creative jewish mom

Recycling Pyramid Crafts For Passover

With Passover starting in just one week, the pressure is on, at least for those of us responsible for cleaning our homes (and at the very least our kitchens) from top to bottom, albeit with help from the husband and teens, phew! I don't think I'll have much time for crafting other than some origami fish to celebrate the crossing of the Red Sea, so I've put these fun pyramids in the living room, and they look great! The plastic pyramid filled with white pom poms was filled with candy and we received it as a Purim gift one year, best gift ever! The painted pyramid is a fun craft to make in any size with cereal boxes, so maybe give that some thought? Make a bunch of blanks and keep the kids busy decorating them? I might do that if I had little ones around, or if I was going away for Passover, but no, instead my house gets the deep cleaning that it so greatly needs! Okay, for those who would like to get crafting, keep on reading!

Cardboard Passover Pyramid Craft

 

Hoping to make a bunch of cardboard and recycled cardboard pyramids this year, but for now, reposting this from the archives to give you a head start!

With Passover arriving this coming Saturday night, now is the time to fit in some last minute crafting in anticipation of this wonderful holiday, and possibly keep the kids busy with a crafting station so you can finish, or continue all the holiday preparations! The essence of the holiday is to tell the story of the Jews deliverance from Egypt to the children, so getting kids involved with decorations and hand made items to celebrate and absorb this game changing history of the Jewish people is really really important!

I have been wanting to make cardboard pyramids for a few years, and while I didn't quite realize my dreams this year, I did at least make one artful cereal box pyramid, which by the way depicts the plague of hail, which was both fire and ice, so hail can certainly be pink! I love the results (though it was questionable at first) and I wish I had time to make more. Next year I'll have to make them in January! Nothing says Egypt and slavery like the pyramids, so be sure to include them in your holiday decor. A line of pyramids running down the table would be stunning! Okay, time is of the essence, lets learn how to make some of these, pronto!

Watercolor Cut-Out Poppies Centerpiece For Passover!

I have pulled this one out of the archives, because there is no time like the present to get crafting for Passover, and this one is a keeper! And since the red native anemones are now in bloom in our meadows, this is timely! I know I've referred to them as poppies, as that is what most people know, and we do have red poppies as well, just in another month or so after the anemones finish their show!  One of the things I love about this craft is that you can simply disassemble the centerpiece when the holiday is over, and store the flowers, flat, for future use, they are always great to have on hand in a pinch! Enjoy!

I originally shared this for shavuos, but covered the shelves in my kitchen with paintings of these guys, so it feels like Passover to me, nonetheless, here is what I wrote then:
I am totally in love with the watercolor poppies in a pot centerpiece, well one-sided centerpiece really, and I have already made two more! This idea, is something that you can play around with depending on your own needs, and there are so many ways to go! I actually made a small one using a small round plastic peanut butter tub, which would make an adorable teacher appreciation gift or a token of appreciaion for a neighbor, for example. Then again, making larger pots of poppies really doesn't take that much more time, so go for it, as this burst of festive and artful color is a joyful addition anywhere or anytime! The Jewish holiday of Shavuos is on Thursday night, so we'll be enjoying all the watercolor poppies as we celebrate the giving of the Torah, and then they will likely be used as centerpieces for any number of occassions. I'll admit, I can't wait to try this idea out with other flowers, but with the holiday approaching, together with houseguests, that will just have to wait. Okay, lets make some of these pots of blooming flowers, shall we?

Simple Two-stroke Painted Butterfly Is Perfect Right Now!

After posting about the origami butterflies I've started making for this year's Purim decorations, I realized that indeed, some painted butterflies, maybe with 4 wings this year, must fly into the picture as well, so as my stack of origami butterflies in all sizes is growing, I've pulled this out of the archives to remind myself and to give you a little something to paint! Enjoy! Here is what I wrote last year:

I am officially obsessed with these adorable 2 stroke painted butterflies because they are so simple to paint and the results are just so wonderful! And so my friends butterflies and pyramids are going to the the theme of this year's Passover crafts, lets do it! This butterfly technique can be used in so many ways, though of course I'd recommend practicing a bit before going to town, to get your technique down so that it will be consistent and quick! And of course, you'll want to experiment a bit to see which paint brush works the best for this, and I just realized how fabulous these butterflies would be really large, like painted with a house painting brush! (Need a spring school play backdrop, or a party backdrop, think butterflies!) Okay, time is of the essence, lets get to it!

Pear Of Hearts Milk Carton Painting Craft

So friends, it turns out that painting tiny hearts on milk cartons can get a bit addictive as layer after layer is so very relaxing! That means more milk cartons filled with hearts to then turn into pear of hearts milk cartons, because the pear is created by blocking out the background with a solid color, leaving the pear shape filled with hearts, so very cute I must say! And yes I have outlined the pear with a paint pen, as it needs the definition, but that all depends on the colors you are using! The wonderful thing as always about painting on milk cartons is that is is low pressure, so you can just have fun, and you have 4 sides to get it right! And then, tada, the art stands up all by itself, which I just love, and you could fill them with tiny pebbles or sand to make book ends if you so desire. Okay, lets learn how to create something similar!

Graffiti Hearts Milk Carton Craft

With the Jewish New Year for the trees, Tu B'Shevat coming up this Sunday night I thought I'd revamp some of my painted milk cartons to go with the new ones covered in hearts. I had almost forgotten how many graffiti hearts projects I've done, so it is a good thing there is an archives here to remind me! I have not painted in a while, so I've been covering milk cartons with layers and layers of hearts as a warm up, and it also turns out to be oh so relaxing and quite addicting! And best of all they are sure to put a smile on everyone's face, promise! So cover a milk carton in hearts, and another with whimsical blooming heart trees and enjoy!

DIY Rustic Wooden Wedding Sign

When my dear nephew Rafi asked me to make a rustic welcome sign for his wedding in Israel (because the bride was dreaming of one) my first reaction was, hmmm, never done that maybe I'll just do it on the computer and make a mounted print? Except given the rustic wedding venue that might totally flop, yikes. Then I thought why not do a computer created decal and apply it to wood? A good option but ordering that decal, not so simple in my location, and potentially costly. Okay, then how about DIY decal sheets to print at home? An option but also needs to planned way ahead to account for shipping of those sheets. In the end, silly me I realized that designing the sign on the computer, and then transferring the design onto a piece of wood, and then painting it truly would be the best solution. And so, presenting to you my first ever DIY rustic welcome sign, with the artist's easel that I also happened to have, and which needed its own makeover as well.

Want to make one too, let's do it!

DIY Seven Species Garland

As you can well guess I have so many Succah decorations from previous years that I still love, so spending time making new ones is certainly not a priority! Of course when one of my sons requested that I create the "seven species" as part of my Daily Object series (read about that here) in order to hang them in the succah, well of course I could not resist, because while we try to hang actual versions of the 7 species in the succah, artistic representations of them haven't been created for some time, and my previous version is in a box lost in the attic somewhere! So while of course now is not the time to be making succah decorations, you can save this idea for next year, or after the holiday get to work on your own version to enjoy for the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, when we eat the 7 species! What are the 7 species you ask? Keep on reading!

DIY Brush Lettering And Watercolor Rosh HaShana Card Craft

Wishing everyone a Shanah Tovah U'Metuka! A new year filled with good health and success in all you do and of course filled with creativity and a big huge dose of kindness to all. The good news is that you can still make Rosh HaShanah cards to wish loved ones a wonderful new year, it is not too late! So get started today, put them in the mail if need be, and spread the love. Cards can be received even for the Succot holiday, don't stress out, just get to work! My lovely daughter made this card for me, and wow, I just wish she realized that she has so much talent, especially given that she does not spend any time at the moment doing art of any kind! Years ago I did print out some brush lettering sheets which she practiced, and that has served her well, and the rest, hmmm, just experimenting with little doodles and fields of either water color or watercolor pens, not quite sure. Also, not the long shape of this card, which is perfect for a greeting theme! The little stars? Yes, I folded them myself, and each one takes about 40 seconds once you get good at it, and uses quilling paper! Sure would be fun to include some lucky stars in the envelope, right?

How To Start A Daily Art Practice (That Sticks!)

Ever heard of a daily art practice? Wondering why you should consider one? Wondering if you can actually do it? A little voice is telling you that you should do it? Okay, so lets take a look at all these questions! I have now had enough experience over the last year with my "daily object" series that I think I can shed some light on the topic and give you a few valuable tips. And, as someone who is relatively new to the idea, and who has also only started creating in a journal/sketchbook since 2020, but has continued to do so, I think I can still remember all the little nuances that might be helpful for you! A daily art practice is an amazing way to make art, and exploration of art and creativity a part of your life without going crazy, and while still making progress and honing skills, so keep on reading!