creative jewish mom

DIY Painted Paper Gerbera Centerpiece

There is nothing quite as lovely as painted paper flowers used as holiday decor, or really anytime! I am so thrilled to have these flowers on my sideboard right now!  They are so cheerful and never fade, and can be easily saved in a box to pull out for any occassion! And I had to laugh, that the wires that I've saved from real gerbera flowers (that honestly as so annoying as they don't last very long...) are perfect for this craft. And that I actually knew where they were, a small miracle! If you have not saved the wires from the gerbera (who would do that?) so just use some green floral wire or tape skewers to the back for support. Or if you use very heavy watercolor paper you may not need any extra support. I also happened to have these 3 narrow and tall glass vases on hand, which were perfect for this, so do play around with a variety of vessels, to see what works. Okay, keep on reading for a few more tips.

A Painted Floral Bouquet For The Front Door!

Dusting this one off, and literally taking this out of the door to use for this year's holiday decor, and sharing with you once again, because there is still time to make one of these, and yes, have it on hand for years to come!

The Jewish holiday of Shavuot starts on Sunday night, and our front door is ready! I just love painting flowers and cutting them out, as with the water color poppies cut outs, and am also really pleasantly surprised by how wonderful a bouquet of painted flowers can be as well, especially when you free it from the confines of the paper! Of course a bouquet of flowers drawn and then painted, like this one, is all about planning, and execution, so after all that effort, you will want to use it again and again, or even hang it somewhere in a frame, and you should! The more flowers the better, and painted ones add so much joy where ever they are hung! There is still time to make something similar for Shavuot, so get started, loose a little bit of sleep over it if necessary (that is the type I am, don't do if it is isn't you!) and most of all, have a wonderful holiday! Okay, lets get some more info regardng how this paper bouquet was created, shall we?

A Giant Key Shaped Challah!

Didn't bake the traditional key shaped challah yet? Not to worry, you can do it this week as well!

I'm so happy to share with you my first ever giant schlissel challah, the key shaped challah that we traditionally bake the very first shabbos after Passover. Yes of course, I do make key shaped challah every year, but over the years they have seemed to get smaller and smaller. This year, after baking 2 kilos of challah which did include 3 smallish keys, I had the nagging thought that I really wasn't giving it my all, and so friends, I got out two more kilos of flour on Friday morning, and I'm so happy I made the extra effort to really make this tradition the focus of our Friday night shabbos meal! Of course, now there is no going back, but that is just fine, looking forward to trying something new next year! And those tiny key shaped challahs? I gave two of them to neighbors who don't have this tradition, but certainly appreciated it! Keep on reading to see the challah before baking and a few tips I learned this time around! Hello, like you need a huge tray or a DIY tray to place the challah on your table, any guesses what mine is made from?

Giant Origami Apples Holiday or Shabbat Decor!

I am reposting this giant origami apples tutorial because it is just to wonderful not to share again. Make apples to enjoy for Rosh HaShana and use as succah decorations as well! So simple and while you are at it, make a whole giant bushel full!

Origami apples are so simple to make and are the perfect craft to whip up right now! Fill a basket with them to use as a centerpiece, use them as place cards, hang them mobile style or make a bunch and scatter them around the house. (Or save this idea and gift a whole basket full to your teacher!) The best part is they look great everywhere and any where, and would make cute little Rosh HaShana gifts as well. Attach a tag that is a card and you'll surely warm the hearts of all your recipients! I used these very apples as apple centerpieces for a Rosh Chodesh party, and then a neighbor borrowed them as centerpieces for a Brit, and depending on the colors you choose they can look elegant or playful, or both. So take my advice and get crafting dear friends, the Jewish New year is in less than 3 weeks, with Succos to follow so a barrel of origami apples will serve you well, promise! And yes, you can of course make these in a smaller size and in a variety of colors to represent a wide range of fruit, as I've done here with my origami fruit, cute as can be!

Simple Flowers And Leaves Decorated Challah

I am rushing to post this as there is still cooking to be done for the holiday of Shavuot, which we are welcoming tonight! Round braided challahs decorated with simple flowers and leaves really do make your holiday table special, so if you have a few extra minutes, give it a try, even for just one challah! This design is quite simple to make, and if you follow the instructions, I do think you'll be happy with the results! Trust me, I've been doing this for years, with varied results, and this design actually looks good after baking as well, which many just do not. So make some round braided challahs using my 4 strand round challah tutorial, set aside a grapefruit sized piece for the decorations, and keep on reading!

Flower Covered Challah For Shavuot!

We are welcoming the beautiful Jewish holiday of Shavuot tonight, and I decided last night that it was time to make some decorated challahs to embrace the holiday, in which we bring flowers and greenery into our homes to remember the lush surroundings on Mt. Sinai. Yes indeed, I did take note of the relative luxury of this act while many of my fellow Israelis were in bomb shelters, and I am grateful to live in a location that is generally not a target, and we have never used the bomb shelter room in our home as such, though I am relieved that we have one! Okay, back to challahs and the upcoming holiday! I love to make round challahs, and they are especially lovely to distinguish a Yom Tov from shabbat.....and a four braided challah looks amazing and is so simple to do once you get the hang of it. Check out my four strand round challah, and become a pro, you can do it! Incase you missed it the link is HERE. Regarding the simple flowers that top this challah, keep on reading......

A Festive Painted Cut-Out Bouquet For The Front Door!

The Jewish holiday of Shavuot starts on Sunday night, and our front door is ready! I just love painting flowers and cutting them out, as with the water color poppies cut outs, and am also really pleasantly surprised by how wonderful a bouquet of painted flowers can be as well, especially when you free it from the confines of the paper! Of course a bouquet of flowers drawn and then painted, like this one, is all about planning, and execution, so after all that effort, you will want to use it again and again, or even hang it somewhere in a frame, and you should! The more flowers the better, and painted ones add so much joy where ever they are hung! There is still time to make something similar for Shavuot, so get started, loose a little bit of sleep over it if necessary (that is the type I am, don't do if it is isn't you!) and most of all, have a wonderful holiday! Okay, lets get some more info regardng how this paper bouquet was created, shall we?

Schlissel Challah Rolls For The Shabbos After Passover!

To honor this special shabbat, namely the first one after Passover in which we traditionally prepare challah in our homes once again, this year I decided to try once again to make some small rolls shaped like keys, which we call schlissel challah. And yippee, at least one was photo perfect enough to share with you. This key shaped challah baking business is not simple as once the dough rises the forms can go in a million directions, and I'm only showing you this one, so don't expect perfection!

And after all, the whole tradition isn't really about the key, or a perfect key for that matter, but rather about the idea that when a Jewish woman makes challah, and makes the appropriate blessing over the dough before it is baked, she is bringing blessings into her home, which has the power to open all kinds of gates!

Do take a look at the traditional key shaped challahs that I have made in previous years to see how I shaped the dough, and then just do smaller versions of that! Wishing you a wonderful shabbos filled with blessings, whether there is a key or not. And if not, why not whip up some fun key napking rings?

DIY Key Napkin Ring Craft For The First Shabbat After Passover!

I am re=posting this craft from a time when my kids were much younger (7 years ago!) and I made an extra effort to make each special shabbat special. (Today I made each shabbat special with the specific traditional family foods they love) I was looking for my images of key shaped challah, and came across this, so I thought I'd dust it off. Enjoy!

To honor this special shabbat, namely the first one after Passover in which we traditionally prepare challah in our homes once again, I just came up with a quick little key napkin ring craft as I'll be making bagels instead the traditional key shaped challahs that I have made in previous years!

And after all, the whole tradition isn't really about the key, but rather about the idea that when a Jewish woman makes challah, and makes the appropriate blessing over the dough before it is baked, she is bringing blessings into her home, which has the power to open all kinds of gates!

Simple Painted Treat Boxes From The Recycling Bin!

We are about to apparently welcome some snow so I'll make this quick as I need to go cover my succulents and bring others indoors! I have quite a collection of little food and medicine boxes that I hope to use someday for a big installation of some kind, not to mention match boxes, but in the mean time, there is nothing quite as sweet as little painted treat boxes. (Or just make some artufl painted matchboxes for shabbat, a fun gift!) Purim is a great time to get creative with fun and artful packaging, so why not gather as many boxes as you can find, get out the paint and have fun creating something unique! Even if you don't use them for gift giving, they also make great decor, any time! You can hot glue a bunch together, or tie them together with a beautiful ribbon, or use your creative packaging as part of a larger gift basket. The main thing is, get those creative gears turning, don't worry about what someone might think of your painted toothpaste box! The box I've shared with you here is soooo simple, you won't believe it, keep on reading!