creative jewish mom

Fun Decoupage Fabric Apples Last For Years And Are A Crowd Pleaser!

Six years ago I had the idea of decoupaging (is that a word?) fabric strips onto styrofoam apples to make fabric strip apples, and those very same apples are still holding up despite lots of wear and tear and years stuffed in a box in a damp basement! This year we didn't find the decorations I had made last year, so called upon a bunch of old favorites, and these apples were one of the things that guests asked about repeatedly! So there you have it, crafters, these decoupage fabric strip apples are a winner! You can use them to make a centerpiece, which I just realized I have done previously here or hang then eiither one by one, or as a garland of some kind. Of course, I'd recommend making them for Rosh HaShana (or a great teacher appreciation gift!) and then enjoying them for the entire Jewish High Holiday season. Then again, make them in pastel patterns and they'd be perfect for a baby's room or how about in black and white patterns and use them for a baby mobile. As you can see, there is really no end to all the ways one can use these charming apples, so do make some! I have photographed the apples in our succah, just before the succah was taken apart......truthfully we don't use this lovely Moroccan mosaic table in the succah, but it does make a great backdrop for these photos! Keep on reading for a few more glimpses of these fun apples, and pick up some fat quarters or tear up some warn clothing — I was just thinking that plaid apples could be perfect!

Giant Origami Apples Are Perfect For Any Party

A few weeks ago, just after the holiday of Tu B'Shevat I needed to make some simple centerpieces for a community women's party, and I decided to try my hand at making a giant version of my origami apples and fruit. Fortunately the results were fantastic, especially with the addition of some gold leaves, and the same centerpieces were re-used a few days later at a shabbos Brit, which is perfect. Now, if your gears are turning, great, just know that there is a size limit to these origami fruit, namely the width of your paper, and once they get large folding the paper isn't difficult, but expanding the shape can be. So make some origami fruit in a bunch of sizes and colors (I did, actually, as you can guess) and enjoy. They won't last forever, and I believe a few of mine succumbed to having drinks spilled on them, but that is fine, after all sometimes it is great when you don't have to save everything! Ah yes, and it is true, these lavender versions may look more like plums, but that is great too, the more fruit the better. Okay, lets start making some giant origami fruit, perfect for Purim, shabbat, a baby shower, a wedding, a teacher appreciation gift, or just because.

Chalkboard DIY Apples

Hey guys, at long last I have jumped on the chalkboard DIY trend, though of course with a twist, true to creativjewishmom style. (And with some upcycling too, as you might expect!) When I picked up a little bottle of acrylic chalkboard paint on our trip to the USA this summer, I knew I'd find a million and one uses for it, but the first really good one is DIY chalkboard apples, just in time for the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat which is the new year for fruit bearing trees. So whether you have some articifial apples of any kind hanging around, or you need to go buy some, this is a craft you won't want to miss! Imagine a bowl of chalkboard apples on your coffee table for guests to decorate, or use them to write fun messages!

For detailed instructions for these DIY chalkboard apples, keep on reading.

Fun Crafts With Oranges Are Perfect For Winter!

 I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and if you are like me you just might be having a hard time getting back that creative energy that we all love to infuse into our everyday? Pre-chanukah I did a lot of crocheting that I just can't seem to find the time to photograph so I'm going to get things rolling here in 2017 with some fun winter crafts that are also perfect for the next Jewish holiday, Tu B'Shevat, the New Year for the trees!

Crafting with oranges can only produce great things, whether it be wonderful smells as in the case of orange clove pomanders, orange tea lights or dried orange slices that can be used in so many wonderful ways. So enjoy this round up and stay tuned for lots of fruit and tree related crafts, ah and yes, some fruit carving too hopefully!