creative jewish mom

Recycled Cardboard Tube Logs For Play Or Crafting!

With the festive Jewish holiday coming up in just a week, now is the time to get crafting, that certainly is happening around here on account of my 20 or so 4th, 5th and 6th grade (boys) students, who are keeping me literally on my toes! Last week we worked on drawing woodgrain patterns on colored paper, which was very fun and successful for some, and very challenging and not so enjoyable for others, and there were many surprises on my part regarding for whom it was a challenge. This week, we used those drawings to make colorful and fun logs for a Lag B'Omer bonfire, using all kinds of cardboard tubes that I've been saving. The results are just fabulous, and they would be great as is as toys used together with wooden blocks or kapla or any creative toy, so I may just have to make a set with that in mind! But for now we are firing up the glue gun and making bonfires! Okay, lets do it!

TP Roll Clowns Craft For Kids

Purim is quickly approaching, so now is the time to turn up the heat with some creative projects to keep the kids busy, and give them something to be proud of in their own preparations for the festive holiday. This tp roll clown craft that I did with a group of 11 year old boys is a perfect craft to encourage creativity! Give them the idea of the clown, and let them create a stand or environment for the clown with recyclables and of course, colored paper. The stand shown here was a great idea, and received first prize (between you and me) for creativity, plus the results are downright professional! Okay, whether you make clowns from tp tubes, and/or tall clowns using paper towel rolls, the more the better, lets do it!

Simple Castle Recycling Craft For Kids

With Purim coming on Thursday night, now is surely the time to get crafting! I have been crafting up a storm with 3 groups of schoolboys grades 4, 5 and 6, and I'm so proud of their accomplishments! The 6th grade boys were given an open ended project, so they all ended up making something different which I just love, and which doesn't always happen with younger boys lacking the confidence to do something different, but I'm working on them! This simple castle recycling craft can be made quite quickly and with a few items from the recyling bin! Yes, it is quite similar to my shoebox castle craft from many years ago, but honestly I love this too as it can be placed on the table as a fun centerpiece, without the volume that a shoebox takes up! Okay, want to make one, or even a bunch? Let's get to it!

TP Tube Vases With An Origami Butterfly & Flowers Craft For Kids

I've already shared with you the toilet paper tube vase and separately, the magazine flowers, that I made as an example for my students, and now it is time to share their work! This was truly a fun and successful project for 8 to 9 year old boys, who then proudly took their projects home with the instructions to give the vase to their mothers and say "Ima, thank you so much for everything!" I'm not sure how many actually followed through, though one mother reported that her son left the present on her pillow and the next day thanked her for something that he would ordinarily not. "Now I know it was because of you" she said.....and that of course totally made my day, and is just added proof that when you get together with a group of kids and talk to them about many things, not just the project at hand, you can truly make a difference in their lives! And yes, it is true that this group of 3rd graders are a handful, but loving every minute and it is so wonderful to hear back from their mothers (most of whom are friends of mine) how much they look forward to our crafting session. Okay, lets take a closer look at the results of the project!

Recycled TP Tube Designer Vases Craft

I have to say, when I came up with this recycling craft idea for making artful vases from tp tubes I wasn't expecting the results to be this wonderful! I have started crafting with small groups of boys twice a week, which means coming up with projects that will satisfy them, and the idea here was to create a present for their mothers in addition to coaching from me for saying "thank you for everything." So it turns out, that with tp tube/rolls and some glossy recycled cardboard in a bright color, one can really create something fun and unexpected! I will share the boy's projects in another post, and heads up that for younger kids these handles are too difficult to cut, at least from cardboard. You can also make mini magazine page flowers, or insert small shot glasses and fill the vases with some cuttings! Have you been saving tp tubes? Lets make some sweet vases!

Recycled Cardboard Tube Logs Craft For Lag B'Omer!

The festive holiday of Lag B'Omer, which is the 33 Day of the Omer and a day when we pause the mourning of this period to celebrate the great Sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Since one of the things we do on the holiday is celebrate the great light of Rebbi Shimon with community bonfires, all things logs and fire make great subject matter for the holiday! I've been saving paper towel tubes and aluminum foil tubes, and they are perfect for making "logs" which will be used to make bonfires and wall hangings, though what exactly is still to be determined! The last time I made "logs" with paper towel tubes I did close the ends with round colorful circles, but for now these logs look just fine as is!

Paper Towel Tube Logs Craft

Pulled this one out of the archives because it is a keeper, and phew I actually saved a bunch of paper towel tubes during Passover. I have a bunch of little cuties coming for the Shabbos leading into L'Ag B'Omer, so I will be making some of these possibly without the colored ends to fit into my now newly neutral and elegant living room....hmmmm?

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 next week, 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!

DIY Cardboard Castle Party Centerpiece Or Kid's Toy!

I have once again dusted this one off as it is a keeper, and with Purim in one month, now is a great time to spoil the kids and the family with some extra crafting this year! Here is what I wrote two years ago:

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 shoe box 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.......

Toilet Paper Tube Cactus Craft

When I started to attempt at cleaning out my studio a month or so ago, I came across a little box full of toilet paper tubes that I'd painted green, in order to make toilet paper tube cacti of course, just had not gotten around to it, for at least a year plus, sigh. The good news is that I did get around to it at last, and the results are just as cute as can be, and I wish I had time to make a whole dessert full! It is true that there are no Saguaro cacti in the Egyptian dessert, at least not native ones, but any symbol for dessert still makes it a great craft for Passover! So set aside a bunch of toilet paper tubes, and paper towel tubes, and let the family have fun painting them green, inside and out. And if you need a little project to do in the car or on a trip or for a little break with all that cleaning, learn to fold tiny paper stars, here. Okay, lets make some cacti.......

Recycled Paper Towel Tube Logs!

Pulled this one out of the archives because it is a keeper!

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 next week, 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!