creative jewish mom

DIY Mosaic Planter Is The Perfect Summer Craft

Since it looks like there will be no summer adventures outside of Israel for us this year, I realized that I should take a closer look at all the amazing things happening practically outside my door, and photograph them to share with you! For starters I just noticed this lovely mosaic dove and chamsa planter that is just as sweet as can be and the perfect theme for the three weeks, because the dove is a Jewish symbol of peace, healing and hope for a better world. Given the size of the vines in the planter it has been there for several months, gasp! So I can't believe I just noticed it!

The good news is that mosaic projects like this one are really quite simple, I know because once upon a time I also covered ceramic pots and urns with tile, and two of those pots are still in my container garden, going strong 17 years later! You can see one of the pots here and check out all of the many varied and exciting mosaic projects and inspiration that I've posted over the years on m blog here.

Enjoy, and consider giving a mosaic of some kind a try! It is the perfect summer craft as it really should be done outdoors, and it is also the kind of project that could be done together as a family, so all the better! Keep on reading to see more photos of this mosaic planter, as well as nice photos of the stone and cobblestone alley where it resides!

Gates Of Jerusalem Collage Art

The "Three Weeks" on the Jewish calendar is always such a challenging time, as on the one hand it is a mourning period, which intensifies for the last 9 days, and on the other hand it is summer vacation! There is no listening to music or playing musical instruments, and joyful occasions that can be planned, like weddings are not permitted. This year we are in a serious time warp and difficult time in any case, so processing it all seems less difficult, but usually the idea of no swimming during the 9 days just when kids would be going to camp might be hard to process. That said, one can certainly do crafts for hours on end, and this gates of Jerusalem collage art project is a great one for the whole family. And shhhhh, it is actually a bit addictive so you may just have found something to keep everyone busy for hours on end, wouldn't that be amazing? And best of all, when you are finished you'll have some meaningful art to hang on the wall, and enjoy for years to come. And of course, you can take my idea and then do your own spin on this, which would be the most wonderful way to go about this project. So gets those creative gears turning, collect a bunch of paper scraps and little receipts and tickets and even gum wrappers, and go to town. And another shhhhh, this is actually really therapeutic as well, so try to encourage collaging plus deep conversation or soul searching of some kind, to make the end result even more special. Okay, lets make some gates of Jerusalem collage art!

Process Art Collage For The Three Weeks

Process art is all about the making of the art as either therapy or a way of loosening up, or both. The end result is not what counts, but rather the process. I do want to write about this a bit more, but my daughter is waiting for me to help her with her photography homework, so lets just say that this bits and pieces collage is a great project to do today, on the 17th of Tammuz, while you think abou the importance of the day, especially on a personal level. Do it with your kids and have a conversation, or do it with yourself (as I did) and use it an an opportunity to work through anything that has been bothering you, it works! And best of all, we will actually be using this collage for another project, so don't toss it, just stay tuned for an update early next week. While you are doing this collage you may want to keep Jerusalem, or the destruction of Jerusalem in mind. I had the gates of Jerusalem as well as the destruction in mind, together with some little things from my life currently. Ah yes, and no excuses friends, this uses all kinds of stuff you can dig out of your purse or pick up off the floor of your studio! Okay, lets make a collage!

Remembering Jerusalem Crafts For The Nine Days

The period of mourning for Jerusalem that is referred to as "The Nine Days" on the Jewish calendar is here, so lets add some meaning to this important time with some creative crafts! For those of us who live in Israel, and for whom the idea of Jerusalem is real, the crafts are a great reminder that while it is summer vacation (my boys are actually still in school until the end of this week ) and a time to unwind from the pressures of the school year, we mustn't forget that it still a time for reflection. For those living outside of Israel, I'd say filling the house with crafts for the nine days is crucial to stress its importance.......so let's get crafting. Below you'll find more than enough links to keep you busy for the next week, no problem!

Beit HaMikdash Mosaic From Broken Tile And Findings

Today is Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, so wishing every one a chodesh tov, a wonderful new month filled with blessings. Unfortunately for the Jewish people we are once again entering a month that is filled with great tragedy, though we have 17 days until the mourning period starts. I really don't know if there is any other People (Judiasm is both a religion and a People)  that continues to mourn events that happened thousands of years ago, and that in itself is one of the reasons that we have survived despite all attempts to wipe us out. We mourn and give great importance to past tragedies, while at the same time having great hope for a brighter future for ourselves and the entire world.

The main thing that the Jewish people mourn is the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, twice. The major events leading up to the destruction are minor fast days, and the last 9 days before the total destruction is the strictest mourning period on the Jewish calendar. So, mosaics which depict Jerusalem, and especially the Beit HaMikdash, are perfect projects to think about and start creating now!

I saw this Beit Hamikdash mosaic many years ago in a wedding hall somewhere near Beit Shemesh, I believe, and apologize to the creators for not being able to give them credit. To boot it was very dark and therefore my photos are not great quality, but the quality and creativity of the mosaic is so wonderful I just had to share it with you.

Jewish Stained Glass Windows Celebrate Triumph Over Tragedy

These beautiful and very modern stained glass windows are located in the Podil Synagogue in Kiev, Ukraine. They are colorful and graphic and I do wish I could get a breakdown of all the elements and their meaning, as there was certaily a great deal of thought and effort put into their design. One of the overwhelming feelings I get from looking at this set of stained glass windows, located in the lobby of the Synagogue, is the idea of triumph over tragedy, which is certainly a very fitting concept now that we are in the period on the Jewish calender called "the three weeks" leading up to the very sad day of Tisha B'Av.

If you are every in Kiev, this synagogue is certainly a place to visit as it is beautifully restored, built in 1895. Until then, the images of this set of stained glass could certainly be used as inspiration for tissue paper works of art, or even collages or drawings celebrating the Jewish people and rememembering Jerusalem.

Paint The Kotel In Rainbow Colors For The 17th Of Tammuz !

I have pulled this post from the archives, as it is truly a perfect one.

Today is the 17th of Tammuz, a solemn fast day on the Jewish calender which marks the beginning of a three week period of mourning for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, (The Holy Temple/King Soloman's Temple.) So with the boys home from school early, and my daughter just starting her summer vacation, there is no time like the present to try and get back into our crafting groove which I have missed greatly! So today I pulled out the watercolors, and grabbed a white corrugated cardboard box, and we all spent some time painting the stones of the kotel, and I just love the results!

Yes, my boys smirked when I told them to use bright and beautiful colors for the stones that they know as beige, but I explained to them that we were painting the stories that the stones had surely witnessed, and all the beautiful prayers whispered in front of these stones every day by countless individuals from both near and far.

Rebuilding The Beit HaMikdash Recycling Craft For Kids

I have pulled this post from the archives, as it is one of my favorites for The Three Weeks.

Today is the 17th of Tammuz, a solemn fast day on the Jewish calender, and certainly a perfect time to work on my "Rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash" recycling craft with kids of all ages! Of course one could certainly use this idea to also learn about the Kotel (The Wailing Wall) which stands today and was one of the outer walls of the courtyard of the Beit HaMikdash.

Starting today, we enter a period of mourning for the next three weeks— mourning for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem that was taken from us in 70 CE, (namely 1,943 years ago!) on the 9th of Av, the day which marks the end of this three week period of mourning. Of course our mourning has many facets, one of which is thinking about how each one of us can do his part to rebuild the temple.

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!

Remembering Jerusalem Doodle Craft For The Three Weeks

We are now at the beginning of the mourning period on the Jewish calendar known as "The Three Weeks" and of course since many are on summer vacation, doing some crafting that is relevant to the time period is a must! it is true, there are all kinds of laws whose observance helps us not to forget, but the greatest reminder is to quite simply to get busy thinking about Jerusalem, and I'm here to help you with that! There is something about doodling that is just perfect for summer, and anyone can do it, so I thought that coming up with doodle patterns that depict Jerusalem would be perfect right about now. I've chosen to use Jerusalem domed houses and buildings, cypress trees and the stones of the Kotel as my doodling elements, though I'm sure you can some up with some more. So doodle a bunch of pages, and then color them, and/or set them aside to use for crafting. What crafting you may ask? Stay tuned for that one my dear readers!