creative jewish mom

A DIY Dreidel Shaped Pillow For Hanukkah!

I made this dreidel shaped pillow a few year back, but thought I'd share it with you again as it is truly a fun item to bring out for the holiday or give as a gift. Enjoy!

It is true, you don't see a whole lot of sewing projects from me, as I'm quite a rookie, but I just couldn't resist trying my hand at this idea that i've had running around my head for a few years now: a dreidel shaped pillow with a little pocket to hold Hanukkah prizes!  It is a perfect project for those new to sewing (or not) and uses a pillow insert so that you can easily store it flat until next year.

Easy Sewing Projects You Can Do At Home With Your Kids

Above: Felt gift pouches are a great project for a beginner, see the original post here.

Spending time with your kids is essential for their intellectual and emotional growth. You can spend quality time together by playing your kid’s favorite sport or any activity that allows engagement between parent and child. Bonding time can and should include teaching your children something that you love to do such as painting, gardening, crafting or sewing, just to name a few. Stargazing could also be on that list!  I love creative activities that all build small motor coordination as well as skills that are useful in life in general, and one of those is surely sewing! With that in mind, why not introduce your kids to sewing, and at the very least when a button becomes loose they'll have the confidence to sew it back on! 

To get you started, here are some simple sewing project ideas to do at home with your kids or of course a few of the cuties in the neighborhood or who have a special place in your heart. I'm always encouraging giving back through crafting, right?

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! With winter approaching now is a perfect time to get out those knitting needles and crochet hooks, and why not make some handmade gifts to warm up loved ones or even better, strangers without homes or newborns in need of hats. There are so many ways to spread joy with our handmade creations, so do give that some thought. I can't say I've been crocheting much as instead I've been making a truckload of Chanukah decorations, some of which I'll be happy to share with you just as soon as my computer arrives safely back home, hopefully very soon. Of course the absence of said computer is what has allowed me to indulge in that truckload of crafts, and it has been wonderful! Now I am back to realizing that I need to once again share my love for creativity not just virtually, but also with my local community, even if it means at my dining room table for the time being. Okay, I just took a deep breath as this means adding more to my already busy schedule, but again, there is no greater feeling than giving back to the world, right? And now, for the features from last week's party, enjoy!

Cutest Swedish Cafe Ever In Falun

One on the jaw dropping design surprises on our trip to Sweden was entering the cutest cafe on earth, in Falun, at the site of the historic copper mine. Honestly, my pictures do not do justice to the place and I was embarrassed to take photos of the actual bakery section, so just take my word for it. Visit the mine in order to visit the cafe! Of course we couldn't eat any of the food, but black coffee and other drinks are generally kosher, so we could still sit and enjoy! Basically the cafe consists of many rooms and outdoor areas, decorated with a really effortless looking mix of vintage Swedish furnishings that just works. Truthfully, someone told me that Swedes, both male and female, just know how to decorate, it is in their genes somehow, which I do find very interesting. And this truly makes Sweden that much more the kind of place I love to be! I've included a few photos for you to enjoy, so keep on reading.

Historic Falun Copper Mine In Dalarna, Sweden

On our travels in Sweden this past summer we had many amazing experiences that were muo ostly unplanned, and while I enjoyed anything having to do with water, either ocean or lake the most, there were also other destinations that made our trip very well rounded indeed, including a stop at the historic copper mine in Falun, which is in the Dalarna region. As it turns out, this is a World Unesco Heritage Site, so certainly worth a visit if you are in the area, and if you are traveling with kids it looks like the underground tour might be something to consider. We chose to walk around the grounds, which is free of charge, and that in itself was enough for us, but you may want to visit the museum, or take the trolley around the area. It all depends on how much time you have and how interested you are in the subject of mining! Join me for a little tour, and enjoy!

Simple Hanukkah Kid's Craft That Steals The Show!

Here's a fun idea for turning your kid's drawings into cute holiday decorations, and not only does it only take a few minutes, but it sure beats putting them on the fridge! And once the holiday or occasion is over, you can simply remove the lights and store flat until next year. And before you know it you just might have a whole gallery full of fun kid's art to pull out any time. It also just occurred to me to gently remind you as well that when we make an effort to show our kids how much we love their art, they'll be encouraged to make more!

Okay, lets do this! Ah yes, and of course egg carton star string light covers seem like a great match with this craft, don't you think?

Crocheted Gift Bags For Chanukah Are A Yearly Tradition!

With Chanukah now is site, arriving on December 22, now is a great time to invest a little time in a yearly tradition that I just can't give up: crocheted gift bags, which I give on the first night of Chanukah. I'll admit last year I recycled some from previous years as I do have quite a few at this point, but this year I'm thinking it might be time to try something new, maybe even crocheting with rope, or t-shirt yarn, hmm. That aside you can certainly make some gift bags using my tried and true pattern, so I am re-posting that here, along with the original babble, enjoy!

Phew, I did it, Chanukah is tonight and I did get around to crocheting little gelt (coins) bags for my young ones. Truthfully giving gelt is really the Chanukah tradition of yore, the idea of giving presents only really snuck in on account of the Dec. 25th holiday, so I realized that the first night of Chanukah would not be complete without these little bags to hold the chocolate coins we traditionally give every Chanukah. (The rest of the year my kids are somewhat chocolate deprived, so they really look forward to this one!)

Crocheted T-Shirt Yarn Star Trivet

I originally posted this fun gift idea in 2016, and it still looks great, so dusting it off to share once again, enjoy!

It is pouring rain outside and I have the luxury of spending a few days to do some crafting for Chanukah, and the first thing that came to mind was to try and use up all the t-shirt yarn that I have (so that I can justify buying more, of course!) and that is how these crochted star trivets were born, and I just love them! This is a quick gift to whip up in multiples for holiday giving and would be perfect together with an assortment of teas, or even better a nice teapot. Of course you could also make a large garland or wall hanging, or sew a bunch together to make a table runner, or even a rug (which is what I'm dreaming of, only I don't have enough yarn, sigh.) Once you make one, I can almost guarantee that you'll want to make a bunch more!

I've got the pattern for you right here, so lets get started!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday thanks so much for joining me here! My dear old computer is still in the infirmary, a hour's drive from home so I have now had another week of full speed ahead crafting, which has led me back to the realization of how much I love crafts, and especially recycling crafts! The fact that I have yet to publish a book after all these years is downright embarrassing given how much existing material I could share and how much thought I've given it! Okay, I know this is not the first time I've mentioned this "book idea", but maybe this time I'll have to get serious. A year plus ago I was helping a friend with her book, and I compiled photos and ideas for my own book, only to realise that I really need to do a series, thus complicating things further, sigh. Okay, no more excuses, each of us was given talents in order to give back to the world, so I guess I'd better start on that book, well just as soon as my computer comes back home, and/or I get a new one, which is anyway a must. Okay, enough babble, enjoy the features from last weeks party and don't delay in giving back to the world using your gifts!

The Wooden Horse Factory In Nusnas, Sweden

Few symbols of Sweden are more famous than the painted wooden horses from the province of Dalarna, in the Swedish heartland. I actually have a vintage Swedish wooden horse that was in my parent's home growing up, so I have my own association with this very loveable symbol as well. Fast forward to our summer trip to Sweden, I booked a place in Mora, without really knowing we'd be just next to Nusnäs the main town where the wooden horses are made today.

I resisted buying any souvenirs before arriving in Mora, knowing that wooden horses would be the thing to bring back home, and I was not dissappointed, the only challenge was trying to decide how many horses to buy, and what colors! One can purchase raw wooden horses (I bought one largish one) as well as horses painted in a solid color but not with decorations, so the choices are a bit overwhelming for someone like myself. I suggest you prepare yourself ahead of time, namely just decide how much you'll spend and stick to that!