creative jewish mom

Make A Fun DIY Stenciled Coat Rack (For Kids?)

   

Why not encourage your kids to hang up their stuff by providing them with a fun coat rack hung at their level! You may even have the supplies for this project hanging around collecting dust, like I did! And in case you're wondering, I really am not all that handy, it's just that I couldn't find anything to buy (at a reasonable price) that would look great in this cute little yellow toy/catch-all room just off the kitchen!

 

And no, it doesn't usually look like this, but the mess was obscuring the beauty of the project, so I had to dispose of it (throw it in a corner behind me, namely) as you can well imagine! And yes, the bags made from woven plastic strips are great, I got them in Seattle years ago!

You'll  Need:

• a piece of plywood, wood or even laminated partical board of some kind that's the right size for your needs, or even old drawer fronts would be great for this project!
• formica edging tape, for a very finished look if using plywood
• paint suitable for wood, I used enamel semi-gloss
• a paint brush or mini roller
• hooks, any assortment is fun, or all the same if you prefer
• a stencil
• craft paint for your stencil, and a stencil brush or piece of dense foam to apply paint to stencil
• varnish, either spray or brush-on for a top coat to protect your stenciled pattern
• an electric drill for attaching hooks to boards, (you could use a regular screwdriver if working with solid wood that's not too hard) and a handy neighbor to attach the racks to the wall!

How To:

1. Paint your base pieces, and set aside to dry overnight. If you are using something that is already covered in a laminate of some kind, you'll need to use special paint suited to formica, which is available as a base coat in white.
2. Apply your stenciled pattern (see my other posts about stenciling here) and set aside to dry
3. Apply a coat of varnish, acrylic or oil based, spray or paint-on, whichever suits you, or whichever you happen to have on hand
4. Apply formica strips to edges if applicable, using manufacturers instructions. The brand I used was pre-glued and I applied it with heat, namely an iron!
5. Carefully mark holes for placement of hooks (measure!) and attach hooks with a screwdriver or screwdriver attachment on your power drill
6. Attach coat racks to wall at the right level for your needs, and enjoy!
7. Take photos and share them with us here, it would make us so proud!

A Spring Counting Calendar That's Also A Work Of Art! (For Sefirat HaOmer!)

Ever started to make something not knowing what the final result would be? Well, that's what happened this week and I just love the results! I knew that I wanted to make a counting calender of some sort (we are now in a 49 day period on the Jewish calender, where each day is counted in a special way) with scalloped circles but I really wasn't sure what I do with the circles! I even got my kids busy scribbling and coloring on recycled paper to make some of the inner circles without much of a plan!

Then it occurred to me that they'd look great, all 49 of them simply lined up on a grid, and lucky for me this frame that I had sitting around was just the right size and I even re-used the bristol board already inside the frame! I don't know whether we'll actually use this for counting because I love it just as it is! But my idea was to write the number for the day on the glass with markers. (Yes regular markers wipe easily off of glass!)

And in case you are wondering, when I recently hung this wrought iron rack, my family thought it was for hanging their stuff, I of course envisioned it as a great way to hang a picture, or have a revolving art wall of sorts!

You'll Need:

• a 2" scalloped circle punch
• a 3" scalloped circle punch
• colored card stock in five colors
• recycled non-glossy paper from phone books etc, old lined notebook paper etc.
• markers
• a glue stick
• a frame with an inside measurement of at least 59cm x 75cm, and a piece of bristol board that fits the frame

How To:

Step 1: Get your kids to scribble and doodle with markers on  old lined paper and non-glossy printed paper like phone book pages. If there aren't any kids around for this step, so have fun yourself!

Step 2: Cut out scalloped circles with the 2" punch if you want to duplicate my results. BUT if you want to make a more functional counting calender, so cut out the doodled artwork with the 3" punch such that all the centers will be made from solid paper.

Step 3: Cut out scalloped circles from your solid paper in both sizes.

Step 4: Using a glue gun, adhere smaller circles to larger ones.

Step 5: Arrange circles on board, and when you are happy with the placement (you'll need to play around a bit to make sure the various colors are evenly distributed) adhere them with the glue stick. Use a T-square or a long ruler to make sure your rows lineup as you are working.

Step 6: To use as a calender, insert into frame with glass (plastic might work too with a marker for dry-erase boards, give it try!) and write on the glass with a marker. When you've finished your countdown, wipe off the numbers and enjoy as a beautiful piece of artwork!

Make Your Own Wall Decals From Fabric!

Today I am not at the computer, I am celebrating and observing the first day of Pesach! Of course that doesn't mean that I'll be abandoning the blog, I've got a whole series of posts lined up that will automatically post even though I'm enjoying the holiday!

This is not my project (You'll forgive me right? I'm a little pressed for time preparing for Pesach!) though I'm going to try it out the first chance I get. Just arranging the photos to make a pretty collage was fun! This project was actually posted on my Craft Schooling Sunday blog party last week, but it is so brilliant I just had to give it its' own post so that my readers wouldn't miss it.

I'm sure you're familiar with the very popular vinyl wall decals, that can look great but can be expensive and a little flat looking for some. Here's a really great option that I think could be even cuter and easy to make yourself. Using fabric and double-sided fusible web you can make decals like these that will not damage the walls! For a complete tutorial, please visit sewingforscarlet. And do thank her for giving me permission to post this on my blog!

Enjoy and let me know if you try this out, I'd love to hear about your successes or any other results! Wishing everyone a wonderful Pesach. Seven (or eight) days of matzo is a great thing!

Spring Decor: A Two Minute Decorating Idea For Your Sparkling Home!

Hopefully at this point those of you who are celebrating Pesach have finished most of the rigorous cleaning and are now preparing for the festivities! I don't know about you, but I try to make my house look bare for Pesach, as it somehow looks cleaner and fresher that way! Nonetheless, a bit of color here and there and a touch of something new is always fun. So I came up with this almost instant decorating trick: tie a beautiful ribbon around a frame! And if you don't have a beautiful ribbon, so tie a strip of beautiful fabric around a frame! And if you don't have a frame, well that might be a problem! (But you could probably make a cute one fromm cardboard?)

How's that for a quick decorating trick? I just love how mine looks! And if you want to get a little more crafty, so buy some birdhouses from the dollar store and paint them in pastel colors, or give my felt rosebud bouquet a try, tutorial here.

Okay, you're right there's one more secret I have yet to reveal, the frame itself! This was something bound for the garbage by my neighbor, and I just loved the shape. I painted it light blue and then glued beautiful sheer beaded ribbon around the edge. Truthfully it's so beautiful I've been enjoying it empty! The combination of the sparkling lavender beads and the light blue frame is etherial and spring-like. Especially now, with it's new floral ribbon bow!

So, in conclusion, tie some ribbons around some empty frames and make some beautiful spring vignettes!
Decorating really can be that simple! And now, if you'll excuse me, I've still got lots to do for Pesach! Yawn. Whoops no time for dozing. All the best!

Make A Fun Freezer Paper Stenciled Pillowcase For Pesach!

Have you discovered the joys of freezer paper stenciling? There are so many wonderful ways to use this simple technique I see lots more of it in my future! As part of the Pesach Seder, we use pillows at the table to "recline" while drinking the four cups of wine (grape juice for some) during the reading of the haggadah.
I usually use simple pastel colored pillow cases, which look lovely, but this year I decided to take that idea one step further! 

To learn more about this project, with a complete tutorial, head on over to makeandtakes.com where I'm guest posting today. And thanks so much to Marie for inviting me to share a project with her readers!

If you have your eye on the felt rosebud bouquet, a perfect project for Spring, you can find my tutorial for that simply wonderful project here.

All the best, and do take a moment to enter my giveaway at the top of the page! And if you are a fellow craft blogger, take a moment and join my Craft Schooling Sunday international party below, (until Tues) I'd love to see what you've been up to!

Cut Paper Silhouettes From Nature: Fresh Artwork for Spring!

Looking for a new project that says "Spring?" Something cheerful to adorn a blank wall? With just some cardstock in your favorite colors, a piece of foam core or any solid backing, and a bit of rick rack trim you can create a truly special piece of artwork that you'll enjoy all year round. Cut paper silhouettes do require a bit of precision and patience, but your efforts will be rewarded as the results are stunning!

Silhouettes of all kinds have been popular for awhile and they still look great when combined with fresh color and used together in a grid like pattern as I've done here. Stretch yourself a bit and do several delicate silhouettes to mix with some simple ones for the best results. And of course, with your creative touch this can be used for so many different types of projects. How about freezer paper stencils on fabric for a mini color blocked wall hanging or table runner? Sounds good to me!

You'll Need:

• card stock in four coordinating colors
• rick rack trim in one color (choose the darkest color)
• piece of foam core, mdf, plywood, etc.
• adhesive for mounting paper and silhouettes, I used spray mount but you can use the adhesive of your choice, including matte modgepodge for a more decoupaged look.
• an X-acto knife and small sharp scissors (even those used for cutting finger nails)
• xeroxed or laser printed copies of silhouettes sized for your project (you can drag the images I've provided below onto your screen, or find your own through clip art books and online sources)

How To:

1. Determine the overall size of your artwork and divide into four equal sections.
2. Cut background pieces, one in each color according to this calculation
3. Using your computer or a copy machine, size your silhouettes to fit within the rectangles you've cut and flip the images before printing, as you'll be working with them from the back
4. Using spray mount adhesive (or the adhesive or your choice) mount the silhouettes to the back of your card stock, one silhouette per color if you're following my design.
5. Using an X-acto knife and /or small sharp scissors cut out the silhouettes, and then mount these silhouettes to the background pieces.
6. Carefully mount the background pieces to your backing material using the adhesive of your choice and then cover seams between background pieces by attaching rick-rack with glue.
7. Enjoy!
8. Artwork done on foam core can be framed, while those done on a piece of mdf or plywood should be given a finished edge with pieces of the same cardstock and can be hung as is!

The Right Knobs Are Worth Waiting For!

Three plus years after moving into our home, I am happy to say I'm still pleased with the faux bamboo formica I choose for a built-in linen closet (left) and the cabinets in my laundry area which also happen to hold our gas water heater. My only problem was I just couldn't decide what type of handles/knobs to use, and I'm a bit picky when it comes to commitments involving drilling holes in cabinets! I even convinced myself that the cabinets were fine without handles!

With my brother and family about to visit from the US a few weeks ago, I decided it would be a great time to finally get some handles on those cabinets and these beauties that I'd purchased at the Yaffo flea market three plus years ago now seemed just right! And what can I tell you, I just love them! Actually it's more than that, I'm ecstatic about how great they look and in retrospect I'm glad I waited until I was totally sure about my decision!

In case you are wondering, these ceramic knobs were imported to Israel from Damascus, Syria and the small ones were only 8 shekels about $2 each! Now that is a bargain. I've seen similar knobs at Anthropologie, or you could get crafty and make something similar by painting wooden knobs or large wooden beads! I love the fact that they're all different and the little splash of intense color makes me happy.

Knobs are a great place to have a little fun, so give it some thought and transform the cabinets in your home!

Lessons In Decorating: A Beautiful Color Scheme Inspired By An Ordinary Pigeon!

When this pigeon found his way into my living room and just didn't want to leave, I knew I should take his picture because he looked so cute! What I didn't know is that this photo would be inspiration for a post about decorating! When I was cropping the photo to share with you I found it so interesting how closely the bird matched my tile floor while at the same time there were really quite a few colors to be found within his feathers on closer examination!

What a great way to figure out how to match your fabric and upholstery choices to your floor color, I thought! Find a photo or object from nature that matches your floor (or kitchen cabinet color, or couch color etc.) in a general way, and then find fabrics that match all the subtle and not so subtle colors within that item!

Now that I've shared this secret with you, you can really decorate like a pro! And as far as where to go about looking for some great fabric, well, I recommend Fabric.com, an amazing web site with great prices and a huge selection that changes all the time. Plus you can use their design wall or drag photos off of their site onto your computer and play around with them to see if they work together. Here's what I came up with doing just that!

Lovely right? I was really surprised to find so many choices that really matched this humble pigeon! I just love the combination of all these fabrics, and some of them are available now at bargain prices. For example the silky jacquard fabrics to the right and left of the bird are in the 65% off homedecor section for only $3.49/yard! And the embroidered sheer fabric in the lower right corner is only $4.54 a yard! So go check out all the great savings at Fabric.com, and maybe when you're done you can treat yourself to a piece of that embroidered faux suede in the middle, (a bit of a splurge at about $23/yard) you deserve it!

Did you like this post? Would you like to see more posts like this with practical decorating advice? Please let me know! And in case you are wondering, yes the bird made quite a mess on my just cleaned floor, but I forgive him. As they say, when life gives you lemons make lemonade!

Tissue Paper Blossoms On Real Branches: Stunning!

Tissue paper blossoms glued to real branches look like the real thing, only you can enjoy them for years! I've had these for over a year and a half, and they've been transported several times to various functions and they're still looking fine. I found these branches on the side of the road, a by-product of winter pruning that suited my crafting needs exactly!

As you may or may not have noticed I have made it a practice to only post original work here so as to avoid linking to other sites, in this case however I really wanted to share this lovely project with you, so I'll give credit where credit is due, this project was published a few years (or more) ago by the amazing Martha, as in Stewart. I used to say that I'd like to be the Jewish Martha Stewart, but after everything she's been through I think I'll just be happy being myself! Funny enough though, a few friends of mine started called me Martha when I started this blog, with no prompting from me. I met a friend in an elevator at a wedding and she screamed out "it's Martha!". Fortunately nobody had any idea what she was talking about, because I was pretty darn embarrassed, as funny as it was! Okay enough about me, on to Martha!

Instructions:

So I just did a search and it turns out I saw the project in a magazine from 2005. Here's the written instructions (with a few changes) courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings:

You'll Need:

• Tissue paper, the colors of your choice, either traditional pink or yellow, red, white etc.
• Flower crafting stamens
• Floral tape, preferably brown, but green will be okay, that's all I had available to me
• Real branches
• A hot glue gun

1. For each blossom, precut a 1-inch-long piece of brown floral tape and a strip of tissue paper 1 1/2 inches tall and 4 1/2 inches long .
2. Accordion-fold paper (you can make up to five folded panels; for some blossoms, fold just two or three). With a pencil, draw the petal shape on the folded paper. They should have wide, flat bottoms the width of the panel, and rounded tops. (Picture a peanut with a flat bottom.)
3. Unfold.
4. Fold two to five stamens in half, and twist to secure.
5. Wrap paper around stamens, pinching at base as you go.
6. Wrap base with floral tape.
7. Trim stem, and gently spread and shape petals.
8. Hot-glue blossom to branch in clusters, with smaller blooms at top. For buds, cover a tiny ball of cotton with crepe paper, and tape to stamens.

In case that was a bit too hard to understand, here's a more recent and easier (though not as realistic looking) version: http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/paper-cherry-blossom-display

Needless to say these are great for DIY wedding arrangements. Just make sure they won't poke anybody in the eye! Probably best used on a dessert table rather than as arrangements on dining tables.  This would also be a great project to do as a crafting get together— everyone goes home with a nice bunch of blooms to add cheer to their homes and remember a nice time spent creating together. Enjoy!

Use Felt & Real Branches To Make Decorative Fruit Trees!

Real branch + felt + miniature pomegranates from the dollar store = a fun artful decorating idea for Tu B'Shevat or anytime. Okay, you're right, it does help if you have some large iron frames that are waiting to be filled, but if you don't, you can simply hang a branch like this on the wall, probably horizontally would look the best.

Now I have to tell you, just to let you in on the creative process, this actually started out as a kid's craft project— I cut the felt leaves and my 8 year old daughter glued them on with a glue gun. It looked cute in person, but I could see that it was just a bit boring in the photos.......so then I thought, oh, right add some birds! Nah, cute idea, but not today, that would take too much time. Add something you already have on hand, oh yes, of course little fruit! And lucky for me the pomegranates that I bought for Rosh HaShana and didn't use were actually accessible, yippee. Now I'd like to make another branch like this to fill the adjacent frame, I'll certainly keep you posted!

You'll Need:

• felt, in two colors of green
• a real branch— any size really, or make a bouquet of branches for a vase
• hot glue
• miniature fruit from the dollar store or make you own with foam balls and paper mache
• wire— I wrapped the wire around the crown of the pomegranate and then attached the fruit to the branch with the wire

How To: Cut leaf shapes, glue to branch one at a time, or in pairs, attach fruit. Smile and enjoy!