creative jewish mom

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!

Toilet Paper Roll Birdy Gift Topper

Last week I shared with you my toilet paper tube birdy gift tag, and now I'm sharing a few photos to show you how I used it! Truthfully, while I am not a fan of cellophane, that is the gift wrap of choice here in Israel, so sometimes you just gotta go with the flow......of course I'd prefer a lovely cardboard box with a clear window, but finding that, and buying it, well that is just not my normal course, as I'm all about recycling. Ah yes, though maybe I need to make my own take-out boxes from cornflakes boxes, now that is an idea, maybe next year? This year I used a lovely metallic gold paper plate, and on that I placed a mini-kugel, two oblong spelt rolls and two container of salad, like hummous and eggplant cubes with lemon, or pickled veggie sticks. The little bird made the whole thing sweet and a bit more personal, and so overall I was happy with the presentation. Now I just need to save some more tp rolls to make some little birdies to use as gift toppers or maybe even try making some fish with the same technique! If it goes well, you'll be the first to know, after all some fish could work for Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea inspired table decor? Okay, lets take a closer look at my toilet paper roll birdy mishloach manot gift tag!

Toilet Paper Tube Birdy Gift Tags Or Party Decor

With Purim coming up on Saturday night, I started making really fun egg carton portrait gift tags, only the later ones came out so well I really can't give them away, so I was looking for something super cute but just a bit less precious, and these toilet paper roll birdies fit the bill! I'll be attaching them to the top of a cellophane wrapped plate of goodies with a ribbon or piece of string attached to the head I think, and then folks can use them as holiday decor on their table, or if they end up in the garbage, gasp it isn't the end of the world. I made 20 of these and they are now all sitting on my piano looking cute as can be, and waiting to fly off to new homes on Sunday morning. This is relatively quick, and if you choose to leave the background the cardboard and just add details, even quicker, so lets make some!

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.......

DIY Cardboard Castle Centerpiece

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.......

Toilet Paper Tube Castle Craft

We are on a roll with the recycling crafts for Purim, and I couldn't be more pleased, especially since we still have a week to keep on crafting for the festive holiday! Introducing toilet paper tube castle craft, which you can make to use as a centerpiece, a scene on a sideboard, or even as a simple toy. I generally save toilet paper tubes for crafting, but this time only had five on hand, so may castle is considerably smaller than I would have preferred. I'd love to see a castle that is a few stories high, and maybe with some little rooves and flags, but with the lack of supplies on hand I went for something very basic, which is also good! What do castles have to do with Purim? Well truthfully European castles do not have anything to do with Purim, since the Purim story took place in Shushan, Iran, but certainly there was a palace where our hero Queen Esther resided, so you know anything loosely castle/palace is relevant to Purim. Now that we have clarified that, lets get crafting!

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........