft program! As you can see in the photo after the jump, it was more challenging for some than others, but worth giving it a try and doing over until the child gets it, because the reward is great! Of course you might like to try it yourself as well, the photo above is my personal attempt!

DIY Colorful Floral Border Doodle For Cards, Journals, Signs and More!

Years ago I got into floral doodles via some tutorials for bullet journal art and it was so much fun, and a great introduction to the world of journaling and sketchbook practices. Since then I've been working on refining my art skills and while doing lots of drawing, not like the floral borders you see here, and wow, was this ever enjoyable and fun, with great results, and, I might add so very simple compared to trying to paint the landscapes I'm dreaming of! If this doesn't seem "simple" to you, not to worry, practice, practice and more practice and soon you can draw flower doodles in your dreams! Want some basic instructions for this? Keep on reading.....

When Life Gives You Lemons Fun Birthday Cake

I've been painting lots of faceted watercolor fruit lately, like watercolor mosaic strawberries, for example, so when it came time to make some birthday decor and a birthday cake for my son, it seemed like a no-brainer to continue with the fruit theme, and lemons came to mind! A glass of lemonade and a pitcher might be an unusual theme for a birthday cake, but around here anything goes, and honestly I love the results, of the decor that is, the cake doesn't look great at all in these photos taken quickly before shabbat! Not to worry, my classic always loved chocolate cake recipe with a glaze and sprinkles on top does the job just fine, and the time spent on the cake decorations is time well spent, as you can save them or use them in another way. Okay, ready to make your own creative birthday cake using the lemonade theme, or any theme you dream of? Lets get started......

Fun Lemon And Lemonade Theme Cake And Cupcake Toppers

When you've spent years and years and years making simple birthday cakes topped with homemade decorations, anything is game really, and so no one batted an eye as to why I'd choose a lemonade theme for these cake toppers, and even the guests didn't ask any questions. (Ah yes, now I remember, I told them I had no idea what the connection is other than that we love lemons.) Truthfully I've been painting lots of watercolor fruit lately, and once I'd added a lemon to the mix, well lemonade just seemed like the natural fit, and I have to say, I think this is truly adorable and I think from now on I'll do drink themed decorations for this son's birthday cakes in the future! Want to make some too, whether for a cake, or cupcakes or both, keep on reading, it is so simple you'll just have to give it a try!

Logs Craft Using Recycled Aluminum Foil Boxes!

For the first time ever, I decided to try and make some logs from recycled aluminum foil boxes, and I just LOVE the results, especially after drawing wood grain patterns on a large number of tubes of all sizes. There is something about the square edges that just really lends the boxes to being covered in wood grain doodle patterns, and now I'm about to stack them and make a bonfire, all in time for Lag B'Omer, and this coming shabbat and some little ones! With my newly neutral and elegant dining room, I've decided to try crafting without bright color, and it has been interesting! Okay, gotta run, still so much to do to set the stage for the holiday! Keep on reading for basic instructions!

Recycled Cardboard Tube Logs Craft For Lag B'Omer!

The festive holiday of Lag B'Omer, which is the 33 Day of the Omer and a day when we pause the mourning of this period to celebrate the great Sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Since one of the things we do on the holiday is celebrate the great light of Rebbi Shimon with community bonfires, all things logs and fire make great subject matter for the holiday! I've been saving paper towel tubes and aluminum foil tubes, and they are perfect for making "logs" which will be used to make bonfires and wall hangings, though what exactly is still to be determined! The last time I made "logs" with paper towel tubes I did close the ends with round colorful circles, but for now these logs look just fine as is!

Ten Plagues Passover Card Craft

With the Passover seder and the wonderful week-long holiday of Passover quickly approaching, now is a great time to get out a craft to keep the kids busy, and help them create something fun for the Passover seder, or to decorate your home. Introducing Ten Plagues Cards that you can use in so many ways! I have plans to make milk carton frogs, and with these cards to make ten plagues placards (affixing each card to a wooden skewer) for 3 young children. Since I need three sets, after I add color to these illustrations I'm planning on making copies, since in any case these works are a part of my ongoing Daily Object series that you can see on instagram at @sara.rivka.dahan

So, draw images that represent the ten plagues, in my case including a lice comb for lice, and a pint of blood for blood, and footprints for wild animals, and get creative! You can also choose to make copies and give those to the kids to color, or even better, give kids cards and maybe or maybe not, some inspiration, and let them draw the symbols themselves, the best idea of all!

Watercolor Butterfly Cut-Outs For Collage, Art Journaling And Crafting

Now is a great time to paint loose watercolor butterflies and then add details with a fine line pen and some paint pens, and voila, some really great looking butterflies to use in so many ways are born! They'd be great as cake toppers, gift tags, collage elements, or as a wall hanging or mobile, the options are endless! While I plan to add antenae depending on how these butterflies will be used (if I use them in collage I'll draw the antennae, and if used as is I'll glue wire antennae to the back) you can decided what works for you, though of course cutting out very fine antennae is not recommended. What is recommended is to get out a bunch of watercolor paper, make some butterfly stencils of your own in a bunch of sizes, and make this a family project! LIttle ones can certainly enjoy adding color to the shapes using the wet on wet watercolor technique, and then even add details with tiny pom poms or other collage elements. Lets do it!