Jewish Crafts

For every Jewish holiday there are loads of crafts we can make with our kids or even on our own as adults.  It is fun to have our personalized items to use and our friend, Sarah Dahan, from CreativeJewishMom.com always has a amazing ideas.  Look through your collection and see what might be missing or which item has seen a better year.  You will find links to all of these crafts at the bottom of this page.  And don’t miss our Makot Matching Game.

Maybe it is time to make a gorgeous Bejeweled Wine Glass for Eilayu you can even dress up your regular wine glasses this way.

The best craft my kids ever came home with was the Decorated Pillow Case for Dad.  It is perfect to keep our pillows clean and really livens up the table. The kids feel so special when they see it at the table.

I am really into having frogs at the seder, the ones I make are edible (stay tuned for those next week), but these are a perfect non edible choice.

Finally, no seder is complete without the Afikomen, so why not make a fun decorative No Sew Felt Bag, it is so easy older kids can do it themselves.

Bejeweled Cup of Eliyahu

Decorated Pillow Case

Bottle Cap and Plastic Lid Frogs

No Sew Felt Afikomen Bag

Dear Joy of Kosher readers,

On Passover, we strive to whip up the perfect hametz-free gourmet menu which a huge feat right after we survive meticulously scrubbing of every inch of our homes. With just a little bit of planning and imagination, we can save some energy to create our own unique Passover seder tablescapes which serves as an elegant backdrop for our delicious Passover meals.

I’ve learned SO much from all of the Jewish hostesses that share photos of their gorgeous party, holiday and Shabbat tables on my site, The Jewish Hostess, throughout the year. Each table setting is a fantastic reflection of each Jewish woman’s flair, imagination, and creativity. As we are all unique in our personality, and inspirations, I am proud to share with you eight of the fabulous seder table that were featured on The Jewish Hostess from Passover, 2011.

Enjoy and be inspired! Remember that the secret to a fabulous table is to LAYER, LAYER,and LAYER. Start with a simple cloth and keep on going! Chargers, linen napkins, dishes, and napkin rings don’t have to cost a fortune to be elegant. The extra splashes of color and texture always add the WOW factor to any table.

Begin planning and decide- do I want my seder table to be fun? elegant? colorful? Let your imagination run free and watch your guests faces light up as they enter the room!

Scroll down to pick and choose your favorite details, and plan your own special holiday table. I would love to see your table creations!

If you’d like to be featured on The Jewish Hostess, send your table setting pics to myphotos@thejewishhostess.com. Wishing all of my Jewish Hostesses a happy, easy, and healthy holiday!

Marlene Mamiye

1- A Passover Seder that Could Split the Sea- A DIY Seder table designed by two sisters Alexis and Sarah Mizrahi. They actually bought the fabric for the table runner in a turquoise color to represent the sea. They re-printed family hagadahs and covered them with leather, tassels and ribbon. Napkin rings were made out of turquoise fabric.

2- Claudia’s Personalized Seder Place Setting- Claudia bought inexpensive picture frames to make each guest feel at home. An orchid and decorative edible quail egg decorated each plate.

3- Marilyn H. used two long cloths-white with buttercup yellow, Matouk linens napkins and place mats. Her elegant home was the backdrop for this gorgeous seder.

4- April’s Down to Earth Cozy Seder- I love April’s authentic theme!

5- Sarah’s Seder table looks like a million, but most of her table accessories were purchased at Home Goods and Amazing Savings.

6- Claudia’s Bento Box individual seder plates- Inexpensive bento boxes give the guests a good smile, and make them feel right at home.

7- Bold Blood Red Color Infused Seder by Kim D.- Succulent red roses, napkins and plates, inspire our holiday theme to remind us of “Makat Dam”- the plague of blood filling the Nile River as a punishment to king Pharoh of Egypt for not allowing the Jewish slaves to leave Egypt in freedom. I love her place cards.

8- Victoria’s Smoke, Frog, Aseret Makot themed Seder table-

9- Last but not least- make your own modern seder plate creation- find out how Susan M. did it HERE.

For more Passover, Shabbat, and party table setting inspiration, check out The Jewish Hostess!

The plagues with which the Egyptians were punished because they would not allow the Jews to leave Egypt are called the makot.  This fun matching game will help children remember the names of the plagues as well as what happened to the Egyptians during that time.  This game is quick and easy to make as well as to play. Laminating the cards will make them more durable; this can be done at a local copy shop.

Makot Matching Game

Materials:

■ 3 (8½”x11″) sheets white cardstock or thick paper
■ 3 (12″x12″) sheets colored cardstock or scrapbook paper
■ scissors
■ markers
■ glue stick

How to do it:

1. Fold one sheet of white paper in half. Then fold the paper in half and then in half again. Unfold the paper. The folds will have divided the paper into 8 equal rectangles.
2. Repeat step one with the other two papers. Cut out the rectangles; you will only need 20, so there will be four extra.
3. Draw a picture of a different makah on ten of the rectangles or download a clip art picture from your computer and glue to rectangles.
4. Write or print the Hebrew and English names of each makah on the other ten rectangles.
5. Fold the 12″x12″ papers in the same manner that you did the white paper. Cut out the colored rectangles.
6. Center each white rectangle on each colored rectangle and glue into place, centering the white rectangles so that a colored border is visible.

Optional: Have the cards laminated at a copy shop or office center.  Punch a hole in the top right corner of each card and place on a metal ring for storage.
Note: The makot cards pictured here were made using color copies of illustrations in the ArtScroll Children’s Haggadah; used with permission.

Estimated time: 45 minutes

Hi Everyone! I’m so excited for purim! It is my favorite holiday. I remember as a kid rushing around with my mom to get all the fun items for our family mishloach manot. My mom always came up with a poem, theme, or found a cute container. All these years later I’m still doing the same thing.

Every year I try to figure out what my kids will be interested in. Over the years we’ve done Pinkalicious, Dr. Seuss, dogs, and the list goes on and on. This year my kids decided they wanted to be Jake and the Never Land Pirates. I figured that would be easy. Get them all pirate costumes and we’ll do some sort of treasure hunt. As I started to plan I decided to take it one step further. The Usdan Family became the Shushan Pirates!

We’ve had so much planning and decorating. The kids helped me design a treasure map and goblets and find all the items for our treasure box, while I’ve been doing all the behind the scenes. Purim day we will drop off the treasure maps in their bottles to all our friends and they will use it to come to our house to pick up their treasure. I filled the treasure box with lots of gold coins and gold bars and of course triangle shaped Hamantashen.

Over the past two weeks I started to envision my seudah table. I wanted it to be a little more glam than kid like. I decided to look for items around my house that reminded me of pirates. I started with candles and wine bottles. Every night  I’ve been melting candles over my wine bottles to see how they would look. I also designed custom labels for my bottles so they would be in the spirit of purim. A little secret, all you need is some elmer’s glue, water, and a paint brush to stick the labels on! I even saved my jelly jars! I  just put in a votive candle and tied rope around the jar  to give my table a rustic feel. Finally, I went to a few of my favorite stores Michaels, Target, and Home Goods to give my table texture and dimension with jems and nametags.

Here are a few tips for your Purim party:

1. Always come up with an idea your kids can help with! They love it  and you’ll love it. They really look at things with a different eye.
2. Try to start with stuff you have. This time I started with my Shabbos white modern table cloths, but bought runners and turned them horizontal for a different feel and texture to my table. Make sure when you do purchase something you’ll use it again.
3.Inspiration boards. Cut out pictures from magazines, pull images from online, or make a pinterest board to help you create a clear idea of what you want your table to look like in your mind.
4. Sketch. I know not everyone is an artist, but it helps if you get it down on paper. It can be as simple as  boxes on a paper that say center piece here, candles here, etc  When I work I’m very abstract, but I do try to get something down so I have a direction. As you can see from this table my center piece were very organic. Don’t be scared of using different materials.
5. Have FUN. I know we’re all busy, but if a table is too big of a project  take on small DIY projects. It’ll start to get easier.
Next year you try to make your own center pieces from things around home! I’m sure they’ll come out great.

When I design my placemats I always make a front with a fun design and space to put their name and a back that they can draw on with washable markers.

Print out these designs, fill in your child’s name and have them laminated.  Now you have a decoration that doubles as an activity for your kids.

Here are three placemats to choose from:

Blue and Orange Design – Front

Blue and Orange Design – Back

Orange Squigles – Front

Orange – Back

Blue Design – Front

Blue Design – Back

With Chanukah just around the corner, now is the time to pull out some quick and crafty decorating ideas to get your home ready for the holiday! Not to worry, I’ve got a few ideas that will get you started in no time, and your house will look more festive that ever without too much effort. Sounds great, right?

While I love to knit and crochet, I also happen to think that yarn is great for crafting. I picked up a ball of pom pom yarn recently, and realized that it makes instant pom pom garlands! So I draped my dining room chandelier, and now it’s ready for just a few well placed ornaments. Yippee!

And then I tried wrapping the yarn around some glass vases, inserted some shot glasses filled with candles, and voila, a gorgeous centerpiece for Chanukah was born! And you could re-use them for the next bris, how about that?

I was thinking of making napkin rings somehow with the yarn, and then I remembered the little casual table setting trick that’s in style at the moment, so I tied some yarn around a setting of silverware, cute as can be! Simple right? And of course I’ll also be using pom pom yarn to hang the decorations my kids make and for any other crafty garlands that we come up with between now and Chanukah. Can’t wait!

If you don’t have any pom pom yarn on hand and would rather use up what you do have, rest assured, there are many great projects to make with any kind of yarn that may or may not take just a bit more effort but will also be wonderful additions to your holiday home. Here’s just a few ideas from my blog creativejewishmom.com to get you started:

Wrap glass vases in two colors of regular yarn, in this case light blue and dark blue, for a stunning and contemporary centerpiece, tutorial here.

Go green and make yarn wrapped napkin rings from recycled plastic bottles, and yarn wrapped luminaries from recycled cans for your holiday table.

Yarn snowflakes look great all winter, as do pom pom bouquets, which you’ll use over and over, believe me!

That’s all for now, have a wonderfully creative Chanukah, and the good news is, that it’s eight whole days long, which makes your crafting efforts really worth it! And do stop by my site creativejewishmom.com for lots more Chanukah craft ideas, and ways to fill your life with creativity all year long. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Let me know what you end up making in the comments below and share your photos on Facebook.

Rosh HaShana is just around the corner and I’m so happy to be here on Joy of Kosher! Now of course, you came here looking for recipes for the upcoming holidays, which is certainly a great start, however in my biased humble opinion, no holiday table or home is complete without some holiday specific decorating! And now you’re thinking “well of course she thinks that, she’s the crafting queen!” But let me tell you, you don’t have to be an expert crafter to make crafts or introduce creativity to your family— I’m here to help you!

And most importantly of all, I can tell you from personal experience, that when I sit down both with and without my kids to make craft projects for upcoming holidays, our enjoyment of the holidays themselves are so much more meaningful. Anticipation and preparation are key, and craft projects not only add joy to our timeless traditions, but help make lasting memories for children and adults alike. So do give it your all and prepare some amazing meals for your family and friends, but this year set aside just a bit of time to complement your delicious cooking with some touches of creativity that will make your holidays extra special.

This year I decided to come up with a mini-series of simple craft projects using a few basic supplies, especially suited to those who haven’t done much crafting recently. These projects are a great way to get your feet wet, so to speak, and you can customize them so that they’ll be just right for your home.

Place a golden leaved apple at every place setting or use them to make a gorgeous rustic centerpiece on a cake stand or in a beautiful bowl. You can make these apples in just minutes, following the simple instructions here.

This simple golden apple garland will add a festive touch to your home, whether you string just a few apples on each string and use them as chair back garlands, or make longer strands to hang in doorways or just about anywhere. And after you’ve enjoyed your garland a bit in your home, you can certainly use it in your succah as well. You’ll find the complete instructions here.

And while you’re cutting out those golden apples, how about making some larger ones to use as fun decorations or to give as Rosh HaShana cards? This is of course the perfect project to do together with toddlers who may enjoy lacing the hemp string through the holes of the apple. You’ll find the complete instructions here.

Creative napkin rings are a great way to add a festive touch to your holiday table, and these can be made by all ages. I love the contrast of using hemp chord on an elegant white holiday table, but you may prefer using thin ribbon and crystal beads, which would also be quite lovely. You can find the complete instructions for these golden pomegranate napkin ties here.

That’s all for now, I hope you’ve enjoyed this mini craft series! For many more Jewish Holiday craft projects and lots of creative inspiration, please do visit me at creativejewishmom.com. It really can be your one stop crafting site and I’m always there on the other line happy to answer questions or help you come up with the perfect project for any occasion. Wishing you and yours a shanah tovah and a gamar chatimah tovah!

What can you give the woman who has it all for Mother’s Day?  Hair accessories?  A cookbook?  Perfume?  Nah. Better opt for something she can’t get herself (or return): kid-friendly craft projects made with love!

Mother’s Day, time to get out your crafting scissors and paint brushes. Or, just call in the troops with their school supply boxes and unbridled creativity because we’ve put together three crafts kids can make to surprise mom on her special day.

Whether you present her with a plant in a uniquely painted pot, an everlasting bouquet of family photos, or breakfast in bed on a decoupage tray, she will love the effort you put into to finding the perfect gift.

Kids will love this opportunity to draw, paint, cut, glue.  Just make sure they wear smocks!

One-of-a-Kind Terracotta Planter

As the seasons change, mom can showcase new flora in this lovely, hand-painted planter.

Materials:

Terracotta flower pot and plate
Acrylic or patio paints
1- or 2- inch wide foam brush
Cosmetic foam wedges or cotton balls
Ribbon and additional trim such as buttons, sea shells, craft jewels, optional
Glue gun and glue sticks
Dirt and a seasonal plant

Directions:

1. Place the pot on a clean surface in front of you.  Using the foam brush, paint the flower pot in a single color.  Allow to dry.
2. When dry, dip the foam wedges or cotton balls in a contrasting color of paint and sponge-paint designs all around the flower pot.
3. To personalize the gift even more, hot glue decorative ribbon in a contrasting color on the wide rim of the flower pot.  Or, decorate the rim by gluing a collage of sea shells, buttons or craft jewels.
4. Once dry, complete the gift by filling the pot with dirt and a beautiful plant.

Decoupage Breakfast Tray

Make sure to serve mom’s favorite breakfast on this tray which doubles as a gift she can use to store her personal items.  This idea is from Rivky Koenig, who wrote “Crafting Jewish” (Artscroll, 2008).

Materials:

Sandpaper
Unfinished wooden tray, any size
Papers Towels
1/2 inch- and 1 1/2 inch- wide paint brushes
Cream and beige colored acrylic paints (or colors of your choice)
Paper napkins with fruit or floral images
Scissors
Decoupage medium such as Mod Podge or watered down craft glue
Black or green felt, optional
Craft glue, optional

Directions:

1. Use the sandpaper to sand down any rough edges on the tray.  Wipe off wood dust with a damp paper towel.
2. Using the 1 1/2-inch paintbrush, paint the entire tray with the cream paint.  Allow to dry.
3. Take a dry 1/2-inch paintbrush and dab the bristles lightly in the beige paint.  Brush the paint off against a paper towel to remove as much paint as possible.  Lightly stroke the paint on the tray to give it an antiqued look.  Let dry.
4. While the tray is drying, cut out the fruit or floral shapes from the napkins.
5. Using a clean 1 1/2-inch paintbrush, coat the inside of a dry tray with Mod Podge or watered down glue.  Place the fruit shapes on the Mod Podge-covered surface.  Smooth the shapes down carefully with your fingers.  The shapes may get a little wrinkly.  Continue to smooth it.  Allow to dry.
6. Brush another coat of Mod Podge on the entire surface of the tray, covering the cut-out shapes completely.  Coat the raised sides of the tray, inside and out, as well.  Allow to dry.
7. Optional: Cut a piece of felt the size of the underside of the tray.  Use craft glue to glue the felt to the underside of the tray.
8. When mom wakes up on her special day, present the tray laden with breakfast items.

Bouquet of Family Photos

This evergreen bouquet is a wonderful way for mom to have a thoughtful memento from the people who love her.  Not watering required!

Materials:

Scrapbooking, wrapping or construction paper or cardstock
Glue stick
Family photos
Glitter glue, optional
Tape or a glue gun and glue sticks
Green pipe cleaners, one for each flower

Directions:

1. Cut out a simple-shaped flower (like a daisy) from a piece of paper or cardstock in two sizes, one slightly larger than the other.  These will be your flower stencils.  Trace the flowers on various pieces of paper so you have an assortment of colors.  Cut them out.
2. To make the center of the flowers, cut the photos into circles.  Each center should be a picture of a different person in the family.
3. Glue a photo circle in the center of each of the smaller flowers.
4. To matte the flower, glue the smaller flower on one of the larger flowers in a matching color.
5. Use the glitter glue to outline the border of the smaller flower, optional.
6. Tape or hot glue a pipe cleaner to the back of each flower.  Tie a ribbon around the stems to make a handheld bouquet.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Shop for fabulous Mother’s Day kosher gift baskets on Kosher.com

Originally posted May 4, 2010.

Go South of the Border for your Purim Seudah!  It falls on a Sunday, so no excuses!  CreativeJewishMom collaborates with Jamie Geller to help you create the perfect Mexican Fiesta Seudah with everything from the colorful vase to the poblanos. Ole!

It all starts with the right tablecloth, in this case, a Mexican blanket. and some bright crepe paper flowers. If you can’t find a Mexican blanket, any colorful (preferably woven) table cloth can certainly work.  Bring out all the colorful dishes you own, paint some whimsical styrofoam fruit, and make some napkin rings from plastic bottles and a recycled bleach bottle to match. Just look how great this table looks! If you don’t have any colorful glasses, or would like to add some to your table, it is super easy and a great project for the kids.

Decorating the table is a snap!  Remember to pile on the layers— stacks of colorful dishes, single crepe paper flowers strewn here and there, and extra fruit to make the table look it’s best!  You can use those individual fruits as place markers if you like… simply attach a little flag (with your guest’s name) with a piece of twine or yarn.

To complete the look in your home, hang some Mexican sombreros (now available for Purim at costume stores), some crepe paper streamers, and papel picado (Mexican tissue paper banners) if you can find it, or make some yourself! And of course, don’t forget the candy-filled Pinata, a perfect finale for your fiesta!

To make the Recycled Beach Bottle Vase:

You’ll Need:

• an empty bleach container, or really any large plastic bottle (like fabric softener or other household cleaning fluids); it doesn’t have to be round
• a fun combo of yarn in a variety of thicknesses and colors
• a hot glue gun

How To:

1. Cut off the top of your bleach bottle with a large sharp knife, and then use a pair of sharp scissors to trim the bottom section so it’s an even height all around. (Make sure to wash out the bottle!)
2. Attach the first piece of yarn with a dab of hot glue at the end and start wrapping, adding very small dots of hot glue along the way. Change colors as desired, wrapping the whole height of the bottle.
3. That’s it! If you’d like to use this as a basket as opposed to a vase, you might want to finish the top edge with a strip of felt that’s glued to both the outside and the inside in order to hide the upper rim.
4. Have fun wrapping all the cans and bottles you can get your hands on, and create a stunning table grouping them in rows or other more creative designs.

For the meal:

Jamie Geller’s Quick & Kosher favorites: Corn Salad, Mexican Brisket, Stuffed Poblanos, Mexican Pasta, and finish with Banana Chocolate Parfait

Don’t forget the Mexican Mishloach Manot!  Lay a colorful napkin in a basket and fill with Salsa, Chips, Beans, Rice and Avocados.

To read more about the craft projects mentioned above, check out the links below:

• Crepe paper flowers
• Whimsical styrofoam fruit
• Napkin rings from plastic bottles
• Recycled bleach bottle vase
• Painted wine glasses

When Shavuot rolls around, most people think blintzes and cheesecake.  While Rivky Koenig, author of Crafting Jewish (Artscroll 2008), loves the holiday’s traditional dairy cuisine, too; flowers are the first thing that comes to her mind.

“Everything is so beautiful and fresh this time of year,” says Koenig, who recently launched a new line of Jewish craft supplies on craftingjewishstyle.com.  “Adding a floral touch to the holiday is an easy way to get creative for Shavuos.”

Instead of purchasing large floral arrangements, which can be expensive and impersonal, Koenig suggests buying simple flowers and arranging them in bud vases or in a cluster of tea cups.

“Or, you can buy a few stems of the same type of flower and color and arrange them in a square or rectangular vase,” says Koenig.  “To up the ante, tie a wide ribbon in a contrasting color around the vase so you can’t see the stems.  You’ll be amazed at the pop of color the ribbon adds.”

If you want to opt out of floral arrangements all together, Koenig suggests creating floral-inspired Shavuot crafts.  Floral decoupage plates, daisy napkin rings and adorable sunflower headbands are simple, fun and gorgeous projects the whole family will love.

Here’s how:

“This is one of my favorite crafts,” says Koenig.  “It involves a lot of different techniques—cuttings, gluing and painting—so the kids feel really good about themselves when they finish this project.”

Materials

Paper napkin with a floral motif
1 smooth glass plate
Scissors
Mod Podge or craft glue diluted with water
Disposable plastic bowl
2 (1- or 2- inch wide) foam brushes
While acrylic paint
Gold acrylic paint
Gold paint marker, optional

Directions

1. Open the floral napkin and place it under the plate so that an overall design will be on the back of the plate.  Decide which part of the design you want to affix to the plate.  Cut out that section of the napkin, making sure that it is the size of the plate or slightly larger.
2. Take the napkin off the plate and turn the plate over.
3. Pour a small amount of Mod Podge or diluted glue into the plastic bowl.  Dip the foam brush into the Mod Podge and smear a thin coat of it onto the back of the entire plate.  Carefully center the napkin, face down, on the Mod Podge-covered surface and smooth out any air bubbles.
4. Use a foam brush to spread another thin coat of Mod Podge to cover the back of the entire napkin.  It is okay if the back of the napkin wrinkles slightly; just smooth the ripped part together.  Let dry for at least an hour.
5. Once dry, use your scissors to trim off any pieces of hardened napkin that extend over the edge of the plate.
6. Then, use a foam brush to coat the back of the plate with white acrylic paint.  Allow to dry completely.  Paint over the white paint with a coat of gold paint.  Allow to dry completely.
7. If desired, finish the plate by using a gold thin marker to draw a thin line around the top edge of the plate.

Tissue Paper Flowers

Whether you hang these gorgeous crepe paper flowers from a chandelier, affix them the back of dining room chairs, or twist them around napkins, you’ll be amazed at the simplicity of this one-of-a-kind craft.

Materials

Tissue paper in desired colors (eight sheets per flower)
Floral wire
Scissors
String

Directions

1. Stack eight 20×30-inch sheets of tissue paper.  Make 1 1/2-inch wide accordion folds, creasing with each fold, until the entire paper is folded.
2. Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over the center of the folded tissue; twist, so that the wire holds the folded paper in place.  With scissors, trim the ends of the tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.
3. Separate the layers, pulling the paper away from the center, one fold at a time.
4. Attach string to the wire and hang the paper flower from a chandelier or affix to the back of a dining room chair.  If using as a napkin ring, bend the wire into a loop to fit around a napkin.

Photo Credit: Photo from Flickr – dklimke

This craft is a perfect way to enhance your holiday’s tablescape.  Reuse the napkin rings throughout the summer.

Materials

Silk gerbera daisies
Glue gun and glue sticks
Scissors
Wide ribbon

Directions

1. Cut the flower end off of the stem of the silk flowers.
2. Hot glue the daisy head in the center of a side piece of ribbon.
3. Decoratively tie the ribbon around a cloth napkin.

“Who says flowers only belong in gardens and vases?” says Koenig.  “These crafts show you that flowers are perfect just about anywhere.”

Materials

Ribbon scraps
Glue gun and glue sticks
French clip barrette or pony tail holders
Silk flowers
Scissors

Directions

1. Use the glue gun and glue sticks to glue a piece of ribbon to the top of the barrette, tucking the ends under and gluing them down.
2. Separate the flowers from the stem.  Use your scissors to trim off as much of the underside of flower as you can.
3. Hot glue one or more flowers to the barrette.  Press down on the flowers to secure.  Allow to dry.

To make a flower pony holder:

1. Separate one large flat flower (such as a sunflower, peony or daisy) from its stem.  With the scissors, trim any remaining stem from the back of the flower.
2. Use the glue gun and glue sticks to glue the back of the flower to the pony tail holder.
3. Cut a small piece of ribbon and hot glue it over the back of the flower where it is attached to the ponytail holder.  Part of the ponytail holder should be sandwiched between the flower and the ribbon.  The ribbon should not be visible from the flower side of the ponytail holder. Press down to secure the ribbon to the flower.  Allow to dry.

Happy Shavuot!

After all that cleaning and cooking, why leave your seder table looking  drab? Easy-to-make fresh fruit topiaries are perfect centerpieces.

Topiaries are multi-dimensional “mini trees” fashioned from flowers, fruits and greenery. These gorgeous centerpieces herald spring in all its beauty while adding a unique touch of elegance to the Passover seder.

Topiary, the art of ornamental gardening, dates back to the 18th century. Often found in colonial and Victorian decor, it is easy to re-create with Styrofoam, real or dried greenery, fruit and flowers. Lemons, limes, oranges, apples and pomegranates work especially well, although use whatever you feel will look best on your table.

As the holiday progresses, keep your topiary alive by exchanging the fruit for flowers and other decorative touches.

Materials:

A large decorative vase with a round opening
2 floral moss blocks or Styrofoam balls, spray painted green
1 2-foot thin round wooden pole, spray painted green
Willow vine sprays
Spanish moss in the color of your choice
Box of U-pins
10-20 green hydrangeas, depending on the topiary’s size
Green floral wire
Green floral tape
Various pieces of fruit, such as 20 lemons or limes, 10 oranges or apples, and smaller accenting fruit and nuts such as purple grapes, cranberries, strawberries, chestnuts;
12 inch wooded sticks, such as shish kabob skewers
Box of toothpicks

How To:

1. Choose your decorative vase in proportion to the size of the floral moss blocks or Styrofoam balls. Cut the moss block or Styrofoam to fit the inside of the pot. If needed, tape it in.
2. Choose your wooden pole so that the height of the “tree” will be 2-1/2 times the height of the pot. Insert the stick into the foam in the pot to make a hole for the “trunk,” and remove the stick.
3. Tuck Spanish moss into the pot to cover the moss block or Styrofoam, and fasten it down with U-pins. Stick some of the hydrangea on the moss to add color and texture to the base of the “tree.”
4. Insert the stick in the original hole in the now-covered moss block or Styrofoam. Glue, if necessary. Place the second moss block or Styrofoam on top of the stick to make a hole and then remove.
5. Working in concentric circles from the top of the moss block or Styrofoam, attach pieces of willow vine sprays, using floral wire to secure the vine sprays in place.
6. After half the foam is covered with greenery, attach the foam on top of the stick and completely cover the rest of the ball. Stick in hydrangeas to enhance the topiary ball shape. Embellish the stick with vine sprays, moss, and using floral wire, secure the remaining hydrangea, if desired
7. Bring the topiary comes to life by adding the fruit. Cut all but four or five of the fruits in half and attach the whole and uncut fruit to wooden skewers. Arrange the cut fruits, cut side down, around the upper portion of the topiary by carefully pushing each stick into the moss. Place the uncut fruit around the perimeter of the base of the topiary by carefully pushing the sticks into the moss.
8. Attach the accenting fruit to toothpicks (strawberries work well with lemons, purple grapes with green apples, blue berries with limes) and arrange them all over the topiary by carefully pushing the toothpicks into the moss.

Note:

To increase the life of the fruit, choose slightly under ripe pieces and store the topiary in a dry place, as moisture will cause the fruit to decay faster. The fruit should stay fresh for 4-5 days, depending on the type (oranges will last longer than berries) and the quality at the time of purchase. When the fruit needs to be changed, gently twist the U-pins free and pull out the fruit. Replace with new fruit or change the look by adding flowers. The willow vine sprays do not need to be changed, as they will dry in place.

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Purim is Rivky Koenig’s favorite time of year. When this scrapbooking specialist, who recently launched a new line of Jewish-inspired scrapbooking supplies, wrote her first book, Crafting Jewish, Purim was the hardest chapter to write.

“We came up with so many crafts for Purim that it was difficult to pick and choose which crafts to include,” says Koenig, of her book. “Purim gives people a wonderful opportunity to express their creativity. Every year I get inspired by seeing what my friends and neighbors do.”

From costumes to mishloach manot to the grand Purim feast, every aspect of this holiday is fun, spirited and child-centered. Koenig likes to get her kids involved as much as possible.

The Costumes and Mishloach Manot

“For costumes, use things you have around the house,” she says. “This year my kids want to be cowboys so we are going to take plaid shirts and khaki pants or jeans. They’ll wear bandanas and I’ll get them some ropes to use as mini lassos.”

For mishloach manot, Koenig also suggests reusing item from around the house. Why buy something new when you can use stuff you don’t need anymore?” Koenig asks. She recommends saving containers or jars from bread crumbs, baby formula, oatmeal, or nuts, and then covering them with scrapbooking paper. “For a lid, you can decorate the plastic cover with coordinating paper,” says Koenig. “Or, poke holes on two opposite sides of the container and weave a ribbon through it to create a handle.” Koenig also likes to wrap the container in tissue paper or cellophane and cinch it at the top with a rubber band and tie it with a bow.

To show off homemade condiments, Koenig packages them in reusable glass jars she saves from pasta sauce. She spray paints the lids to create an original look.

“If you aren’t so creative, don’t worry about having to choose a theme,” says Koenig. “You can tie everything together by picking a color or a flavor, and use that to bring together your shalach manos.”

Here are some projects to get you started.

For Mishloach Manot

Mishloach Manot in Hamantashen Containers

Materials:

• Dinner plate
• 1 large sheet of brown craft foam
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Purple tissue paper or cellophane paper

1. Place the plate on the craft foam. Trace a circle around the plate.
2. Cut out the circle of craft foam.
3. To make the hamantashen’s triangular shape, lift up two sides of the circle and staple together on top, where the two sides meet. Life up the remaining side and staple to each of the other sides. Fill with Purim goodies.
4. Cut out a square of tissue paper or cellophane slightly larger than the hamantashen’s opening. Stuff the paper into the opening to cover the food.

Cute Mishloach Manot Caddy

Materials:

• Clean round container (such as from breadcrumbs, nuts, or baby formula)
• Craft glue
• Colored jumbo or regular craft sticks
• Ribbon
• Decorative edge scissors or regular scissors

1. Spread glue around the top and bottom outer edge of the container.
2. Glue the craft sticks around the entire container. Let dry.
3. Tie a ribbon around the center of the container and trim the ends with decorative edge scissors.

For Costumes

Cool Cape

“I love this project because it’s so simple.  You can literally make this cape in ten minutes and it looks gorgeous,” says Koenig. “Take a large square of fabric, cut slits in it, and thread ribbon through it. Then, have the kids decorate it with rickrack, ribbon, glitter.”

Materials:

• 36×36-inch piece of felt (sold in packages at most craft stores)
• Tape measure
• Straight pins
• Sharp scissors
• 48-inch length of 1-2-inch-wide ribbon
• 4 yards 1-inch-wide rickrack or 2-4 yards marabou or fake fur trim
• Fabric glue, or glue gun and glue sticks

1. Place the felt onto a flat surface. On one side of the felt square, measure and fold over a 5x 36-inch section. Pin the folded section to the remaining felt with straight pins, to hold in place.
2. Use the sharp scissors to cut 1-inch slits into the folded felt: cut 20 slits spaced approximately 2 inches apart.
3. Remove the pins and unfold the felt. There will be 2-inch slits. Weave the ribbon through the slits. The part that folds over will form the collar of the cape.
4. Cut a length of approximately 50-52 inches of rickrack or marabou to fit around the outer edge of the collar of the cape. Use fabric glue or glue gun and glue sticks to attach the rickrack to the edge of the collar. Fold the rickrack at a 45 degree angle when you reach a corner and continue gluing.
5. Turn the cape over and hot glue the rest of the rickrack around the edge of the cape, not including the collar area (When the cape is worn the collar will be facing down).

Note: To make the cape longer or shorter using the same size of felt, increase or decrease the length of the collar.

Shtreimel

“Why spend $25 on costume shtriemels (usually sold in a Judaica store) when it’s so easy to make one at home?” says Koenig. “This is such a simple costume. It’s very reasonable and original.”

Materials:

• 2 (12×15-inch) pieces brown fake fur
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Scissors
• 1 large black velvet kippah

1. Lay one piece of fake fur, fur side down, on a table. Fold one-third (4 inches) of the fur up toward the middle.
2. Apply hot glue to the unfolded section. Fold the unglued section onto the glued area. Press to form a flat tube shape.
3. Repeat with the second piece of fur. Glue the tubes together at one end. Measure the fur tube around the head and trim off extra fabric.
4. Glue the two ends together to form a circle. Place the kippa into the fur circle. Hot glue the edges of the kippa to the fur inside the circle.

Laurie Bellet, an art specialist at Oakland Hebrew Day School, loves when Tu Bishvat rolls around. Besides the dried fruits and nuts, she uses this opportunity to fuse crafting and nature.

“Tu Bishvat crafts are a wonderful ways to help kids to get in tune to God and the natural world,” says Bellet. “When you look at a tree, it’s so easy to form a simplistic mental image of it. But really, there are many individual elements to a tree, leaf or flower. It takes real focus to understand the different components.”

Through these Tu Bishvat-inspired crafts, which are suitable for all ages, Bellet expresses to the kids “the exquisite thought” that a leaf isn’t just, well, a leaf. Instead, it’s a complex design with a sacredness granted from something greater than “ourselves.”

In the spirit of the Yiddish phrase, “Every blade of grass has its own angel that whispers, ‘Grow,’” take out your crafting supplies as you celebrate the New Year of the Trees.

Tu Bishvat Floragraphs

“While you take a nature walk to collect items for the collage, appreciate the variety and intricacy of things that grow,” says Bellet, who has done this project with kids as young as 18 months.

Materials:

• Items from nature like leaves, flower petals, seeds, pieces of grass and twigs
• Contact paper
• Fine glitter powder
• Modge Podge, optional

Directions:

1. Place a piece of contact paper in front of you. Peel off the back of the contact paper so the sticky side faces upwards.
2. Place the nature items on the sticky side of the contact paper. Older children can create a picture or pattern with the items.
3. Sprinkle fine glitter powder to fill in the spaces in between the items.
4. Seal the picture by brushing a layer of modge podge on top of the collage.
5. When dry, turn the collage over, place in a picture frame or hang on a wall.

Potpourri Tree

“This project helps kids learn the structure of a tree,” says Bellet. “A tree’s form is made up of a series of ‘Y’ letters. Start with the big trunk and work your way outwards as the branches turn into blossoms.”

Materials:

• Construction or craft paper
• Markers, crayons or paints
• Glue
• Assorted pieces of broken twigs, cinnamon sticks and cloves
• Potpourri

Directions:

1. Paint or draw a nature scene. Using markers, crayons or paints, draw the outline of a tree.
2. Glue the twig pieces, cinnamon sticks and cloves to fill in the trunk and branches.
3. Glue the potpourri to create the leaves and blossoms.
4. On top of the picture, write a Jewish saying, like the phrase from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers), “My fathers planted for me and I will plant for my children.”

Nut and Seed Bird Feeders

“One of the wonderful things about this project is the simplicity,” says Bellet. “It’s easier than turning a milk carton into a bird feeder and it’s a lot more fun.” You can even freeze the bird feeders and take them out as needed.

Materials:

• Pine cone
• Plastic spoon
• Peanut butter
• Bird seed
• Hanging wire or dental floss

Directions:

1. Use a plastic spoon to help you cover the pine cone with peanut butter.
2. Place the bird seeds into a bowl. Roll the pine cone into the bird seeds.
3. Affix the hanging wire or the dental floss to the top of the pine cone and hand from a tree.

Leaf-Print Paper

“This is a great way to give kids the opportunity to study the intricacies of leaves.” says Bellet. “Besides the esthetic, which is lovely, students finish this project with an appreciation for the beauty of leaves.”

Materials:

• Leaves
• White construction paper
• Water colors and brushes
• Acrylic paint

Directions:

1. Place a leaf on a piece of white construction paper. Using water colors, brush around the edges of the leaf, to create an outline of it. Repeat all over the paper.
2. Paint the rib-side of the leaf with acrylic paint. In the same way you would use a stamp, press the leaf onto the water colored leaf outlines.
3. Once the picture is dry, embellish it by drawing or painting blessings or Jewish sayings.
4. There are many uses for the leaf print paper. Some ideas include: frame and hang, cut the paper into greeting cards, or laminate and use as placemats.

Chanukah is a perfect time of year for the family to bring out dreidels, gelt, and craft supplies.

“While everyday day is a great time for crafting, it’s extra-fun to get the family involved in arts and crafts around the holidays,” says Rivky Koenig, author of Crafting Jewish (Artscroll 2008).

In her book, Koenig features various projects that revolve around the Jewish calendar. While all holidays beget crafts, Koenig loves Chanukah projects because they can double as lovely homemade gifts.

“I like making fun, decorative crafts that have practical uses,” says Koenig. “Chanukah projects present a wonderful opportunity for kids to show off their creativity when family comes to visit.”

As long as you have basic art supplies and a lot of imagination, the sky’s the limit in terms of creative Chanukah projects the whole family can enjoy.

With everyone off from school and the holiday spirit in the air—not to mention the plummeting temperature—Chanukah is a great excuse to get cozy and get crafting.

Chanukah Crafts For Toddlers: Pasta Menorah

This easy craft utilizes materials normally found around the house. Spend time with your toddler making this pasta menorah, then enjoy a pasta dinner to round out the activity.

Materials:

• 10 rigatoni pasta tubes with openings large enough to fit a candle
• 1 lasagna noodle
• Paint
• Glitter
• Glue
• Aluminum foil
• Chanukah candles

1. Decorate the pasta with paint or glitter. Handle with care so they don’t break!
2. Place the lasagna noodle on your work surface. In a row, glue nine rigatoni noodles, pointing up, on the lasagna noodle. In order for the shamash to be taller than the rest, make it a double-decker by gluing a second rigatoni on top of the bottom one.
3. Use paint and glitter to decorate the menorah.
4. Wrap the bottom of each candle in a thin layer of foil so that a sliver of foil shows when inserted into the rigatoni. This way the pasta won’t burn and you can easily pull out a melted candle.

Chanukah Crafts For Grade Schoolers: Chanukah Tray

This craft, created by Koenig, will be treasured for many Chanukahs to come as it becomes a family heirloom. The tray is perfect to display holiday essentials like menorahs, candles, wicks and olive oil. It can also be used to serve latkes or doughnuts.

Materials:

• Large picture frame, with glass, 11 X 13 inches or larger
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scrapbook paper or wrapping paper
• Scissors
• Glue Stick
• Cut letters, stickers or other embellishments
• Glue
• 12 X 18 (or larger) piece of self-adhesive felt OR regular felt

1. Take apart the picture frame and separate the backing, glass and frame. Put the glass and frame aside in a safe place for later. (If the backing of the frame has an easel back, remove the easel leg.)
2. Measure a piece of scrapbook paper or wrapping paper to fit the backing of the frame. Trace the frame back onto the reverse side of the paper. Cut to fit (if you are using scrapbook paper, you may need more than one sheet to fit the back of the frame).
3. Use a glue stick to glue the paper onto the front of the backing (the side that will show through the glass).
4. Decorate the paper by gluing on lettering, pictures, stickers or other decorative embellishments of your choice.
5. Put the picture frame back together.
6. To ensure that the frame doesn’t scratch the furniture, cut a piece of felt to fit the back of the frame. Turn the frame over and glue the felt to the back of the frame. If you are using self-adhesive felt, peel the paper from the felt and stick felt to the back of the frame.

Chanukah Crafts For Tweens: Latke Servers

Serve your latkes with style with this gorgeous project, one of the most popular crafts from Rivky Koneig’s Crafting Jewish. This craft calls for E6000, which is a very strong glue used to adhere glass to glass, as well as to metals and other strong materials. It emits an odor, so make sure to use it in a well-ventilated area. Crafters Pick “The Ultimate Glue,” which has less of an odor, can also be used.

Materials:

• E6000 Adhesive* or Crafters Pick “The Ultimate Glue”
• Flat, colored glass marbles
• Inexpensive all-metal serving pieces, such as a slotted spoon, pancake server, or a large serving spoon
• Metal wire, 22-gauge
• Wire cutters or strong scissors

1. UE6000 or Crafters Pick “The Ultimate Glue” to glue 4-5 marbles to the handle of each serving piece, leaving a narrow space between each stone. Let dry.
2. Wrap the wire tightly approximately 6 times around the base of the handle, below the stone. Continue wrapping the wire in a pretty design around each stone, tightly looping the wire between them. Tightly loop the wire around the top stone. Use the write cutter to cut the wire. Tuck the cut end in under the wire loops.
3. Let glue set for 24 hours before using utensils.

Chanukah Crafts For All Ages: Homemade Gift Wrap

Wrap your Chanukah presents in custom-made gift wrap and attach a matching card. Devised by Koenig, this is a great group activity because everyone can do the project on his or her level while spending time together.

Dreidel-Stamped Gift Wrap and Card

Materials:

• Permanent marker
• 3 flat expandable sponges
• Dreidel-shaped cookie cutters, optional
• Scissors
• Bowl of water
• 1 roll of craft paper
• Acrylic or tempera paint
• Disposable plastic plates
• Blank cards and envelopes

1. Use the permanent marker to draw dreidel shapes on the sponges. Or, trace a dreidel shape from a cookie cutter onto the sponges. Use scissors to cut out the sponge shapes.
2. Roll out the amount of paper that you would like to stamp and cut to size.
3. Squeeze or pour paint onto the plastic plates—one color per plate.
4. Soak the sponges in water so that they expand. Then, wring out the sponges. Dip one flat side of a sponge into the paint, making sure to cover the entire surface with the paint.
5. Place the sponge, paint side down, on the paper. Apply pressure to the sponge but don’t rock it, then lift the sponge up gently.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with all the colors you are using, randomly stamping the surface of the paper. Allow the paper to dry.
7. Stamp dreidels on the front of the cards the same way you did on the wrapping paper. You can stamp the envelopes as well. Allow to dry.