creative jewish mom

Embroidering With T-Shirt Yarn!

Ever thought about embroidering with t-shirt yarn? I am always looking for ways to do intricate yet lovely crafts in a quicker way, so embroidery with t-shirt yarn is certainly one way to do that, right? With ethnic wall hangings and baskets still popular in the home decor arena, now is the perfect time to make some fun summer accessories for your home, with some t-shirt yarn and some woven placemats or baskets. I actually made the example here as a wall hanging, though it has not yet made it to the wall, it is propped up on a bedside table under a window for now, and maybe forever until I make something new! Okay, ready for a few tips to get those creative gears turning? Read on......

DIY Wall Art From Painted Wrapping Paper

DIY wall art is all the rage, and now you can whip up some fun wrapping paper, and make something to grace your walls, all while honing your loose paining skills! There is something about fooling yourself into painting without the pressure that just plain works, so instead of setting out to paint wall art, just set out to paint some wrapping paper and very likely the results will be that much better! This week I've been having a go at painting some fun works of art that require really being as loose as possible with the painting strokes, and while I have yet to master the look on canvas (well, watercolor paper actually in my case) my attempt at flowers came out really well when I just decided to practice on a big sheet of butcher paper......so maybe I should just stick with that for now? Who knows, and in the meantime my kitchen wall, and my pile of Hanukkah presents are going to look really fun and festive!

Ready to paint something  quick with out the pressure of actually producing great artwork? Lets get started......

The DIY Five Minute Paper Plate Clock

Who wouldn't want to make this fun DIY paper plate clock, especially since it takes just five minutes? True you'll need to have the clock mechanism and a favorite paper plate on hand, but the rest is quite simply one of my very favorite projects. Add a touch of Fall color to your home, or a little something unexpected for a very small investment, and you can always change the plate when your heart desires! And now you have a great excuse to buy some cute paper plates, or a way to use up a few plates that are hanging around with no purpose in site, ready?

Rustic Yet Modern Vacation House Decor Starts With Words, Lots Of Them!

Fun signs with a painted vintage look, or even fun signs that use a modern font yet still have that aged look are all the rage, and while you might not want to look at them all the time, they certainly make great simple decor for a vacation home, a basement hideout, a shed, or a camper.  Then again, the laundry room, the bathroom, a stairwell, or even a hall can be a great place to hang a fun sign. If you own a craft cutter (I don't) signs like these are simple to whip up by creating your own vinyl stencils, if not, one can also print out the words and transfer the outlines of the letters to the piece of wood and simply paint by hand, a nice relaxing project to delve into!

Speaking of relaxing, those of you (myself included) who do not own vacation homes, might want to consider how to bring that feeling of vacation into our everyday homes. For me, one of the things I love about going on vacation is not having to deal with all my stuff, you know the piles of it, so maybe getting really organized and keeping drawers and closets that are used everyday as empty as possible will give me that "free" vacation feeling? I"ll let you know, as I'm about to do that with my office/art studio that has become a storeroom for the last few years, namely with my husband's help I am clearing out the whole thing, painting, and then only bringing back in the barest minimum of supplies. I fortunately have a large attic as well as a really rough basement space that will store all of my mess, fingers crossed, and wish me luck!

Ah yes, but back to these fun signs, which I believe are a bit of a 70's throwback, as are so many trends today, I noticed that the homes we stayed in that were owned by really loving family oriented people had signs that expressed these feelings! So dear readers, share your love, your sense of humor, your faith, your goals, and your dreams on a sign, it can only be good.

DIY Paper Plant: Flowering Bromeliad

A DIY paper plant can be the perfect solution if you need an inexpensive and festive party centerpiece (especially if you need a bunch) and best of all they can be made in any size that works for you. Not all the paper plants that i've seen in blogland have been quick to make, so I've come up with one that truly is.....ta da, introducing the paper flowering bromeliad. And I have to say, I haven't seen any flowering paper plants, with the exception of a cactus, so I'm happy to present you with an idea that is quick, budget friendly and can be made to suit your color scheme! Oh, and did I mention that this is a great craft for kids as well? Bingo!

Regardless of your thumb color you can now fill your home with greenery, so lets get crafting!

The Best Of DIY Painted And Embroidered Lampshades

Lampshades are the perfect place to sharpen your DIY skills, and a DIY painted or embroidered lampshade is the perfect place to start. I've gathered some great inspiration for you as far as the shade goes. And if you're in the market for a new lamp that could really be a great base for your crafty lampshade ventures, I think that some wooden lighting namely wooden lamps using blonde wood could look really great, especially since one of the hot decorating trends for 2016 is the Scandinavian style white and black interior with wood accents. And of course, you don't need to stop with your wood based lamp, you could also get some really cool wooden pendant lights to complete the look. Okay, now on to the inspiration!

This painted peacock feather lamp shade by Alisa Burke over at i love to create is just fantastic, as is this painted cross stitch lampshade that just makes me so very happy! There is a problem with this link loading for some reason, so if necessary just copy it here and paste into your browser: http://www.crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/give-a-boring-lampshade-a-brand-new-look--craft-2458

Paint A Fun Watercolor Chameleon Wall Hanging For Your Child's Room!

After we painted watercolor strawberries and watercolor apples and pomegranates, I am still loving the idea of using watercolors in so many fun ways, so I thought I'd paint something fun for my twelve year old  son's room, as he just got his own room for the first time ever! Now that I've made this cute wall hanging and he loves it, I think I need some new accessories and bedding to pull the new look together! I live in a somewhat remote area, so online shopping is really helpful, and before I start shopping I like to check out chameleonjohn.com to see if there are any coupons that might be useful.

In case you are wondering if this little wall hanging just came to mind, and I set about painting it, well not exactly. At first I thought I'd paint patterns inspired by the amazing skin of chameleons, but that didn't quite work out, so then I thought maybe I'd make a painting, but that didn't quite work out either! So then I realized I just need to go with more basic painting, and this sweet little wall plaque was born! I can of course see this as a fun series to teach kids about important personality traits, can't you?

You'll Need:

• watercolor paper
• watercolors
• a pencil and a fine permanent marker

How To:

First draw the light outline of a chameleon on half a sheet of watercolor paper. You should of course look at photos of chameleons and take not of all their special attributes: the feet, the tail, the texture of the skin, the amazing colors......

Then fill in your shape with watercolors, wide stripes of color that bleed together will lead to the best looking results for those of us who are not quite so professional in the painting department. Use water, but not too much so that everything runs over the lines. While painting is still wet, sprinkle kosher salt over the desired areas and set aside to dry.

Once dry, gently tap the paper on a clean surface to remove the salt, and then add the eyes and mouth and a few details here and there using a series of small dots make with your fine line pen. Using a pencil and then a black fine lined permanent marker, add words and some little decorative flourishes. That is it!

And of course instead of "be adaptable" you could write "show us your colors" or "let your colors shine." Just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are some great quotes out there that would also be perfect for this little work of art. Enjoy!

 

 

Make The Perfect Summer Getaway With Outdoor Curtains!

Check out my latest article over on houzz.com and get some practical tips for enhancing your summer with outdoor curtains as well as what to consider when purchasing outdoor curtains. Click on the photo below to go directly to the article, and please leave me a comment there with your questions or queries, I'd love to hear from you!

Moroccan Painted Furniture Inspiration

Morroccan painted furniture caught my eye this week on a little visit to my favorite Moroccan store in Chatzor HaGlilit. The store is huge and packed with Morroccan items of all kinds, so one can get a bit ovewhelmed, as I did on my first few visits. This time I was completely surprised by the bold beauty of the painted furniture, so I thought I'd share it with you, as one could certainly do something similar!

Here's a close-up of a little table, a design that one could easily adapt to any side table.

And one can certainly go a little in the pastel/country direction with Moroccan, as with these mint green tables, which I just love.

Oh, and look at these little cabinets, this black one would fit into the mostly white house of my dreams....

One could also paint just the doors of a cabinet like this if the total painted look is too busy, right?

Love this intense green version with the hints of pink! Inspired? I know I certainly am, and a painted furntiure piece like one of these could be a wonderful additional to any home, especially in a child's room for those who prefer to keep the main areas of the home a bit more neutral. Do let me know if you try this yourself!

 

Shelf Lining Paper With A Simple Decorative Edge!

Got some plain shelves that could use a little decorative touch? (This is a shot of my kitchen shelves after they were thoroughly cleaned, and before the Passover dishes were placed on them.) So my crafty friends, how about lining those shelves, whether open or in a closet, with reverse-scallop- edged paper that you can quite simply make yourself? I'm so glad I took the extra time to make my kitchen look extra cute this year, as it really wasn't so difficult once I figured out the best technique. And best of all, it makes me happy while I'm in the kitchen, which will certainly be quite a bit over the course of the Passover holiday!

You'll Need:

• wrapping paper or any shelf lining paper (for longer lasting liners, this could also be done with oil cloth, or plastic table cloth material, and the edge would be cut by hand rather than punched)
• a circle punch, I used a 3" diameter one
• a tape measure (optional)
• clear tape

How To:

1. First determine how your circular punch works with the paper you'll be using. In my case, the wrapping paper was much too thin to produce nice results, and I found that I needed four layers of paper for the punch to work properly.
2. Measure your shelf width and depth, keeping in mind the depth of the shelf.
3. If using wrapping paper, cut a piece that measures twice the depth by the width.
4. Fold this piece in half vertically, such that the resulting size is the size you'll need for one shelf.
5. Fold this piece in half again horizontally (you'll now have four layers)
6. With the folded edge side facing you, roughly eyeball how many circles you'll be able to punch along the length of your paper, and space your punching accordingly.
7. Hold the circle punch upside down so that you'll see now much paper you're inserting into the punch, and insert the paper half way into the punch.
8. Using a sharp scissors, cut any joined pieces, and unfold.
9. Lay on shelf and adhere with clear tape, or on the backside with double-stick tape.
10. Enjoy!