creative jewish mom

Fun Decoupage Fabric Apples Last For Years And Are A Crowd Pleaser!

Six years ago I had the idea of decoupaging (is that a word?) fabric strips onto styrofoam apples to make fabric strip apples, and those very same apples are still holding up despite lots of wear and tear and years stuffed in a box in a damp basement! This year we didn't find the decorations I had made last year, so called upon a bunch of old favorites, and these apples were one of the things that guests asked about repeatedly! So there you have it, crafters, these decoupage fabric strip apples are a winner! You can use them to make a centerpiece, which I just realized I have done previously here or hang then eiither one by one, or as a garland of some kind. Of course, I'd recommend making them for Rosh HaShana (or a great teacher appreciation gift!) and then enjoying them for the entire Jewish High Holiday season. Then again, make them in pastel patterns and they'd be perfect for a baby's room or how about in black and white patterns and use them for a baby mobile. As you can see, there is really no end to all the ways one can use these charming apples, so do make some! I have photographed the apples in our succah, just before the succah was taken apart......truthfully we don't use this lovely Moroccan mosaic table in the succah, but it does make a great backdrop for these photos! Keep on reading for a few more glimpses of these fun apples, and pick up some fat quarters or tear up some warn clothing — I was just thinking that plaid apples could be perfect!

Use Magnetic Poster Hangers To Display Your Art!

The Jewish Holiday Season is now officially over in Israel, while folks in the rest of the world are currently celebrating the holiday of Simchat Torah. Packing away the Succah is always a bit sad for me, as I just love the holiday of Succot, especially when celebrated here in Northern Israel, nothing quite like it, truly! I was able to get my famlly to give me a day to take some more photographs before the Succah disappears into boxes, and first I thought I'd share with you an amazing way to simply display your art with no committment. Introducing magnetic poster hangers! I have been aware of this product for some time now, so when I spotted the wooden poster hangers in the gift shop in The Nordic Museum in Stockholm I just had to purchase 2 sets. Little did I know they'd come in handy in our Succah, as I used them to add some color to a blank wall via a little collection of my floral paintings. You know, those paintings that I worked on for a few months a whole year ago, sigh......In any case whether or not I'm successful at picking up where I left off at the end of last January at painting #77, it was truly wonderful to add some artful color to our celebration! I just saw that Ikea is selling something similar, with clamps I believe rather than magnets, so either way, do add some poster hangers to your home (or Succah), you'll be glad you did!

A Tiny Peek In Our Succah

Wishing everyone an amazing and meaningful holiday of Succot! Here in Israel the holiday is seven days filled with mostly family and friends and living in the Succah, and that is followed by another holiday called simchat Torah, in which we return to the comfort of our homes and celebrate the Torah with lots of song and dance and a night and day packed with festivities. Phew! Right now all is quiet in our home, as I have already prepared and served a largish meal in the Succah. Tonight there is a community meal in the large synagogue succah and then festivities called Simchat Beit HaShoava, which I won't go into here, but is connected to the festivities that took place in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during Succot 2,000 years ago, wow. Okay, so since that is a bit difficult to grasp, lets speed forward to today and take a peek at some of the decorations in our Succah, 2019 style!

Simple Last Minute Succah Decorations

The glorious 7/8 day Jewish holiday of Succot starts on Sunday night, so in my nieghborhood the drills are wizzing and there is lots of hammering as folks hurry to get their succahs built! That late night quiet with a few pounds here and there is something I have gotten to know well over the years as 2am seems to be the time when I generally am trying to get the succah decorated! Truthfully I have so many decorations from past years that at this point other than some new paper decorations, like the accordian folded medallions and the accordian folded leaves I shared last week, I think I'm going to go with decorations we already have, for the sake of sanity and sleep! Of course that could change, but with shabbos arriving before the holiday, and then just a day for last minute preparations, that does seem like the way to go.....On the other hand I have been cooking up a storm in order to leave time for succah decor, so we will just have to see how today goes! With three teens in the house who can do most of the hanging of lights and colorful fabric panels, I am feeling like today is going to be very productive day!

If you have not yet started succah decorations, not to worry, there are many quick and festive things one can make quickly, and I've assembled some for you here. The main idea is quantity, namely whether it be paper medallions, yarn balls, straw starbursts, or giant tassels, make a bunch, or rather a ton, to really fill those succah walls! And don't forget, hanging real pomegranites, branches of dates and other items to represent the 7 holy species can also be your succah decor! Okay, lets take a look at those simple decoration ideas for the succah!

Recycling Crafts Make Perfect Succah Decorations

I was about to make a new round-up of recycling crafts for the succah when I realized I had already done something similar, so in order to save time, at this moment when time is truly fo the essence, I am re-publishing this post, enjoy!

The glorious Jewish holiday of Succot starts Sunday night, so there is no time like the present as far as using every spare minute to make fabulous decorations for the succah! This year I got a bit of a head start as most of the decorations that I made for my son's bar mitzvah are now going to be put to use in the succah, but preparing for the holiday will feel really strange if I don't make something! So having just taken a look through my archives I put together a little roundup of recycling crafts that are perfect to make now, and likely you'll have many of the supplies on hand,

And just by the way, tonight, which is the night following the hoiday of Yom Kippur, there is a tradition to start building the succah, so that is what some of our family is doing as I type this! And I might add that a few hours ago the whole neighborhood was filled with the sounds of succah building, one of my favorite kinds of noise! Speaking of noise, YIKES there isn't much time for crafting, so lets get started:

Simple Seven Species Ink Paintings For The Succah

Last year I added some seven species paintings to our Succah decor, but didn't have time to share then with you as they were created the night before the holiday. The good news is that I came across the photos and I now present to you a creative way to get the symbolism of the seven holy species into your Succah and have fun painting at the same time! I made my paintings to go inside these ornate Moroccan frames, while you can make yours to fit into any frames you might have on hand. Okay, shall we get painting? Lets do it........

Accordian Folded Paper Leaves

With Rosh HaShana now under our belts, it is time to think about Succah decorations, and this year I think I'm going to make  a large number of accordion folded paper leaves for some artful vines to cover the Succah walls. Well that is one of my plans at the moment, but don't hold your breath as that could change between now and the time that I actually start the heavy duty crafting! Nonetheless, these golden leaves are simple to make, and can be made any size you desire (meaning large, folks!) and have a very sculptural modern look to them. I'm dreaming of lots of vines running up the walls of my Succah using these paper folded leaves and wire or possibly rope as the stem. Hmmmm, hot glueing the leaves to rope is a possibility, and if the rope happens to be more like wire, that would be perfect. But first things first, lets learn how to make these leaves!

Drinking Straw Starbursts Make Perfect Birthday Centerpieces

Here it is, the simplest birthday centerpiece with the greatest WOW value, drinking straw starbursts! And best of all, they aren't just for birthdays, I just realized if you have gold or silver straws you could actually make some drinking straw starbursts worthy of a wedding, an anniversary or any event that requires a touch of elegance, really! This is a quick project that makes zero mess, could be done on the site of the party, and saved in a a big box for another use. (And yes, please don't toss them, they are not environmentally friendly.) I could see these starburst straw decorations being hung in a stairwell vertically, or even being scattered over a lawn to add some fun color. I just realized that one could likely make a huge version of this with some pool noodles, which could be amazing! With just a few important tips for making these straw starbursts I have a feeling party decorations are going to take on a whole new meaning in your life! Let's get started.......

Fringed Woven Placemat IKEA Hack With T-Shirt Yarn

I love t-shirt yarn, and have been thinking about using it for macrame and embroidery, not just crocheting! Industrial-waste t-shirt yarn also supports eco consciousness, as it is made from odds and ends of fabric left after the pieces for making clothing is cut from the yardage. What I found after making these fringed and embroidered placemats/wall hangings is that t-shirt yarn is a great way to add color to a project that might have called for rope of some kind, and it works great for fringe, tassels (see my t-shirt yarn tassels) and more. So if you're looking for a simple and stylish summer project, this is it! These placemats work great placed on round side tables or outdoor tables or anywhere to add some flare our protect a wooden surface. Ah yes, and of course you can easily make some wall hangings, which I truly am going to do as I have a bunch more of these placemats to craft with!

Giant Origami Fruit Centerpiece IKEA Hack

What do you get when origami meets IKEA? You get a giant origami fruit centerpiece that is very budget friendly and great for large parties with lots of tables. You know like Bar Mitzvahs, and Bat Mitzvahs and budget weddings, or sheva brachas, or a community event or a large birthday party, or just about any occasion that warrants a creative touch without breaking the bank. Not every creative touch centerpiece I've created over the years (and believe me, there have been many) has been as sweet as this one, and best of all when the festive occasion is over you can give away the origami fruit and just keep the stands, or make a fun mobile with them, or save them for a bit to re-use. I think I'm going to add some gold polka dots to the origami apples that survived the second occasion, (a brit milah with a ton of kids) and use them to decorate the house for Purim! Actually I have a bunch of small origami apples that never made it to the phase where they actually become fruit, so those might be nice string light covers, or look great hanging from the ceiling somewhere........Purim is a festive holiday and a great excuse for someone like me to go a little crazier than usual, right? Okay, back to the Ikea Hack centerpieces, lets get started.......