creative jewish mom

Quick Shavuos Craft For Kids With Adorable Results!

Shavuos starts Saturday night, and with shabbos coming first, now would be the time to whip up some last minute crafts......you know, the kind that aren't too messy and that the kids can do on their own so that the adults can concentrate on all the tasks that need to be accomplished in preparation for the holiday. Ah yes, and a craft that is fun for all ages is certainly in order as well, so I now present to you my tissue paper stand-up Har Sinai, which is a perfect decoration for Shavuot and quick to make. Little ones can certainly crumple up paper and dip it in glue, while older kids can make patterns with their little tissue paper balls, which could be great. Hmmmm, maybe next time?

Okay, time is of the essence, so lets get started!

Rosh HaShana Apple, Pomegranite And Carrot Yarn Craft For All Ages

There is something about gluing yarn onto recycled cardboard shapes that is just so much fun, and with great results. So with Rosh Hashana just around the corner, time is of the essence, and this is one craft that is great for all ages, and teh results can then be hung in the succah as well. Okay, you may not want to hang a carrot in your succah, but apples and pomegranites certainly work for both Rosh HaShana and succot, and you can then add some grapes and olives and figs later if you so desire.

You very likely don't recognize this project, as I posted it a whole seven years ago, wow, so I thought I'd dig it up and show it to the world once again. Ah yes, and of course this project is perfect for those of us who have tons of little bits and bobs of yarn, and is great for all ages! I wish i had a spare hour or so to make some too......

Watercolor Still Life Fruit Exercise Is Great For All Ages!

My fourteen year old daughter is once again taking painting lessons, this time with a teacher who learned painting as a trade in Russia, so the lessons are precise and skill oriented, which can be a good thing, though not exactly how art is taught in the USA generally. Nonetheless since we are seeing great results with piano lessons from our teacher who is from the Ukraine, I'm trying to be a bit open minded as far as teaching techniques go! My daughter in any case has and will be exposed to art education on many levels, so the main thing is to just do it, and not worry too much about the process assuming something is being taught!

I'm happy to say, that today, the day after Passover, a day in Israel called "isru chag" which is in effect an extension of the holiday (and occurs for Passover, Shavuot and Succot, on days that are still part of the holiday outside of Israel) my daughter had the desire to paint, and while I was recovering from the holiday by sleeping, she was painting this sweet watercolor still ilfe, using some of the skills that she has been learning recently, and some that she learned from a different teacher a good five years or so ago.

Cereal Box Magazine Holders DIY

I've been wanting to make some recycled cereal box magazine holders for years, and at long last I found a little window of time to give it a try. And I have to say, I just love the results, and this is the perfect way to freshen up your desk area or bookcase, and to use up some pieces of wrapping paper, wall paper, contact paper or even fabric that you just love and don't know how to use! Once you get the hang of it, this DIY is so simple the only thing you'll be lacking is enough cereal boxes! So let's get crafting:

Geometric Woven String Star Gift Toppers And Place Cards

Geometric string stars are so fun to weave, and they also happen to look great at gift toppers and gift tags! I just love how they look on my hand stamped olive branch wrapping paper, and if you're making them for your own family, well, you can save them afterwards to make a geometric string star garland!

Geometric String Star Garland Is Perfect For Hanukkah And Beyond!

Geometric woven string stars are so simple to make and with such fabulous results, everyone with even the slightest crafty bone in their body should make some, NOW! And look how cute they are strung as a Hanukkah garland, or for just about any holiday or occassion! I made these with un-dyed crochet string, and recycled cardboard, for an article here on Houzz.com, but sky is the limit as far as the materials one could choose to use. Check out my giant string star craft, as well as my original post, geometric string craft stars, to see them multicolored and in all kinds of configurations not shown here!

Hanukkah Menorah Craft Using Recycled Cereal Box Cardboard!

I have been busy making the cutest Hanukkah menorahs ever, using cereal box cardboard and a template that I'm planning to have in my shop any day now. The month before Hanukkah is always super crazy for me, and while the template isn't 100% ready, I did want to put the idea out there for those who are thinking about getting serious with the holiday preparations.

These cardboard menorahs can be made in a few sizes and they are equally great as centerpieces or displayed around the house. I have a bunch on my piano right now and it looks fabulous!

And if you'd like to make a cardboard menorah that is larger than a cereal box, well I did that too, using chip board, and the results are so much fun!

If you'd like me to shoot you an email when the template and tutorial are in my shop, just leave me a comment and I'll be more than happy to do so!

 

Fish Shaped Gift Tags Are Fun To Make And To Use!

Need a tiny project to fulfill that need for a little bit of creativity? Why not make some of these fun fish shaped gift tags that are perfect for Purim, or any time really! And if you don't need any gift tags, so use them as ornaments or make a mobile or even combine them with the stuffed paper fish I shared with you last week.

This is a fun project for all ages, and especially great for those who love to doodle but never really do anything with those doodles!  And this is also a great opportunity to discuss what makes a fish kosher, namely scales and fins, and how to incorporate these into a doodle design.

You'll Need:

• cereal box cardboard
• colored card stock
• black markers, a thick one and a thin one
• double stick tape or a glue stick
• a hole punch and string

How To: Draw a very basic outline of a fish on a piece of thin cardboard, and cut out leaving a large margin around the outline. Doodle your design on the fish. Cover the back of the fish with double sided tape, or the adhesive of your choice, and affix to a piece of colored paper of some kind. Cut out fish once again, this time cutting a bit closer to the outline. Punch a hole in the fish's mouth, thread with a piece of string or ribbon and you've made a fantastic gift tag!

 

Cereal Box Gift Packages With Plastic Bag Pom Poms!

As promised, here are our kid stamped cereal boxes all glued together and adorned with plastic bag pom pom gift toppers. I must say, they look fantastic! And while we didn't plan anything, the pom poms colors work so perfectly with the stamped designs that my daughter (mostly) did a few days ago.

You can see what the stamped cereal boxes looked like before they were glued together here.

 The large size pom pom, fits perfectly on top of a large cornflakes box, and makes a stunning gift!

And the smaller boxes, the smaller one held ice cream cones look amazing with the smaller sized pom poms. So, after you've stamped your cereal boxes, re-glue them using a hot glue gun, make some plastic bag pom poms, and assemble the most gorgeous gift boxes ever!

 

Stamped And Stencilled Cereal Boxes Make Great Hanukkah Gift Packaging!

With a few nights of Hanukkah still left, there's plenty of time to whip up some great recycled and hand made gift packaging! So get out all those cereal boxes you been hoarding, open them up and have fun stamping and stenciling simple shapes. The results are always so much fun, especially when you assemble your packages, fill them and add some ribbons or bows or pom poms of some kind!

I love the idea of these stenciled numbers, to represent the 8 nights of hanukkah, and one could even do just one number for the night on which the gift is given!

You'll Need:

• acrylic craft paint
• cereal and other food boxes
• number stencils
• "magic eraser sponge" (sfog pele) or any dense sponge that can be easily cut with a knife

How To: The dreidel shapes were made by simply cutting a dreidel shape (minus the top peg) from magic foam, great for cleaning and great for crafting, as it cuts so very easily! Dip the sponge in paint and stamp away. Add details with a paint brush. One could also use a potato!

Happy Hanukkah crafting, and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with some great shots of these boxes all ready for gift giving!