creative jewish mom

Mixed Media Watercolor Collage Gift Tags Craft

Looking for a fun craft that you could work on during tiny pockets of time, or do with a bunch of kids or friends? How about something that can be used in so many ways and be easily stored to be pulled out when needed. Love art journaling and the idea of putting things in pockets within an art journal? Friends, mixed media watercolor collage gift tags are THE thing, trust me! I started making the tags I'm sharing here last week, and have already made so many more, as they are not only fun, but a great way to use up watercolor art that doesn't quite cross the finish line for whatever reason. Of course an artful gift tag will bring any bottle of wine or gift to the next level as far as the personal touch, though I'm also planning on using these tags as place card holders, holiday garland elements and more. Add a work or a small message to the front, or write on the back, you decide, in any case, this is a winning craft that you can enjoy year round and for a special occassion, or just because! Lets do it!

Toilet Paper Roll Birdy Gift Topper

Last week I shared with you my toilet paper tube birdy gift tag, and now I'm sharing a few photos to show you how I used it! Truthfully, while I am not a fan of cellophane, that is the gift wrap of choice here in Israel, so sometimes you just gotta go with the flow......of course I'd prefer a lovely cardboard box with a clear window, but finding that, and buying it, well that is just not my normal course, as I'm all about recycling. Ah yes, though maybe I need to make my own take-out boxes from cornflakes boxes, now that is an idea, maybe next year? This year I used a lovely metallic gold paper plate, and on that I placed a mini-kugel, two oblong spelt rolls and two container of salad, like hummous and eggplant cubes with lemon, or pickled veggie sticks. The little bird made the whole thing sweet and a bit more personal, and so overall I was happy with the presentation. Now I just need to save some more tp rolls to make some little birdies to use as gift toppers or maybe even try making some fish with the same technique! If it goes well, you'll be the first to know, after all some fish could work for Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea inspired table decor? Okay, lets take a closer look at my toilet paper roll birdy mishloach manot gift tag!

Toilet Paper Tube Birdy Gift Tags Or Party Decor

With Purim coming up on Saturday night, I started making really fun egg carton portrait gift tags, only the later ones came out so well I really can't give them away, so I was looking for something super cute but just a bit less precious, and these toilet paper roll birdies fit the bill! I'll be attaching them to the top of a cellophane wrapped plate of goodies with a ribbon or piece of string attached to the head I think, and then folks can use them as holiday decor on their table, or if they end up in the garbage, gasp it isn't the end of the world. I made 20 of these and they are now all sitting on my piano looking cute as can be, and waiting to fly off to new homes on Sunday morning. This is relatively quick, and if you choose to leave the background the cardboard and just add details, even quicker, so lets make some!

Painted Mittens Gift Box Or Artful Winter Decor!

I've dusted this one off from the archives as it goes wonderfully well with my latest cereal box doodle umbrella craft! Enjoy.

Ready to practice your painting and drawing skills and make the funnest winter themed gift box ever? What can I tell you, this one is a winner, not just the color combo, but the fun artful style, and the fact that it looks much more complicated than it really is! This winter clothes theme came about because I painted an ugly sweater for Chanukah, and then a graffiti ski cap, so mittens were a natural fit for my theme, and mittens with pom poms, is there anything cuter? So whether you follow my technique or not, do think about packaging your gifts this year in recycled containers that you've repurposed, or painted or made yourself, it makes gift giving that much more meaningful! Okay, lets get started!

Recycling Winter Craft: Cereal Box Cardboard Umbrellas!

Introducing cereal box umbrellas to use in garlands, as gift tags, place cards, or art journaling fodder, just for starters! There is something so very cute about these umbrellas that the more the better, plus they are so much fun to make, not to mention great to have on hand for any party or decor needs come the rainy season, whenever that is for you! For us, here in Northern Israel, the rainy season is right now, and we've just had a three day period of non-stop rain, so these little cereal box umbrellas looked great as part of a winter themed garland this shabbat. While I created these in a size that would work with some adorable cereal box striped winter sweaters that I already had on hand, you can of course make them in any size. We have a family birthday coming up, and I'm thinking the theme will be rain, so some giant cardboard umbrellas will likely come to fruition, can't wait! Ah yes and maybe some clouds with colorful raindrops, which our 8 year old unicorn loving cutie will just swoon over? Okay, but first, let me explain how to make these simply adorable cardboard umbrellas......

DIY Butterfly Boxes Spring Craft

As you may know, I just adore creating art on recycled, mostly little, boxes of any kind, as well as milk cartons, so after I painted some simple 2 stroke butterflies in my journal, well that just had to start covering some boxes! And of course it will not surprise you that I had a few blank green boxes sitting around from last year, so this one came together quite quickly, and I just love these. What do I love even more? The white box I also covered in butterflies which you can see if you keep on reading. So friends, time is pressed right now with just 2 weeks until Passover, so I recommend on deciding on a butterfly theme for this year's holiday, and having some fun painting a bunch of them, they are after all a nice symbol of freedom! Okay, lets do it!

Adorable Doodle Pears Boxes To Stack As Art!

Sometimes it is the DIY projects with just the simplest materials, and of course recyclables to boot, that are truly the most special! And these fun stackable doodle pear boxes are truly the proof in the pudding, right? It all started out because I'm doing an instagram challenge called #colormegrow at my @sara.rivka.dahan account, and this week we were working on a project using just red, black and white. The challenge will last for at least 3 months, and I'm planning to do boxes every week, so that at the end I'll have a nice tower! Each week, depending on which color or colors the challenge dictates, I'll be painting stripes on little recycled food boxes (like tea boxes and one sleeve cookie boxes, toothpaste boxes, etc.) and then turning that into something. Last week I made landscapes from my blue boxes, and this week, well, the challenge subject was pears and today is Tu B'Shevat, so a fun pattern with doodle pears was an obvious choice! Of course, if you like my pears, you can use this idea on canvas or paper, it would be fun art in any form.  Okay, lets do it, shall we?

Tips For Finding Creative and Eco-Friendly Gifts For The Holidays

The holiday season is here, and regardless of what holiday you celebrate, that might mean some last-minute shopping for those who didn't already celebrate Chanukah! (Your boss, coworkers, neighbors, teachers, the mail person, household help, the sweet child that lives upstairs?) Buying gifts in a hurry that end up in the trash or clutter our houses for years only to be tossed out later, takes its toll on the planet. In fact, in every holiday season, Australians produce 30 percent more waste that includes food, unwanted presents, decorations, and single-use plastics for gift wrapping. Owing to this alarming rate of waste generation, lets consider switching to sustainable gifting that is useful and poses minimal threat to the environment!

If you are looking for gift ideas that help you make planet-friendly choices while reducing stress and saving money, you've come to the right place. Okay, time is of the essence, so lets get started!

Soda Bottle Treat Box Shaped Like An Apple!

As  you may know one of my great creative joys is coming up with fun craft projects that use recyclables. I have been know to hoard plastic bottles, tp rolls, techina containers, and milk cartons, for starters, all in the name of making just for example, treat boxes, party decorations, centerpieces and even planters. With Rosh HaShana right around the corner in another week and a half, now is a great time to think about sweet treats (healthy or not so healthy, your choice) to usher in a sweet new year! Of course, if you have a birthday, or would like to give a teacher appreciation gift, this soda bottla apple treat box is perfect and truly easy to whip up, even in numbers. Of course, you'll have to have the necessary number of plastic bottles on hand, but if you are short, pop on over, I likely have some extra! If you would like some additional ideas for making party favors, gift containers or baskets from soda bottles, hop on over to my soda bottle recycling crafts category.

DIY Carrot Gift Tags For Purim!

The pressure is on folks, with Purim happening tomorrow night, and that means I must fit in a few creative projects, because otherwise the holiday just wouldn't feel right, to me that it, I don't think anyone will notice. Thanks to the large plastic bag pom poms on our living room now for months, well the house looks like it is ready for a party anytime, phew! That said, the mishloach manot, gifts of food for neighbors and friends and teachers (I'm done with that!) and folks we need for acknowledge or give thanks to, does need to happen! For the past two years I've given everyone a really nice selection of homemade Moroccan salads, but this year it feels like a bit too much, so I'm going the healthy route with a large quinoa mixed veggie salad, some spelt rolls and maybe some corriander pesto. Since the them is "healthy" and I have some adobrable little rabbit shaped plastic bags for the rolls, I figured a carrot gift tag fits the bill. Not quite sure how this all will come together, I'm running to the store right now, as I can't exactly put salad in recycled oatmeal containers, can I. No, not even in a plastic bag inside the oatmeal container, that sounds weird as well. Wishing everyone joyful holiday preparations, and please, no perfection, just simcha!

And on that note of perfection, this is actually one of the first times that I've actually planned ahead with the gift tag before the gift, there were plenty of years when I made a gorgeous gift basket but forgot about the importance of the tag. Just sayin' everything in its time!