creative jewish mom

Super Simple Fall Centerpiece With Painted Faux Apples

If you happen to have a bunch of blank apples made for crafting, just waiting for their turn in the spotlight, as I did, paint them in your favorite colors, add some white details with a paint pen, place them in a footed glass bowl, and voila, a fun Fall, Rosh HaShana, Succot, or even Tu B'Shevat centerpiece is born! Ah yes, and this would make a fun teacher appreciation gift as well! Truthfully apples painted in your favorite colors can be used any time to bring joy into your home, so while I did make this for our series of Jewish holidays in the Fall, it would look great any time. And in case you may have noticed, the more the better! Want to make something like this for your table? Lets take a close look.......

Happiness Is A Jar Full Of Tiny Origami Paper Stars

I truly wish it were that simple, don't you? Truthfully, it really can be, and for starters it is all about putting things in perspective, being happy with your lot, and recognizing the need to be grateful for all the good you do have, not to mention for every moment and every morning that you wake up, as nothing is certain! On the other hand making tiny paper stars might come easily to some of us, while to others making a jar full of these would be torture. And that my friends is sort of like happiness: easy to come by for some and really difficult to achieve for others, sadly enough. And in case you are wondering, I do mean a deep sense of fulfillment as well as joyful moments, and hopefully some exhilarating ones as well, as true happiness is a combination of all of the above, and then some.

So, while it may sound a bit cliche, happiness can truly be a jar of origami stars, that put a smile on your face every time you look at them, that add that just perfect cute factor to your day, that brought together your family in an activity, or that became a sweet baby mobile for a new mommy. Right now that jar of stars that has been sitting on our dining room table for a few weeks now is just exactly what it is, a jar of paper stars that I made one at a time, and I love it! The combination of colors, the joyfulness of it, and the fact that it is not trying to be anything other than what it is.

Ah yes, so maybe that is another key to happiness, being true to who we are? In my case I am being true to who I am by writing this post in the first place, and by actually displaying this jar of stars front and center in my home. Do I need others to understand anything about this jar? No, loud and clear, no, on the other hand if you are reading this you likely do understand, and our mutual understanding across the seas creates global happiness, which is quite a significant thing to think about. I am rambling, so please don't think about it too much, just get yourself some quilling paper and make yourself a little jar of happiness, and then spread it!

Simple DIY Polka Dot Balloons

Looking for a super simple way to transform inexpensive helium balloons in to something special for a party? Polka dot balloons are so simple to make and can be made with a wide variety of materials, so keep this in mind next time you are thinking about how to enhance the party decor you've just whipped up for a special someone! I made these pastel polka dot balloons for my daughter's 18th birthday a few weeks ago and they really did look amazing, especially given the minimal time investment. And just by the way, a few helium balloons tied to a base of some kind can make a wonderful and very cost conscious centerpiece for a wide variety of occassions, especially for example bar mitzvah centerpieces, bat mitzvah centerpieces, family reunion centerpieces, brit milah centerpieces and more of course. I was looking for an airy bright look so I choose white balloons, but you can certainly go with a dark colored balloon and white or metallic polka dots, which could look festive and sophisticated and downright amazing! Okay, lets delve into polka dot balloons just a bit deeper.....

Welcome To Our Passover Seder Table!

Wishing everyone a peaceful, restful and joyful Passover holiday! We are now on the 5th night of the 7 (8 outside of Israel) night holiday, so there isn't much time left to really enjoy this special holiday despite everything going on in the world around us! While I do love Passover, as of today my teens are officially going a bit stir crazy, and once the holiday is over we'll be able to do things that we don't do during this time, like crafting and painting and gardening, which will help keep everyone busy and hopefully occupied. If not, I have a whole basement and an attic that needs organizing? The government law right now is that one is not allowed to go out of their homes or further than 100 meters except for shopping or great need, so that rules out hiking sadly, which would be great right now, as early Spring is here and the green fields are filled with wild mustard and other early bloomers.

Lest I digress, this year's Passover seder was just the smallest version of our immediate family, 3 teens and husband and I, and it turned out to be really nice, just us, no guests to worry about and for me MUCH LESS clean up and food prep. Truthfully this has been the most restful and relaxing Passover ever, and that coupled with the absence of visitors and car traffic in our neighborhood means ahhhhhh, just quietness, and a beautiful view, for which we are very grateful. The weather has been rainy and uncharacteristically cold, which makes staying indoors much easier, though we are all itching to go on more than just a short walk in the neighborhood!

This year's seder table was all about using things we had on hand as there was no shopping for the prettiest little this or that, and it turned out to be just as lovely as ever, let's take a look!

DIY Cactus Balloons For Shavuos Or Anytime!

Summer is almost here which means warm weather, longer days and extra family time. Summer also brings many celebrations, such as the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and or course weddings and birthdays. If you’re looking for a unique theme for your summer celebration, try using cacti as a motif! The holiday of Shavuot is celebrated by decorating our homes and synagogues with greenery and flowers, so I say flowering cacti are perfect!  Cacti are cute, and very easy to incorporate into a party—they can be used as decor, party favors and even included in food or drinks (like a prickly pear lemonade). The most commonly found cactus in Israel is the prickly pear, called the sabras, and in fact Israelis are called Sabras because they are prickly on the outside but sweet on the inside just like the fruit! You can find pretty prickly pear cacti with their bright yellow blooms and red fruit all over Israel, often growing in large groves alongside the highway!

So to connect to Israel, maybe even for the Jewish holiday of Shavuos, or to add an extra touch to your party decor, try making these adorable DIY cactus balloons using this tutorial by ProFlowers. You can create unique cacti formations and create your own cacti balloon photo backdrop or use them to decorate a food or present display table. They’re also really simple to create so the kids can help out with some of the steps.  Speaking of kids, this would also be a cute birthday party activity with a cactus balloon party favor to take home! Okay, lets get started!

Cardboard Fish Centerpiece For Purim, Or Just For Fun!

The cardboard fish centerpieces I made for our community Purim party were a hit, and now I get to use them to decorate our house for Purim, coming up quickly next week. I don't think I'll use all ten of them, then again, a school of fish swimming down my Purim table could be lots of fun, right? I'll get out the blue tablecloths and take it from there.....maybe I'll make some milk carton boats or use some plastic ones and do a whole ocean themed table.......I guess it all depends on how quickly the costumes go this year, and how many guests we'll be having. At this moment I'm so happy to have some new decorations and a theme to work with, and Purim  isn't for another nine days or so (next Wednesday night, with the festive meal happening on Thursday.) And so for once the holiday may just come in without having to loose any sleep, yippee! Want to make some quick cardboard fish centerpieces? Lets get started......

Golden Doves Henna Party Centerpiece

First of all, it is now the month of Adar, a month increased joy and happiness, and some sillyness to boot, so you don't need the excuse of a neighbor's henna party to make some fun Moroccan doves like these! Did you know that doves mate for life, and they also share the duties taking care of the young ones? I know this since I've had many doves nesting on my window sills over the years! So it is no accident that a pair of doves is often used as wedding symbolism. I happened to have large number of white doves that I used as centerpieces for a different kind of occassion, but thought I'd upcycle some of them to use as centerpieces at the henna party we threw for my neighbors daughter as a part of their engagement party. Maybe painting the doves gold would have been enough, but I just had to add some Moroccan touches, little Moroccan hats for the male doves, and a crown of sorts and jewelry for the female doves. Maybe a little too cute for a super elegant occassion, but this was Israeli budget style with disposable tablecloths and dishes, so cute works just fine!

Simple Moroccan Theme Centerpieces For A Jewish Henna Party

A Jewish Henna party? Yes indeed dear readers, Jews from places like North Africa/Morocco, Yemen, and even Iran do have the tradition of a henna ceremony sometime before the wedding. The main difference between the Jewish henna ceremony and the henna ceremonies I've seen from India is that the Jewish ceremony does not involve drawing designs, rather a large round mark is made on the hand with the henna, and there are even little round badges with ribbons that are used to tie the henna to the palm as it must be held in place for a while in order to leave a mark. The three hebrew letters that spell henna are chet, nun and hay, and those are the first letters in the words that spell the three mitzvot that are exclusive to women. These three mitzvot are Challah, Niddah and Haladkat Neros, meaning taking the challah portion (with a blessing), observing family purity, and lighting shabbat candles.

My neighbor's daughter got engaged last week, so I was recruited to help with decorations for the Henna portion of the evening.......needless to say I had everything on hand and everyone was thrilled with my efforts, which I'll be sharing with you here, well a few photos in any case. Before I realized that I needed a largish centerpiece as the tables at the hall are huge, I came up with the idea for this sweet centerpiece, and truthfully you can take this idea and use it for any theme you like. Let's get started shall we?

Giant Origami Apples Are Perfect For Any Party

A few weeks ago, just after the holiday of Tu B'Shevat I needed to make some simple centerpieces for a community women's party, and I decided to try my hand at making a giant version of my origami apples and fruit. Fortunately the results were fantastic, especially with the addition of some gold leaves, and the same centerpieces were re-used a few days later at a shabbos Brit, which is perfect. Now, if your gears are turning, great, just know that there is a size limit to these origami fruit, namely the width of your paper, and once they get large folding the paper isn't difficult, but expanding the shape can be. So make some origami fruit in a bunch of sizes and colors (I did, actually, as you can guess) and enjoy. They won't last forever, and I believe a few of mine succumbed to having drinks spilled on them, but that is fine, after all sometimes it is great when you don't have to save everything! Ah yes, and it is true, these lavender versions may look more like plums, but that is great too, the more fruit the better. Okay, lets start making some giant origami fruit, perfect for Purim, shabbat, a baby shower, a wedding, a teacher appreciation gift, or just because.

DIY Fairy Lights Holiday Centerpiece

This post is sponsored by DHgate.com

Looking for a simple yet festive centerpiece this holiday season? Look no further, this DIY for copper wire fairy lights is so simple, you've got this! I actually made this plant in a house (it's a green house!) centerpiece for my son's bar mitzvah, and made about 20 of them in no time......the biggest time investment was trying to get all those metal frame houses back home. For the bar mitzvah I bought a bunch of flowering plants and placed them in white ceramic pots that I had on hand from the last bar mitzvah, and the results were gorgeous. Whether or not you can actually get your hands on a house frame like this one (mine was from the local discount store) the most important element here for your holiday centerpiece is the mini-LED fairy lights with copper wire. Some versions of this mini-LED string light are also water proof, meaning you can fill a mason jar or vase with water, attach the battery to the inside lid of the jar, and oh the possibilities! With or without water, wrap these tiny lights around just about anything, or simply place them in a bowl of fruit, and voila, your holiday centerpiece is ready to go. And just by the way, these lights are now available as solar powered mason jar lids which is perfect for an outdoor holiday DIY for mason jar lights project!

Ready to get started with this simple DIY holiday centerpiece using copper wire fairy lights? Let's do it!