creative jewish mom

DIY Waldorf Style Table Puppets With Hair

This past summer we rented a wonderful home on Kibbut Harduf (learn about it here) that was filled with homemade Waldorf-style toys and crafts, so of course I just had to photograph them to share with you, especially since they are mostly not the kind of crafts that I generally do, but would love to! In the case of the felt dolls, I even found the book with the instructions next to the craft table, so you can actually make this wonderful felt doll from the post here. My previous post about making the simpler (bald) king, is a great place to start before tackling things like wool roving hair which is simply sewn to the head, starting along the forehead, though of course glue would work as well. Felt Waldorf-style dolls make wonderful creative gifts this holiday season, so why not give it a try?

DIY Waldorf Style Stand Up Doll

This past summer we rented a wonderful home on kibbut harduf (learn about it here) that was filled with homemade Waldorf-style toys and crafts, so I just had to photograph them to share with you. In the case of the felt dolls, I even found the book with the instructions next to the craft table, so you can actually make this wonderful felt king from this post. I think I'd love to make some too! Felt Waldorf-style dolls make wonderful creative gifts this holiday season, so why not give it a try?

Felted Wool Mug Cozies For Chanukah!

Another project I'm pulling from the archives because this one is so much fun, and makes a great holiday gift!

Wool felt is a truly wonderful material available in a nice range of luscious rich colors, can be purchased in 12"x12" squares, and since it doesn't unravel, you can craft away to your heart's content without the need for glue or sewing, if you so desire. This DIY felt mug cozy is quick and would make a wonderful gift this holiday season, together of course with some lovely mugs! I have added the Hanukkah themed details to my mug cozies using felting, with a multiple needle felting tool and a felting pad, though one can also of course add embroidery, or attach shapes with embroidery, or even add a few lovely beads or buttons.

A coffee cup cozy for paper coffee cups would be made in exactly the same way, and even if you don't know the exact size of the cup you could make your cozy on the small side and use an elastic chord loop instead of a button hole. Got it? Now go make a bunch, maybe even with the felted initials of the recipient, as these work up really quickly!

10 Trendy DIY Craft Projects That Use A Vinyl Cutting Machine

If you love crafts and DIY projects of all kinds, as I do, then if you don't own an electronic cutting machine of some kind, like a Cricut or a Sillhouette, you've likely thought about it? I'll admit, I prefer creativity over cookie cutter projects, but the thing is, with an electronic cutting machine you can cut using SVG files created by others, or yourself, so rather than limiting creativity, a cutting machine can actually give you a sky is the limit kind of feeling, hmmm. This does sound amazing to me, not to mention that cutting machines can generally cut not just paper, but also cardboard, stencil plastic, vinyl, and felt, and in the case of specific high level cutting machines, wood and  metal as well. Check out Boss Laser to learn more about the latest cutting machinery and entry-level lasers. Additionally, when you pair a printer with an electronic cutting machine, and supplies catered to t-shirt designs or window decals, for example, your possibilities are beyond sky is the limit! One of the most popular materials used with cutting machines is vinyl, which is available in adhesive and heat transfer form, in solid colors or as printable sheets. The thing I'd do first if I had an electronic cutting machine is to design a line of custom vinyl wall stickers, or maybe some fun tote bags, or maybe a medallion for the middle of a tablecloth, or maybe a wall hanging or.........

Lets get better acquainted with how an electronic cutting machine can be a really useful part of your hobby or business by taking a look at 10 trendy DIY Craft Projects That Use A Vinyl Cutting Machine. And while we are at it, lets look into which vinyl cutter might be the best fit for our needs. Okay, buckle your seat belts folks and lets get started.......

DIY Hanukkah Wallhanging With Felted Wool

 This is one of my favorite Hanukkah DIY crafts, and it is so much fun to make! I made this last year and am looking forward to enjoying it again this year. And now, if I can just figure out where my sheets of wool felt are, some more felted Hanukkah decorations would be right up my alley right about now!

Looking for a fun Hanukkah craft to make this year? Hanukkah decorations made with wool felt and wool felt only are satisfying to make, work up quickly, and look amazing! This Hanukkah menorah wall hanging makes a great keep sake project that you'll enjoy taking out each year, and would also be wonderful as a special gift to loved ones. Ah yes, and I should mention, this wall hanging was made with no glue whatsoever, and so sewing either, just using the simple technique of felting. Wool felt is available at your local crafts supply store in a range of delicious colors and in 12"x12" sheets, so treat yourself to some creativity this holiday season, and believe me, you'll be really really happy about it!

DIY Hanukkah Felt Coin Purses

Hanukkah is in just a few days, so now is the time for some DIY Hanukkah crafts that are quick to make and look amazing. This DIY felt coin purse for Hanukkah is a fun introduction to the craft of felt applique, using the felting technique, and since the true custom of gifts on Hanukkah is "gelt" meaning money, these little coin purses are a must! Fill them with chocolate coins, or real coins, or even a gift certificate of some kind, and you've got a winner. Need to make a bunch, no problem, do it assembly line style!

And while you're at it, why not pick up some felt to make some felt mug warmers or coffee cup cozies as well, another craft that is even more simple than this one, really!

DIY Felt Mug Cozy For Hanukkah Makes A Great Gift!

Wool felt is a truly wonderful material available in a nice range of luscious rich colors, can be purchased in 12"x12" squares, and since it doesn't unravel, you can craft away to your heart's content without the need for glue or sewing, if you so desire. This DIY felt mug cozy is quick and would make a wonderful gift this holiday season, together of course with some lovely mugs! I have added the Hanukkah themed details to my mug cozies using felting, with a multiple needle felting tool and a felting pad, though one can also of course add embroidery, or attach shapes with embroidery, or even add a few lovely beads or buttons.

A coffee cup cozy for paper coffee cups would be made in exactly the same way, and even if you don't know the exact size of the cup you could make your cozy on the small side and use an elastic chord loop instead of a button hole. Got it? Now go make a bunch, maybe even with the felted initials of the recipient, as these work up really quickly!

Hanukkah Menorah Wall Hanging Using Wool Felt

 

Looking for a fun Hanukkah craft to make this year? Hanukkah decorations made with wool felt and wool felt only are satisfying to make, work up quickly, and look amazing! This Hanukkah menorah wall hanging makes a great keep sake project that you'll enjoy taking out each year, and would also be wonderful as a special gift to loved ones. Ah yes, and I should mention, this wall hanging was made with no glue whatsoever, and so sewing either, just using the simple technique of felting. Wool felt is available at your local crafts supply store in a range of delicious colors and in 12"x12" sheets, so treat yourself to some creativity this holiday season, and believe me, you'll be really really happy about it!

Wool Felt Stars For Holiday Crafting

Aren't these eight pointed wool felt stars great looking? I have to say I never thought that felt could look so good, that is until today when I started crafting for the very first time with 100% wool felt, which is a very very distant relative of the acrylic felt I've been using for years. More on that another time, for now I just want to share with you that wool felt is wonderful for holiday crafting, and you are going to love the rich colors one can find, ahhhhhh. I'm going to be creating quite a few crafts for Chanukah using wool felt, some which I'll be able to share sometime next week, and some which I'll have to wait and when they are posted elsewhere.

I will give you one little hint, an important hint that is, which is that one of the great things about wool felt is that you can felt with it, namely join one piece of felt to another with a felting too.....truly a crafting pleasure I wouldn't want you to miss......

Square Wreath With Felt Flowers Is Sweet Anytime!

The Jewish holiday of Shavuout starts tonight, and our door is decorated with this sweet little square wreath adorned with felt flowers! (A little disclaimer: door wreaths are decidedly un-Jewish if you delve into their origin, and I generally try not to use the word wreath, but for the sake of folks finding this post, well I just couldn't think of another word that would suffice.) Round floral wreaths are a symbol of military funerals and memorial day, so I went with a fun variation of a square wreath which actually reminds me of a trellis, perfect!

This project came about as I had a bunch of felt chrysanthemum flowers left over from my felt flower napkin ring project, and I have to say, I just love it! Change out the little banner (which reads chag sa-may-ach, with a gutteral ch that is, translated happy holiday) and this project could be perfect for so many occasions, or just as sweet as can be in a baby's room. Ready to whip up one of these square wreaths, using supplies that you likely have on hand (assuming you have a big bag of felt that needs using up, like I did, did, being the operative word, yippee!) let's get started.