creative jewish mom

Make Yarn From Your Old Sheets And T-Shirts

I'm reposting this from last year, and this year there is no time to make yarn from sheets and I even tossed some old sheets in the recycling! Granted they were not 100% cotton, so no great loss and the Passover cleaning continues! Here is the post from 2017!

Yes, dear readers, when you see photos of DIY sheet and t-shirt yarn, you can surely guess that the Pesach house cleaning and organizing has begun! And of course, since I'd rather craft than clean, one of the first things I always do is look for old sheets that are no longer presentable, and clothing whose condition is too poor to pass along to those in need. (We happen to have many neighbors with large families who always appreciate out hand me downs, so I only cut up really ragged t-shirts and night gowns and such.)

Lucky for me, one of the things that was begging to be made into sheet yarn was a comforter cover, the optimal thing to use as from the giant tupe that results cutting off the two ends, one can make one continual piece quite easitly. And that green yarn? That is from my daugher's old nightgown, yippee!

DIY Boho Fringed Placemats For Summer Entertaining

I have pulled this post out of the archives because it is a keeper, and I'm still enjoying my DIY boho place mats, which are great indoors or outdoors, and perfect for that little extra something this summer! Enjoy! And I just had the thought that these could also be great for the Succah, so why not plan ahead!

I love t-shirt yarn, and have been thinking about using it for macrame and embroidery, not just crocheting! Industrial-waste t-shirt yarn also supports eco-consciousness, as it is made from odds and ends of fabric left after the pieces for making clothing is cut from the yardage. What I found after making these fringed and embroidered place mats/wall hangings is that t-shirt yarn is a great way to add color to a project that might have called for rope of some kind, and it works great for fringe, tassels (see my t-shirt yarn tassels) and more. So if you're looking for a simple and stylish summer project, this is it! These place mats work great placed on round side tables or outdoor tables or anywhere to add some flare our protect a wooden surface. Ah yes, and of course you can easily make some wall hangings, which I truly am going to do as I have a bunch more of these place mats to craft with!

Hello Prague: Huge Crochet Applique Mural

One of the amazing visual treats that we experienced in Prague last year, was in fact a treat within a treat, though that describes just about everything in Prague, what a city! On our visit to Vysrehard, see  my post here, not only were there amazing views and ancient history, but also the biggest yarn bombing installation I've ever seen! Ever seen a crocheted mural, constructed on a base of recycled sweaters? Me neither, so I was very excited to capture this and share it with you. I'm not sure how many years something like this can hold up, especially in a place with cold winters, so if you decide to do something similar, I'd hang it in a way that it can be removed come rain and such. All this wonderful crocheted art is both a sign and an eye catcher at a place called Indigo Kids, which is a kindergarten. You can see the main sign in my post about signs in Prague, and here I've presented you with all the many ways to make pictures with crochet. enjoy!

Embroidery With T-Shirt Yarn On Benches In Jerusalem

I came across these photos of benches embroidered with t-shirt yarn in Jerusalem, and I just had to share them with you because truly I just love everything about this project! Yes, of course I'm bound to like just about anything that uses t-shirt yarn plus creativity, and the peacock bench (continue reading) takes the prize! I don't know too much about this commissioned yarn bombing project, or whether the benches are still intact, but I may just have to go and see for myself sometime soon.

The photos here are courtesy of a great article on mymodernmet, and the copy below is quoted from that article as well, which you should check out, so inspiring!

"Jerusalem-based artist Talya Tomer-Schlesinger sees artistic potential hidden within every corner of the world. The director of the Baka neighborhood asked Tomer-Schlesinger to brighten a local road for an upcoming arts festival and, when she was deciding what to create, the artist looked to the street’s benches. These latticed structures reminded her of her grandmother’s embroidery grids, which inspired her to weave recycled materials directly onto the seats. Since the benches are outdoors, Tomer-Schlesinger used old bathing suits in place of thread or regular fabric to prevent weather damage.

While she embroidered flowers, leaves, and even a vibrant peacock on the bus benches, the artist invited locals to join her. This expressive production evolved into a community project, bringing joy to those who participated in and witnessed the benches’ evolution. Hopefully, this venture will inspire other cities to bring their residents together as they add a bit of creative color to their own streets."

Fabulous Wire Frame Tree Sculptures As Summer Street Art In Montreal

One of the things that Canada does really well, and Montreal in particular is celebrating the outdoors during the summer, as winter is harsh and very long! This summer in Montreal we came across many many examples of street celebrations and I especially loved these vibrant metal trees defined with strips of fabricm delineating an area in downtown Montreal used for lunch time concerts....a lovely program and wonderful sculptures that were made without investing a huge sum......I am assuming they are saved from year to year, at least hoping that is the case!

And this dear readers can certainly be a source of inspiration for your own creative fall crafting, right?

Rustic Wire And Fabric Flower Craft

I saw this idea for making a rustic wire and fabric flower sculpture with a wine cork base on our travels just a few weeks ago, and I just had to share it with you! The idea of stitching fabric scraps onto a wire shape can be used in so many ways, to make flat ornaments for a wall hanging or mobile or to get a bit adventurous and go for something with dimension. I love the looseness of the results, and a flower sculpture like this one is not only a perfect summer craft, but also would be great moving into fall.

As far as taking this idea as a project for kids, I think it would be a fabulous way to introduce the idea of abstract sculpture. Give kids some easily bendable wire, and at least four wine corks, and have them make a three dimensional wire doodle.......sounds great to me! To add color glue or sew little scraps of fabric or colored paper to some of the resulting shapes.

Sorry, lest I digress, back to the specifics of this sweet little flower.......

DIY Loom Potholder Using T-Shirt Yarn And DIY Potholder Loops

After cutting up a bunch of my boy's old striped polo style shirts to make t-shirt yarn, I just couldn't bear to toss the remnants, namely the section above the armpits, so rather than clean for Pesach I embarked on a small research project regarding using a pot holder loom to make potholders from t-shirt yarn and presented you with the post 3 Ways To Use Old T-shirts To Weave Potholders.

Of the three potholders that we wove for our research project, there was one that in my eyes was just right, so I now present to you the technique that we used, and hoping that this craft will not only get you too on the road to cleaning out those closets, but also teaching kids about the idea of re-using what we can, and recycling what we can't. Ready?

DIY T-Shirt And Sheet Yarn Is A Spring Cleaning Tradition!

Yes, dear readers, when you see photos of DIY sheet and t-shirt yarn, you can surely guess that the Pesach house cleaning and organizing has begun! And of course, since I'd rather craft than clean, one of the first things I always do is look for old sheets that are no longer presentable, and clothing whose condition is too poor to pass along to those in need. (We happen to have many neighbors with large families who always appreciate out hand me downs, so I only cut up really ragged t-shirts and night gowns and such.)

Lucky for me, one of the things that was begging to be made into sheet yarn was a comforter cover, the optimal thing to use as from the giant tupe that results cutting off the two ends, one can make one continual piece quite easitly. And that green yarn? That is from my daugher's old nightgown, yippee!

The Best Way To Make Yarn From Sheets, Hands Down!

Passover is just around the corner, which means we have started going through closets and organizing our possessions, for starters! Of course, this includes a good look at the linens and choosing things which have seen better days and are ready to be made into rag yarn. I have had more time letely to make yarn from sheets and linens than actaully crochet with them, but just knowing those balls of rags are ready and waiting is a great feeling, whenever their time may be!

After years of making yarn from sheets, pillow cases, comforter covers and of course t-shirts, I have finally realized the simplest and best way to go about doing this, especially when it comes to making yarn from a flat sheet. Can you guess? No sewing strips together, no cutting or tearing in a spiral, nope, the results are so much better, and I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!

Rolled Rag Flowers and Fabric Ribbons: Last Minute Centerpieces!

Ever made these rolled flowers from fabric scraps that seem to be everywhere? Me neither, but there's always  a first time! And there's a story here I thought I'd share with you. If you decide to let the world know (and even your neighbors who have never seen your website) about your crafty tendencies, just realize that you will get phone calls like the one I got yesterday at 4pm on a dark rainy afternoon:

Hi Sara?
Yes, Hi Miri, how are you?
Great, thanks. Did your husband tell you the we've been looking for you all day? You see we're about to set the tables for the Sheva Brachas and Rachel said we should just buy simple dinner ware and have you add your amazing touch. It will really make the evening something special...you know we just can't do it without you.
Oh, I see. But you know I need something to work with. And when will the guests be arriving? 7:30? Okay. How many tables? 16? What colors are the dishes and tablecloth? White and gold? Okay.......hmmmm.....so let's use the glass vases and I'll come up with something to decorate them. I have to take a look around and see what I have.
Okay, thanks so much Sara!

So I took a look around. Gold ribbon, yes. Some gold flowers ready made. Yes. But really how about something just a bit nicer, after all, even though this is last minute and not exactly what I had planned for the rest of the day, it is indeed a mitzvah to make the bride and groom happy at one of the festive meals after the wedding. And then I thought, hey maybe now's the time to try those rolled flowers. And I have that bag of fabric scraps that my neighbor the seamstress almost threw out.....and thus this project was born!

In case you're wondering how to make these, well its quite simple. You take a strip of fabric, say about 2" wide, fold the fabric in half width-wise, tie a knot in one end (the center of the flower) and start rolling, twisting the fabric as you go, and gluing with hot glue where needed. Messy is good, raw edges are good, and with heavier fabric you can make a more folded look, which is nice too. Just try to make them look not too controlled, which mine are....gotten loosen up a bit for this one! I added some corduroy leaves cut with pinking sheers, and some pearls in the center, together with a single gold sequin. And, as it turns out, when you tear polyester satin fabric, it nicely curls at the edges, and you have some great ready made ribbon- not perfect, but just fine for a last minute creation. Who would have thought?

I should note, though these flowers are quick to make, it's not that quick if you need to make multiples. I made what I had time for, and filled in with the ready made gold flowers, and the whole simple idea still took about 3 1/2 hours. (Just tying each bow around the vase and attaching the flowers with a straight pin takes time!)  At 7:30 after arriving home with the little ones, who came along for the adventure, I was happy to hear that my husband made it back into town in time to go to the party himself. Phew, now at least I don't have to try and whip up that dinner that didn't get made on account of those centerpieces made on a dime!