creative jewish mom

DIY Tree Of Life Wall Decor, For The Succah Or The Home!

today is Hoshana Raba, a very important and spiritual day during the Jewish holiday of succot, and for those of us in Israel, the last day in the Succah. So while I really want to be in the Succah right now, soaking it all up in all its glory, I'm popping in to share with you once again one of my favorite Succah decorations, and one in fact that lives year round on a wall in my kitchen, except during Succot! I made this from a real dead olive branch that I found on a walk in the meadows nearby, I painted it with a fine coat of white, added some gold leaves made from succah decorations from previous years, and voila! I then went on to make a larger version, with a complete tutorial that you can find here.

Wishing everyone a meaningful Hoshana Raba, and wonderful Simchat Torah, which we celebrate in our homes, in Israel starting tonight, and elsewhere starting Monday night.

DIY Seven Species Garland

As you can well guess I have so many Succah decorations from previous years that I still love, so spending time making new ones is certainly not a priority! Of course when one of my sons requested that I create the "seven species" as part of my Daily Object series (read about that here) in order to hang them in the succah, well of course I could not resist, because while we try to hang actual versions of the 7 species in the succah, artistic representations of them haven't been created for some time, and my previous version is in a box lost in the attic somewhere! So while of course now is not the time to be making succah decorations, you can save this idea for next year, or after the holiday get to work on your own version to enjoy for the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, when we eat the 7 species! What are the 7 species you ask? Keep on reading!

Real Tree Branch With Paper Leaves Wall Art

This project, which I made 2 years ago and now graces a wall in our stair well is still looking good and something that one could make last minute, assuming you have access to some dead tree branches near by! Ah yes, and for my succah the gold painted branch was a must, but you might be able to skip that part. Get out the glue gun, and some art that does not need to be saved, cut leaves, glue, and voila! Here is my previous post, enjoy!

We are now on the third day (of seven) of the wonderful Jewish holiday of Succot, and while I am not doing any crafting, I can stop by here to share my favorite succah decoration with you! And, unlike some Succah decorations, this one is truly a work of art, and can be used year round indoors, or for a special event or to mark a new season. You decide, but if you are anything like me, you won't want to stop at just one, which I did not! After making the first version, a tree of life with gold leaves, I just had to make another colorful version with a gold trunk (previously the gold spray paint was not to be found) to fill a huge blank area in our Succah. And despite some scepticism from the peanut gallery, it turned out even more beautiful than the first one, and there is a very funny story that goes with it, which I'll share soon. The main thing is to find a really great looking dead branch with lots of character as well as bunches of tiny branches, as that variety is what truly makes this piece special. Okay, want to make one yourself? Lets learn how!

Last Minute Yet Stunning Succah Decoration: An Accordian Folded Golden Starburst

With the festive holiday of Succot starting tomorrow night, most folks have already built their succahs, but there might be some decorating left to do? Truthfully I have so many decorations from past years that making something new does not really make sense at this point, rather I'm using past projects in new ways, in some cases, and still enjoying some of the major pieces a made a few years back that still look good. That said, you might be in need of a statement piece that can be made quickly, so dusting this off from the archives to share with you now!

If I am sharing succah crafts with you right now, namely decorations that are currently hanging in my succah, that must mean the Jewish holiday of Succot is quickly approaching. And yes indeed, one of my favorite holidays, that also happens to be seven days long, starts tomorrow night, so time is of the essence! While I had thought I'd be ready days ahead, hmmm, that didn't quite happen as I was waiting for inspiration to strike with something new, and it did, PHEW, only I once again find myself crafting in the wee hours of the morning the night before the holiday, sigh! Lest I digress, if you happen to need some quick succah decorations right NOW, paper accordian folded flowers look great and are quick, plus you can make them in a variety of sizes, and voila, a whole wall of decorations is born! I'll admit, I didn't make the gold accordian folded flower/star this year, and in fact I'm not sure how many years ago this was made, the miracle was that I packed them away nicely and somehow a box full of them surfaced this year when my son combed the attic!

I do hope to share photos of the entire succah with you next week, so stay tuned for that, and keep on reading to find out how to make even just one gorgeous gold flower!

Embroidered Pomegranite On Cardboard Ornament Craft

There is something just so very fun about embroidery on recycled materials, whether it be embroidery on styrofoam trays, or in this case on recycled cereal box cardboard! And while I did use traditional embroidery floss here, meaning whatever I had on hand, one can use yarn, string, plastic bag yarn (note to self) or t-shirt yarn, or anything really than can go through the eye of a needle or be poked through a hole!  Large scale embroidery or cross stitch can be a great way to make decorations or wall hangings or in this case a Shanah Tovah card that can then be used as an ornament in the succah. Do keep in mind that embroidery, whether traditionally sized or larger does take time, so don't try to pull this one off at the last minute, rather enjoy the process.

And friends, with Succot coming up in 10 days, now would be the time to get crafting, as there is nothing like filling your succah with creativity! As you can guess, in our family that would be my domain, so note to self as well! Okay, lets get started with this one, shall we?

5 DIY Floral Arrangements For The Fall Holiday Season

With the "high holiday" Jewish holiday season now at hand, together with the fall season, now is a wonderful time to create beautiful DIY fall floral arrangements. Some of the ideas I've presented here couldn't be simpler, and some take a bit more effort, but either way, you can make your holiday table something truly wonderful. While there is nothing like real flowers, artificial flowers sometimes are the only way to go especially if you'd like a floral arrangement in your Succah or many arrangements around the house for a festive feel. Or maybe that hanging floral arrangement over the table? (I'm dreaming of that!) Faux flowers can also be used as flower diffusers to give a nice scent to a bathroom. laundry room or bedroom, so do consider that as well. Okay, lets take a look at 5 wonderful ideas for DIY floral arrangements!

Embroidered Apple On Cardboard Rosh HaShana Card Craft

I followed my own advice about making some cross stitch apple crafts (check out my first cross stitch apple craft here) for Rosh Hashana, and last night in the wee hours of the morning I made my son a birthday card featuring a slightly different cross stitch apple, and this time on cereal box cardboard. I'm happy with the results and wish I had time to do some more icons for Rosh HaShana, hmmm, maybe I do have the time? You'll be the first to see the results if I do, but in the mean time, think about how you can take this idea and use it for your upcoming celebration, whether it be a Fall birthday, a teacher appreciation gift, or, Rosh HaShana of course, coming up this Sunday night! Ah yes, and traditionally, the Jewish new year is the time to give cards, so if you need a special one, this could be perfect! Okay, time is of the essence, lets learn how I made this!

A Festive 3-D Paper Star To Make Now For The Succah!

I have been wanting to make some paper 3-D stars like this one for years, and now I am truly inspired, just in time for Succos! Succos? Isn't that in a few months you might ask? Well yes, but as I always say, August is the perfect time for making succah decorations, so lets get to it!

Paper stars like this one, are often referred to as "snowflakes" and used for the December holidays, but when created in bright colors like this one, it does not remind me of a snowflake whatsoever, right? This lovely star was made with 5 sections, which I love, as well as one I just saw with 7 sections, though 6 sections works as well, so you decide! This version was assembled using a stapler, which I also think is the way to go, rather than tape, though again, you decide. And lastly, one could try this very same idea with felt, (or starched fabric?) which I think I may just have to try myself. And by the way, I did not create this paper star, rather it was hanging in an airbnb rental we enjoyed in Harduf, a kibbutz in the lower Galil. The house was full of wonderful crafts that I'm hoping to share, just waiting for approval from the homeowner and whether she wants to remain anonymous, or not. In the mean time though, since this star can even be made with instructions from Wiki How, I'm going ahead and sharing it. Plus, friends, time is of the essence to get those succah decorations made in August!

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?