creative jewish mom

DIY Striped Candles Are The Perfect Summer Craft!

Remember making candles at summer camp? I sure do, especially the ones we made at the beach in milk cartons! Candle making can be on the messy side, but is a perfect craft to do especially when you have a few hours on a lazy summer afternoon, and a bunch of kids (or kids at heart) in need of some creative fun! The candles you see here were actually made by some of my students in a candle making workshop for which I was the substitute teacher. Unfortunately I did not have the time to take photos of all the projects as my students stayed for two hours rather than one, and then needed to hurry off to their bus, so be it! Now I'm hoping to find some time to make some striped candles myself. I'm thinking that a remake of my remember Jerusalem sand jars would be perfect with striped candles, just in time for the Three Weeks.

Ah yes, and best of all, making candles has never been simpler, so lets get started!

DIY Paper Top Is The Perfect Hanukkah Craft!

 This evening we lit the 7th cup of oil on our Hanukkah menorah, and that means that there are still two full days of Hanukkah, and certainly time to squeeze in one last activity that everyone is sure to enjoy: DIY spinning tops made from strips of paper and toothpicks! These tops might be little, but they sure do spin, and if made correctly, they can spin for quite a long time. And whether of not they spin well, they sure are great looking! So get out the simple supplies and have a little crafting fest to end Hanukkah on a creative note! Ready, let's get spinning!

DIY Felt Mug Cozy For Hanukkah Makes A Great Gift!

Wool felt is a truly wonderful material available in a nice range of luscious rich colors, can be purchased in 12"x12" squares, and since it doesn't unravel, you can craft away to your heart's content without the need for glue or sewing, if you so desire. This DIY felt mug cozy is quick and would make a wonderful gift this holiday season, together of course with some lovely mugs! I have added the Hanukkah themed details to my mug cozies using felting, with a multiple needle felting tool and a felting pad, though one can also of course add embroidery, or attach shapes with embroidery, or even add a few lovely beads or buttons.

A coffee cup cozy for paper coffee cups would be made in exactly the same way, and even if you don't know the exact size of the cup you could make your cozy on the small side and use an elastic chord loop instead of a button hole. Got it? Now go make a bunch, maybe even with the felted initials of the recipient, as these work up really quickly!

DIY Hanukkah Tablecloth: Giant Blue And White Stenciled Snowflakes

Yes, indeed things are starting look quite festive around here, right? And at long last I can share with you this really great Hanukkah DIY tablecloth that is really so simple to make, and the results are truly fun and fabulous. In fact I'd recommend getting enough supplies so that you make quite a few of these, they would make perfect Hanukkah gifts! And if you are a sewer, you could use this idea to make fabric with which to sew up some fun gifts for Hanuukah like pouches, pillow covers, napkins, table runners, you name it!

In true CJM style I actually raided my linen closet and used a sheet for this, always preferable to actually buying something, right? It is true, that sheet was part of a set, but no one even noticed that it was missing. So, lets get started, shall we?

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.

Simple DIY Wooden Letter Wall Art

I just love this rustic wooden "heart" wall art that was hanging over a bed in one of our vacation rentals in the Adirondacks a few weeks ago. This would be lovely in a baby's room, as part of the decor at a DIY country style wedding, or sheva brachas, or for any event really, customized of course! So, while I didn't make this, I can certainly see how it was made, and it is great inspiration to use in so many ways. Spell out a child's name, a favorite place, or even another word like hope, smile, dream, enjoy.........or even a funny word that refers to a family joke. All you need are some letters and a low wooden box or square tray, and you're good to go! I actually have been saving some chess boards that look just like this, and now I know what to do with them......now where exactly are those chess boards, hmmm. (This week I am hard at work cleaning out my craft room, so I'm sure they'll show up soon!)

Simple Rustic "Love" Embroidery With Gingham

There is something about this little rustic country-style "love" embroidery that is so sweet, and yet made with minimal effort, so of course I just had to share it with you. I think this would make a perfect new baby gift, or look great as part of the decor at a country-style wedding. And of course it would be great anytime to spread the love!

While this exact little work of art looked perfect in the all wood Adirondack Victorian cabin where we had the pleasure of spending four days and nights, this might not work for everyone. Speaking of everyone, that would include me as well, since our home is more Morocco meets Scandinavia, and gingham might look a bit out of place. But not to worry, one can certainly use this idea, just do keep the rustic nature of it, namely the simple embroidery done on muslin or linen, the antique style frame hung with a scrap of fabric, the little buttons......

I didn't make this, but if I were to make something similar this is how I would do it........let's get started!

Quick Crocheted Summer Basket Using T-Shirt Yarn

In the mood to crochet something that is so useful you'll want to make a whole bunch to use this summer? Whip up one of these quick crocheted summer baskets to use in your home or at the beach or just about anywhere, and believe me, you'll be so happy you did! Need a fun hostess gift or a way to welcome some house guests? Fill the basket with toiletries or something fun and you're good to go! And assuming you choose some baskets that are on the small side (like mine), you could easily use this idea to make great party favors, teacher appreciation gifts or even to make some great looking storage baskets for your home.

Lets get started, shall we?

Little Crocheted Flower Bookmarks Are Perfect Hostess Gifts This Summer!

Aren't these little crocheted flower bookmarks made using zip ties just the sweetest? And they are so simple to make that I'm whipping up a huge bunch to give as gifts when we visit with family and friends during our summer travels. A bouquet of them would be fantastic, as one can never have too many bookmarks, and of course one can make bookmarks like this with other little crocheted items too, you name it!

Ready to make some of these cuties to enjoy this summer? Let's get started.......