creative jewish mom

Watercolor Cut-Out Sea Animals Craft For Rosh HaShana!

Did you know that the fish is actually a aymbol for Rosh HaShana? (We want to be like the head of the fish, not the tail!) With that in mind, and the fact that we say the prayer of tashlich preferably next to a body of water with fish, why not make some sea life themed crafts this year? Keep everyone on their toes since they'll be expecting apples and pomegranates! (Though I'd make some of those too!) Here is what I wrote when I shared this as a Passover craft:

Need a perfect craft idea to keep the kids, in a range of ages, busy right about now? This is it my friends, make sea creature cut outs to use as Passover decorations, and the more the better! I'll be using these for table decor on Shevii Shel Pesach, the 7th night of Passover when we celebrate the crossing of the Red Sea, but they are certainly also appropriate all holiday long. Ah yes, and if you are looking for ocean themed birthday party decor, or sea themed birthday party decor, well this is perfect as well! These cute sea animal cut outs are perfect for garlands, mobiles, cake toppers, napkin rings, gift tags, and for a fun Passover centerpiece, that I'll be sharing shortly. Okay, ready to get started, time is of the essence!

Giant Recycled Cardboard Waves Craft For Rosh HaShana

Yes of course, all things apples and pomegranates and honey make wonderful Rosh HaShana crafts and holiday decor, but this year with Rosh HaShana coming in less than a month I thought I'd start with something that brings attention to the wonderful Rosh HaShana tradition of saying Tashlich, which ideally happens next to a natural body of water, and therefore I bring you recycled cardboard waves! I love the idea of getting parents or teens to cut out lots of waves, and then letting kid paint and decorate them. They can be a fun toy for the holiday and you can then set them aside to use for Passover and the splitting of the Red Sea! Check out my metallic waves centerpiece craft for more inspiration, and think about making waves (in a good way of course) for the new year! Ah yes, and what is Tashlich, you may ask? Keep on reading........

Kid's Craft For The "Three Weeks" of Mourning Leading Up to The 9th of Av

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I have pulled this post from the archives, as it is still a keeper so many years later! This year I did not acknowledge the beginning of the solemn 3 week period, which started on July 6th, so making up for that now.......

Ten days ago, on July 6th, was the Jewish date of the 17th of Tammuz, a solemn fast day on the Jewish calendar which marks the beginning of a three week period of mourning for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, (The Holy Temple/King Soloman's Temple.) Here is where the old post starts:

So with the boys home from school early, and my daughter just starting her summer vacation, there is no time like the present to try and get back into our crafting groove which I have missed greatly! So today I pulled out the watercolors, and grabbed a white corrugated cardboard box, and we all spent some time painting the stones of the kotel, and I just love the results!

Yes, my boys smirked when I told them to use bright and beautiful colors for the stones that they know as beige, but I explained to them that we were painting the stories that the stones had surely witnessed, and all the beautiful prayers whispered in front of these stones every day by countless individuals from both near and far.

DIY Giant Cardboard Shark Craft For Kids

Summer is the perfect time to delve into large scale crafts that kids can use to decorate a space, use as backdrops for a summer skit, or for creative play. While this is not my idea nor my photos, the photos are by Ron Lach, I just love this idea and all the creativity that it can foster. It is true, younger kids will need help drawing and cutting out the shark shape, and you might want to make templates in a few sizes and varieties for kids to trace, but other than that there is so much one can do with this idea. How about a shark covered in collage, or pom poms or even flowers? Use shark shapes to create art of any kind, and then assemble them swimming across a wall, a wonderful idea for a summer art camp or class project. OR maybe take this idea and create a school of fish? The main thing is, get kids to delve into the wonderful world of creativity instead of screen time, and wow, you've really done something meaningful and significant for them. Got it? Lets make some sharks!

Pine Cone Animal Crafts for Any Age!

Take a walk and collect some pinecones......and then get those creative gears turning. You don't have to be a child in summer camp to paint pine cones, it is a wonderful craft for any age, so enjoy, and yes, this was pulled from the archives that are stuffed to the brim and could use a little attention!

Creating with pine cones really is a perfect summer camp craft. And while some might rather make pine cone pineapples, these animals will appeal to almost everyone. Make a plan to make at least one of every kind and display them on a special dedicated shelf! Don't forget to take photos of your efforts and then you can give your creations to someone who might enjoy them as well. Okay, lets get crafting!

Kids and adults alike love collecting pine cones after a nature walk, and they tend to be aplenty at many forest locations of day camps and sleepover camps, so pine cone crafts are a perfect summer craft, as long as one stays away from red and green felt if you know what I mean? Keep reading for links to all these projects, and hopefully I'll have time to use those pine cones I just found in drawer during our Passover/Spring cleaning, now seriously underway. Lucky for me the pine cones are already painted white, so maybe there will be some pine cone penguins in our near futures!

Pine Cone Pineapples Are The Perfect Summer Craft!

 

I have taken this craft out of the archives and dusted it off as it is a great partner to my pine cone animals post. Plus it truly is one of the cutest nature crafts ever, right? And pineapples can be any color, not just yellow as long as you have a few yellow ones in the bunch. Best of all, you'll hopefully have to take a nature walk to collect the pinecones, so enjoy!

I have been wanting to make pinecone pineapples for a few months now, and even painted the pinecones yellow before Passover, and finally found the time to give this fantastic summer craft, that would be a perfect summer camp craft a try. And wow, the results are so adorable you'll want to make a whole bunch, I know I do! You can use your pineapple pinecones as decorations for part of a tropical party, or as whiimsical decorations any time. Line up a few on a shelf and you'll smile every time you see them, or hang some mobile style. And of course if you want to be a little bit different, how about hanging some pineapple pinecones in your succah? Succot is among other things, a fall harvest festival, and in Israel that means pomegranites and dates, but it could certainly mean pineapples as well, right?

Regardless of whether you have a plan for your pinecone pineapples, gather some pinecones and get crafting, I'm sure a great idea will come to you. If not simply display them on a little shelf which is where mine are sitting right now, looking as cute as ever! Best of all, once you get the hang of how to make these, you really could whip up quite a few, even as fun Bar or Bat Mitzvah, birthday or wedding centerpieces, so lets get crafting! (Note: If you do plan on making a large quantity, I would paint them by dipping them into a large container of paint, so much easier!)

Create On An Index Card For 2 Months This Summer!

I have to admit, I did not know that there have been thousands of creative people creating on index cards every year for the months of June and July, each year. Of course when it started 11 years ago I can imagine it was not thousands, but today it is, and WOW! I am familiar with the idea of creating on index cards, or index card size, I just didn't know it was "thing" that I could participate in. Just as I was wondering what might keep my creative practice running once I finish my 100 oil pastels, (9 to go!) voila, this opportunity comes along. At first I thought, no way, you are too busy. But then I realized that by adapting a simple style, I could infact do an index card a day, and it could be great! With three days now under my belt I am so very very happy I committed to this 61 day challenge, and while I'll be sharing with you here from time to time, the daily peeks will be on my instagram @sara.rivka.dahan.

The challenge is called Index Card A Day, and the home base is right here. There is a Facebook group one can join for a fee, though I don't really have time for that, so I'm sharing on Instagram and making connections with fellow participants there. You do what works for you, maybe a family challenge with no social media? Maybe a challenge with a friend? There are no rules about what to put on the index card, so sky is the limit! I was even thinking about doing little sculptures, but then the illustration style I'm currently doing won out, plus it is much quicker!

I really think that an index card creativity challenge would be a great thing to do with the kids this summer, and at the end you can make a book, or do the second side next year! Daily creating is an amazing thing to fit in anyone's day, believe me, you'll end up doing it every year!

DIY Cardboard Playhouse With An Upcycled Box!

Looking for a fun project to keep the little ones busy this summer? Collect some huge appliance or furniture boxes, collapse them and set aside for that window of time when a great project is just what is needed to keep the little ones excited and engaged! Who doesn't love a playhouse, especially one you can decorate yourself, and in fact spend days decorating, best of all! While the example here is shown in a closet, this idea can also be done in a wide doorway, or even in a corner, just make sure the keep safety and adult accessibility in mind! One can even make this freestanding by attaching the house to something on the back, which will enable it to safely stand up, like two empty bleach bottles filled with water and tightly sealed, or carboard boxes. One can also make walls, but that gets a bit more complicated and the likely hood of everything staying upright is on the slim side! So take my advice make just the facade of the house this time and enjoy!

Paper Leaves On Real Branches Looks Amazing!

I came up with this simple idea six years ago for my son's birthday just before Shavuot, and I still love it, so I'm dusting it off to share with you as a fabulous last minute craft that includes a nature walk to collect the sticks! Enjoy. Here is what I wrote back then, this year Shavuot is on Sunday night.

Paper leaves on real branches is a super quick craft that results in some fun decorations that can be used for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot or really anytime! I actually made these branches as part of the giraffe birthday party that I'm still in the middle of sharing with you all, though I did have in mind that they would be also be great for Shavuot, in which we decorate our homes with greenery to celebrate the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, which was  very green and lush.

With shavuot staring Saturday night, right after shabbat ends, many of us are now preparing for two days of holidays, so I'm sure glad to already have made these fun branches which are currently hanging from the chandelier over the dining room table. (Those who observe shabbat outside of israel are now preparing for a three day holiday, as Shavuot is two days outside of Israel, and I'm sure those of you to whom this applies wish you had some of these branches already to go, right?

What I'm really trying to say is that a super quick craft like this one is the perfect thing to tackle right now, so lets get to it!

Milk Carton Houses With Graffiti Hearts!

I really can't count the times I've planned to make milk carton houses, nor how many milk cartons I have packed away in the basement for those dream projects, but I can report to have taken one tiny step forward with these milk carton heart graffiti wall houses! I realize it sounds like I've never made milk carton houses, silly me, I certainly have, twice, milk carton house planter, and doodled millk carton houses. I've been all about hearts lately, and while the hearts I've been painting haven't exactly been graffiti hearts, lets just pretend they are, and certainly when painted on a milk carton house they can be! And of course there are many leaves shaped like hearts, so cover a milk carton with green hearts and you've got a wall of ivy or a garden. Add a few small house details and a whole row of houses is born! This is such a fun project for any age, and I recommend painting a bunch of milk cartons to have on hand, as in general painting on 3D objects is great for developing a creative eye, and for adding something fresh to your crafting or creative practice!  Ah yes, and with the Jewish new year for the trees coming next week, include a few almond blooms, or a blooming fruit tree and include this in your holiday decor. Either way, it feels like Spring, so it works for Tu B'Shevat! Okay, lets get started, shall we? I almost forgot, check out all of my milk carton crafts for lots more inspiration, and to plan ahead, meaning batch prepare some milk cartons for future crafts!