creative jewish mom

End Of Summer Thank You Card With Hand Lettering

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, which is sometimes true, and so I'm very happy to report once again, that my daughter also loves creativity and does hand lettering effortlessly! And while this card looks like brush markers, whoops, I forgot that on the trip we only had watercolors, so this is true brush lettering, then defined with a black pen! My mother "Bubbie" was gifted this thank you card on the last day of our wonderful visit, and of course she loved it! My youngest son saw what my daughter was doing and also painted a card, which was just totally heartwarming! So friends, pray that your kids will love creativity too, and make sure that they get exposure to a range of crafts so they can find something they love and perfect it! And at the end of the day if they just aren't interested, so be it, it just isn't in everyone's genes! Maybe music?

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!

A Beit HaMikdash Mosaic With Recycled Broken Tiles

I have pulled this one out of the archives as i have not yet and likely will not be doing any crafts for the "three weeks" this year, as I'm too busy trying to up my painting game.....not a simple thing to do at all. Of course if I were still crafting like I used to when my kids were young, or that I might do in the future if I had a art center for kids (dream or reality? time will tell!) or with hopefully grandchildren I would love to delve into mosaics once again, as they are so very satisfying, and especially wonderful when created by recycling broken tile and dishes! Here is what I wrote back in 2018:

Today is Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, so wishing every one a chodesh tov, a wonderful new month filled with blessings. Unfortunately for the Jewish people we are once again entering a month that is filled with great tragedy, though we have 17 days until the mourning period starts. I really don't know if there is any other People (Judiasm is both a religion and a People)  that continues to mourn events that happened thousands of years ago, and that in itself is one of the reasons that we have survived despite all attempts to wipe us out. We mourn and give great importance to past tragedies, while at the same time having great hope for a brighter future for ourselves and the entire world.

The main thing that the Jewish people mourn is the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, twice. The major events leading up to the destruction are minor fast days, and the last 9 days before the total destruction is the strictest mourning period on the Jewish calendar. So, mosaics which depict Jerusalem, and especially the Beit HaMikdash, are perfect projects to think about and start creating now!

I saw this Beit Hamikdash mosaic many years ago in a wedding hall somewhere near Beit Shemesh, I believe, and apologize to the creators for not being able to give them credit. To boot it was very dark and therefore my photos are not great quality, but the quality and creativity of the mosaic is so wonderful I just had to share it with you.

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!

Pinecone Pineapple Craft For All Ages

Pulling this one out of the archives because is seems like the perfect craft for summer, and who can resist? Make a bunch to use as a centerpiece or even party favors, or hang them over a table with twinkle lights? So many ways to use this fun craft for your summer entertaining and decor. Enjoy!

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!)

Painted Watercolor Feather Cut-Outs For Crafting

Watercolor feathers are so fun to paint and make great decorations for any occasion or to use as part of craft project truly any time! It is true I painted these for the Jewish holiday of L'Ag B'Omer because one of the symbols of the holiday is the bow and arrow, and arrows include feathers often, soooooo, maybe a bit of a stretch but fun nonetheless! I was planning to make a wall hanging by hanging the feathers, staggered, from a branch, but ran out of time, so maybe I'll have to do is for Succot, as the feather is also a symbol to use in the Succah. So paint yourself some feathers in any size you please, they could also make great gift tags, place holders, and more! Experiment with different combinations of colors, and do get large paper and make some large ones, which are truly so great looking! Are you sold? Lets do it......

Make A Quilled Paper Bonfire For Lag B'Omer!

I have pulled this one out of the archives, once again because it is truly simple with great results, and right about NOW would be the time to make one, or a few!

Call it a quilled paper campfire, or call it a quilled paper bonfire, either way it is a fun craft for all ages and requires only very simple supplies. The wonderful Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer is coming up on the night of May 2nd, so now is the time to start thinking about some simple crafts to celebrate. The bonfire is one of the major symbols of the holiday (and kids in my neighborhood are now hoarding wood of all kinds to contribute to bonfires around town) and as it turns out quilling with orange and yellow paper is a great way to depict fire! So whether you will be celebrating Lag B'Omer or are looking for an artful summer craft, this quilled paper campfire or bonfire is perfect.

Ready to get rolling? (Got it, a quilling joke....) Let's do it.......

Toilet Paper Tube Cactus Craft

When I started to attempt at cleaning out my studio a month or so ago, I came across a little box full of toilet paper tubes that I'd painted green, in order to make toilet paper tube cacti of course, just had not gotten around to it, for at least a year plus, sigh. The good news is that I did get around to it at last, and the results are just as cute as can be, and I wish I had time to make a whole dessert full! It is true that there are no Saguaro cacti in the Egyptian dessert, at least not native ones, but any symbol for dessert still makes it a great craft for Passover! So set aside a bunch of toilet paper tubes, and paper towel tubes, and let the family have fun painting them green, inside and out. And if you need a little project to do in the car or on a trip or for a little break with all that cleaning, learn to fold tiny paper stars, here. Okay, lets make some cacti.......

Fun Origami Butterflies With Pipe Cleaner Antennae For Every Party

So it turns out friends, that folding origami butterflies is something that one can do for days.......well that is what happened here at CJM headquarters this week, and I did it all by myself, so it can be done, though get a few folks to do it with you! I made hundreds of origami butterflies, some with pipe cleaner antennae, in a few sizes, for our annual women's Purim party, and phew, the butterfly theme flew! Not so happy about the disaster in my house post party, just from all the crafting that went on, not the actual party, but at least I now have a bunch of Purim decorations for my own home, and most of them can be used again next year, nothing like being ready a year plus ahead! I will share with you most of the decorations once I hang them again in my house, but for starters, just a bunch of origami butterflies with mettalic pipe cleaner antennae look fabulous hung as a garland, and just clip them up with wooden clothes pins and the clothes pin looks like the body, fabulous! Okay, lets get crafting!