creative jewish mom

DIY Castle Centerpiece Recycling Craft

A fun DIY castle centerpiece made from recyclables is truly up my alley, and so this project from the past is still one of my very favorites. Come to think of it, this castle centerpiece is really a quick project, so what am I waiting for.....with Purim in just a week now would be the time to whip up a new one! If you know me, well then I certainly have a shoebox and various cardboard tubes hanging out just waiting to be used, so no excuses really except that life is very busy at the moment. 

Now as far as you dear reader are concerned, a colorful castle crafted by mom or the kids or both, could be a fantastic centerpiece for the Purim sueda (meal). There's so many ways to go with this one as far as materials and size. And if you don't need a centerpiece so how about a castle mishloach manos? Just build your castle on the lid of  the shoe box and voila! I think I may just have to use that idea myself, for the kid's teachers that is, who deserve something really special, and are expecting something creative! I guess that's the price one pays when you don't hide your crafty ways! (Note: I have yet to actually try this, so if you do, please send photos!)

Okay, shall we make a fun castle to grace our party table, Purim, birthday party or castle themed event? Lets get started.......

Recycled Cardboard Tube Logs, A Fun Craft For Lag B'Omer!

Here's a fun recycled cardboard tube craft, in this case I used paper towel tubes, that is perfect just about any time really......though of course with the Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer coming up, that is what I have made them for. Lag B'Omer involves bonfires, generally really huge ones in our neck of the woods, so all things log and campfire related are perfect. It is true, many Lag B'Omer bonfires are fueled by olive oil, or made from towers of crates and palettes and old furniture, but logs are just so much cuter, I'm sure you'll agree!

So lets make a bunch of cute logs, faux bois style, shall we? Oh, haven't heard of faux bois? That may just be a crafting faux pas, so lets get you up to steam. Faux bois means fake wood, namely anything with a wood grain pattern or made to look like branches, even sculpted. Are you with me? Now lets get crafting and doodling!

Toilet Paper Tube Butterfly Craft Plus Doodling Equals Fabulous!

Yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and it turns out that the butterfly is actually a symbol used in Holocaust Education (check out my previous post, here) and a yellow one turns out to be even more timely.......and so you see the craft that I was thinking was just too cheerful to post yesterday is actually right on time! Speaking of right on time, I'm so happy to present to you this toilet paper tube butterfly that is just so darn cute and makes a great project for all ages........make it a true work of art, or stick to patterns really seen on butterfly wings, you decide! Either way, no one will confuse your results with something made in nursery school with pipe cleaner antennae, not that I'm knocking that, just giving the toilet paper tube butterfly a higher ranking in the crafting world!

This guy has been sitting on my picture ledge in our kitchen table gallery, and he is just so much fun I hope to make some more, and maybe even a much larger one using a paper towel tube! Ready to get started? Okay, lets fly with this one........

Recycled Paper Towel Tube Palm Trees For Passover (Or Anytime, Of Course!)

Passover (or more correctly "Pesach" as it is said in hebrew) starts on Monday night, and the only way I have found time to post this little craft is that the husband and kids are out doing some grocery shopping for the holiday, meaning there is no one who thinks that there may be more important things to do right now........no one that is, who realizes how important you, dear readers, are to me!  So I'll just quickly introduce you to this little idea that was born on account of going through a ton of paper towels as we try to wrap up the gigantic job of cleaning the house and most importantly the kitchen, for Pesach. Introducing recycled paper towel tube palm trees, the perfect craft for remembering what the holiday of Passover is really all about, namely our deliverance from slavery in the dessert!

A DIY Paper Plant That Is Simply Lovely: Agave!

Paper plants are all the rage, and understandably so as they are so simple to make and look amazing. Not to mention great for those who don't have time to take care of the real thing! i happen to have a virtual jungle both indoors and out, but I still appreciate the paper plant idea for its whimsy. There are a lot of folk out there making paper cactuses, but I think I'm the first to make a paper agave. Though many (mostly Australians, where agaves grow in droves) have success growing them in water indoors, the agave is really an outdoor plant, so a paper one certainly is a good idea!

I whipped this one up in literally ten minutes, and now you can too, with my simple directions!

Popsicle Stick Playground Craft For Kids

If you are looking for a fun craft to help kids build creativity, look no further! Creating a little park or playground using popsicle sticks and recycled cardboard tubes (for starters) is so much fun, and afterwards the kids can actually use their creation as a playscape for Playmobil people or any another little dolls or animals. In the past we have made a miniature swingset from recyclables, as well as a mini playground craft using skewers, though this popsicle stick playground was actually made by my ten year old son in school with a group of boys as part of a larger project.  I am so proud of him! On the day of the exhibition my son said to me "oh mommy, did you see all the playgrounds that everyone made? I taught them how to do that." Big smile from mommy!

DIY Paper Plant: Flowering Bromeliad

A DIY paper plant can be the perfect solution if you need an inexpensive and festive party centerpiece (especially if you need a bunch) and best of all they can be made in any size that works for you. Not all the paper plants that i've seen in blogland have been quick to make, so I've come up with one that truly is.....ta da, introducing the paper flowering bromeliad. And I have to say, I haven't seen any flowering paper plants, with the exception of a cactus, so I'm happy to present you with an idea that is quick, budget friendly and can be made to suit your color scheme! Oh, and did I mention that this is a great craft for kids as well? Bingo!

Regardless of your thumb color you can now fill your home with greenery, so lets get crafting!

Castle Centerpiece From Recycled Cardboard Tubes

Purim is just around the corner and I'm thinking about castles — castles made out of recycled cardboard tubes and a shoebox, of course! I've always wanted to make a castle, and realized that a colorful castle crafted by mom or the kids or both, could be a fantastic centerpiece for the Purim sueda (meal). There's so many ways to go with this one as far as materials and size. And if you don't need a centerpiece so how about a castle mishloach manos? Just build your castle on the lid of  the shoe box and voila! I think I may just have to use that idea myself, for the kid's teachers that is, who deserve something really special, and are expecting something creative! I guess that's the price one pays when you don't hide your crafty ways!

And the great thing about this castle is that is looks great from all sides, assuming you take that a bit into consideration when building it! Here's a view from the back, and yes the pieces aren't perfect or straight, as my son pointed out to me this morning, but I did that on purpose, because ya know perfection isn't everything!

You'll Need:

• cardboard tubes of all kinds, also mailing tubes which tend to be much wider!
• round cans or just about anything thick and round, how about a piece of pvc pipe?
• a shoe box
• wrapping paper
• colored paper
• sheer patterned disposable table runner fabric, it's stiff and easy to work with
• glittered craft foam
• hot glue and/or high tack craft glue like Alene's
• mod podge
• wooden skewers

How To:

Follow my directions, but since your castle won't be exactly like mine, don't be afraid to re-invent this project a bit!

1. Cover the bottom of your shoe box with some fun patterned wrapping paper. If you'll be making a castle gift box, so cover the bottom of the shoe box and the lid separately, and continue to build your castle on the lid. 
2. Cover the bottom of the shoebox (namely the base for your castle) with a solid piece of paper, using mod podge or diluted white glue, as the patterned wrapping paper might be a bit too distracting.
3. Cover toilet paper tubes, some cut down to half their size and some stacked two together (or more) with the sheer sparkled (gold in my case) table runner material.
4. Cover your largest tube, (mine is actually a box that held a bottle of scotch, so glad to finally use it!) with a bright piece of solid colored paper and make some window or castle like details of some kinds by applying other colors of cut outs with mod podge.
5. Make some window and door details for the shoe box portion of your castle and affix with mod podge.
6. Now it's time to make roofs and details using the sparkled craft foam! Roofs are basically circles with a slit in them, and then you overlap the pieces on either side of the slit to form a little cone shape, and adhere with hot glue. Attach the roofs with hot glue or high tack glue. Attach look out tower details (forgot what those are called) to the tallest tubes, as well as some peep holes and tiny windows, using hot glue or high tack glue.
7. Glue everything together, both to the base and to each other where possible, make a few flags and you're done!
8. Sit back and enjoy gazing at your wonderful castle and give yourself a pat on the back, you really are royalty if you managed to make this palace with everything else that's going on before Purim!

 

 

 

Textured Rolling Pin DIY

Here's a simple DIY for a textured rolling pin that you can use in so many ways: to texture clay of all kinds, for play dough and salt dough and maybe even as a printing tool for painting some wrapping paper, though don't take my word for it, haven't tried it! I made this one for myself, but it would be a great project to do with the kiddos who can afterwords go to town on playdough. How about giving the child a tube and a pencil, and then make a textured rolling pin from his drawing? This is a quick project and the more practice you have directing the glue gun, the better your results will be.

I used my textured rolling pin to make some texture on some hand built oval plant pots that I made this morning at my ceramics class. Can't wait to try some more ideas next week! 

You'll Need:

• an old rolling pin, a heavy cardboard tube, a piece of pvc pipe etc.
• hot glue gun, preferable the mini size which is easier to handle
• a pencil or permanent marker

How To:

Draw your design in pencil on the cardboard tube, or use a permanent market for plastic or wood. Go over the design with hot glue and voila! Now I was also thinking that silicone would be great for this too, if you happen to have some in a applicator that's fine enough.

And by the way, can't take credit for this great idea, I found it here. Worth checking out for some more examples of the types of patterns that work well with this project. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Hanukah Menorah From Recycled Cardboard Tubes

Here it is dear readers, a fun Hanukah menorah kid's craft, or adult craft or any age craft that's just plain cute and can be customized in so many ways. You could make this Hanukah menorah from tp rolls or cardboard tubes that the kids decorate first, or you could cut them and then give them to the kids to decorate. Or you could just enjoy it as is!

I knew these toilet paper tubes with the blue insides would come in handy somehow, and I finally figured it out! (Look for toilet paper that's blue with a jeans theme, that's what these were!) Of course I didn't have quite enough blue ones handy, so I was very lucky to find enough with white insides! If your tubes are all brown on the inside, not to worry, you can certainly paint them, right?

You'll Need:

• 11 toilet paper tubes (one to make a template, nine for the menorah and one to extend the height of the shamash)
• glittered craft foam, or glitter
• glue

How To:

Step 1: Draw a candle on the tube as shown on the right of the photo below. Cut out the candle such that you have a piece that looks like that on the left in the photo.

Step 2: Use your cut out piece to trace identical candle shapes on each of the 9 remaining tubes, and then cut out the space around the candle with sharp scissors.

Step 3: Trace the flame onto glittered craft foam, and cut out individual flames and glue to candle.

Step 4: Add a piece of tube to the shamash middle candle so that it will be higher than the rest. Assemble menorah by glueing at the bases with regular glue (hold with paper clips until it dries) or hot glue.

If you'd like to get the kids in involved in this one, give them individual candles to decorate with glitter, sequins, scraps of a paper, yarn etc, and glue on the flame at the end. Enjoy! Would love to see what you do with this idea!