creative jewish mom

Crocheted Star Fish Washcloth

2012-06-04T09:37:56+02:00

If you ask me, I'd say there's something really really luxurious about the idea of a hand crocheted washcloth, so a set of these simple star fish washcloths (with some shell shaped soaps?) would be a perfect gift this summer. You know, for those friends who have generously offered to host you at their beach house? I can dream can't I? And of course, do whip up some for yourself, I mean who can resist? I clearly couldn't when I saw the pattern from Lion Brand here. Note: I made my washcloth smaller than the pattern suggests by simply omiting the last few rows, so don't be shy to make the size that you prefer! And in fact if you'd rather make a dishcloth, so just add some rows, and if you just keep on going you could make a pillow or a baby blanket, or even a rug, how about that?

And while I don't generally love space dyed yarn, I do think it's fun in this case, And this little wash cloth was a great stash buster! I used one strand of space dyed cotton together with a strand of light blue, the two strands together equal something like worsted weight.

And for those of you readers who are starting to wonder if this blog is becoming a crocheting blog, well the only solution my friends is to learn to crochet! The perfect summer craft, I might add!

Oh, and I almost forgot, I made some other crocheted washcloths in the past that are also simple and beautiful, check out that crocheted washcloth project too!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

2012-06-02T19:30:00+02:00

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! Last week's party was just a bit smaller than usual, but still very much an international gathering, with contributors from Portugal, The Netherlands, Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Slovenia, Italy, Sweden, The United States, The UK, Australia, Jakarta (yippee, a new one!) Singapore, India and maybe more! And thanks to the talent out there, I had no problem coming up with some great features to share with you:

Love this coffee filter flower lantern from Aunt Peaches, and this fab DIY beaded chandelier from my simple obsession, check out the basic supplies it's made from!

Anne Marie is giving away this great crocheted key holder and love this little doll sized quilt from plum and june.

My friend Rosi Jo is back with this wonderful egg carton porcupine, and Haakensmaak shows us how to make a light in a jar!

Jewelry Making Journal has a great tutorial for making a monogram ring, and Putti Prancha shows us how to grow letters in our garden!

Pysselbolaget has a fun tutorial for making a oil cloth tic tac toe game in a pouch, a perfect summer craft!

And I just love this colorful granny square wall hanging that Alessandra from home made at my place was inspired to make from living in many exotic places, including Jakarta at the moment! Hanni Craft made this fun crocheted purse a perfect little summer project!

That's all for now, let's get the party started, summer is here and it's time to get crafting!

Container Gardening: The Joy Of Simple Flowers

2012-06-01T00:18:00+02:00

Summer is here and one of my favorite little things to do to welcome the season is to go out and buy a few little pots of colorful flowers to add some cheer to my container garden and outdoor seating area. Spend just a bit more and instead of buying little plants in flats, buy slightly bigger ones that you can enjoy right away, like those that I bought just before Shavous last week.

Now I should warn you, once you start adding pots of flowers to your life, you'll want to add more. But that's okay, because if something so simple and inexpensive brings you joy (as it does in my case) so then don't deny yourself, go for it! Just do remember that small pots do dry out quickly, so if you'll be going away do consider getting someone to water them for you, or at least move them into a shady area even if for only a day or two. Enjoy.

Moroccan Mosaic Tables and More

2012-05-31T07:30:00+02:00

Last week I found myself in Rosh Pina, which is just down the highway from my favorite Moroccan Bazaar, so I had to hop on over there for a little refresher course in Moroccan style. This time around I found myself attracted to clean and simple designs, as opposed to the painted Moroccan furniture I posted about previously here. I do love this Moroccan table top....gorgeous right?

The little table tops are wonderful too, but I now have my eye on those pots in the background.....

A Moroccan table top mosaic detail, love the blues......

A Moroccan leather pouf, 22o shekels, which means you could get it for less than say 200 shekels, which translates to fifty two dollars, just in case you were wondering.......I'm sure they're quite inexpensive in Morocco!

Ahhhh, white pottery with chrome details.

I'm loving this painted Moroccan pottery style.......

And I have my eye on these natural wood Moroccan stools, I think I'm gonna grab two next time, 50 shekels each (13 dollars) before bargaining......and by the way, this wouldn't be a real Moroccan store if the prices marked were really the prices, I mean who pays the full price in a place like this? Certainly not someone like me who knows better from previous purchasing experiences! And of course the element of mystery as to what the price really should be, makes the place seem all that much more like a real Moroccan souk! And since you asked, the store is in the industrial section of Chatzor HaGlilit. See ya there!

Crocheted Medallion Stash Buster Potholder

2012-05-30T11:12:58+02:00

Yesterday I made some fun crocheted medallion potholders and used up a bunch of little odds and ends from some Lion Brand cotton yarn I'd been saving. When trying to use up the odds and ends, one may end up trying out color combinations that you'd never normally think of, but that's part of the fun! And after all, these are potholders, not works of art, and maybe the less perfect they are the more likely they'll actually get used?

This pot holder in which I used up a tiny bit of dark brown is my favorite, but I do actually love them all and can't wait to make some more. I actually whipped these up to give as gifts at what we thought was going to be a pre-wedding family gathering at my sister in law's home, but when it turned out to be a glitzy affair in a hall, well, I left the potholders in the car for another time! That's what you get when you spend hours crocheting instead of tending to impending work assignments and piles of laundry, sigh. No regrets, I'm so happy to have this project to share with you, and now I have some gifts on hand, since these may never reach their initially intended recipients.

And I do think that a bunch of these hanging around somewhere could be great wall decor......stiffen them with some spray starch and hang! Or how about a fun table runner? Each pot holder took me about 45 minutes to crochet, not including weaving in the ends which I fudged a bit near the end by tying the beginning and the end of each round together a few times and trimming just above the knot....who's gonna notice anyway?

How To:

You can find the pattern that I used here, thanks to Made in K Town. Note that I omitted round 5 in the two green potholders. Also, I used Lion Brand Cotton, (4-ply worsted weight) as well as a brand of cotton called Scanfil from The Netherlands (which is 50g = 75m), and I used size G/5mm hook.

Also, you do need to know that in the beginning of any round of double crochet, the first "double crochet" is always a chain 3, which is not specified in the pattern.

If you want your creations to be potholder size, so you'll have to use yarn that's at least this weight, otherwise the results will be significantly smaller, which is fine too. Use two to make a fun pin cushion, or invent more rounds and make a great pillow cover or even better, a stool cover, which is on my dream list. Enjoy!

Melted Plastic Hama Bead Bowls

2012-05-29T10:18:52+02:00

Yesterday as we were recovering from a wonderful Shavous holiday weekend, we made some melted hama (perler) bead bowls! You see, a good friend who stayed with us for the holiday just couldn't resist mopping my floors and doing some general cleaning, so when she suggested that maybe the kids could do a project, I most certainly had to step up to the plate! (I'm more than happy to trade crafting for house cleaning any time!) And fortunately, this hama bead project, that's all over the web right now, was the perfect little project that kept four kids busy with minimal clean up, and they happily listened to some music while waiting for the results.

A great project all around, and especially for those kids who prefer process oriented projects over personal expression or pure creativity, alack alas.

You'll Need:

plastic perler or hama beads
over proof bowls (I used something not technically oven proof, but I know from experience that a heavy ceramic bowl will be fine in the oven for a limited period of time. Though only take my advice with something that isn't precious!)
an oven
some kids of all ages in need of a good project

How To: Pre heat the oven to 350F or 200C. Choose either oven proof or sturdy ceramic bowls, and grease the bowls with cooking spray or simply take a piece of paper towel and rub the oil over the entire inside of the bowl. The oil actually helps the little beads stick to the sides so don't worry about applying too much oil.

Starting at the bottom of the bowl, spread the beads in one layer and then work up the sides of the bowl. Once certainly could make patterns with the beads as opposed to doing what we did. (Next time!) Placing the beads around the sides of the bowl is a bit more challenging, but worth the effort! Place the bowls in the oven for about ten minutes or however long it takes for the top row of beads to melt enough that they start to sag a bit, indicating that the rest of the beads have also melted sufficiently I think?

Remove bowls from oven and set aside to cool. If you just can't wait, so place the bowls in the freezer, and after about ten more minutes, pop them out of the bowl base, and wow!

The underside of the bowl has that lovely melted look, and all in all I think we'll be making some of these little bowls again. Maybe they'd make great little bowls to hold a gift, or as catchalls for spare change. In any case, this is a simple craft idea to have on hand this summer!

Merry Go Round Birthday Cake

2012-05-28T13:23:43+02:00

Last week I made a merry-g0-round birthday cake for my seven year old with just a few simple supplies, and now you can make one too! Now of course one could get really fancy with this theme, but quite honestly sometimes simplicity takes the cake!

You'll Need:

chocolate cake baked in a bundt pan, my favorite recipe here
chocolate mocha glaze, my recipe here
striped sour candy strips, I cut mine in half vertically
white candy sprinkles
colored paper
small pom poms
a black marker
wooden skewers

How To:

Draw carousel animals, I took the exact idea for these animals from Ed Emberly's great book Make A World, but you can certainly use any source for drawing simple animal shapes. When you cut out the first animal shape, cut out two layers of paper together, such that the mirror image animal for the flip side will naturally be the right size. Draw a second animal on the second piece of paper, and sandwich the skewer between the two animals. Add a pom pom with glue and a paper saddle in a contrasting color. I made two animals that were standing on the cake and two that were flying. If you have a larger cake you can probably fit a few more animals, and even a carousel roof, which I wanted to make but simply ran out of time!

Have fun with this one, and remember, the birthday cake is going to eaten in the end, so don't labor it too much, just be sure to have a few simply cute tricks up your sleeve!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

2012-05-26T19:30:00+02:00

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! As you read this, I am NOT on the computer, this post was scheduled to appear automatically at this time, while I on the other hand am celebrating the wonderful Jewish holiday of Shavous with family and friends. Two whole days of celebrations, rest, relaxation, a little bit of cheesecake here and there, and thankfully time spent "unplugged", but plugged into something much greater! Thanks so much for stopping by, here are some of the projects that inspired me from last week's party:

Love these simple crochet coasters from Anne Marie, and this super fun crocheted lamp shade cover from Haakensmaak. Oh and that bunny night light is on my wish list too, hint hint.

Mich in L.A. was particularly brilliant this week with her faux bamboo vases made from pill boxes, gotta love it! And family chic used jean legs to make a great little catch all that you can hang on the wall!

Carolyn's homework got busy with this fabulous security envelope butterfly wreath, and mod podge rocks made a simply great key chain holder, a great gift for Dad!

A creative cookie shows you how to make a sweet spool necklace in minutes, and I just love how Pysselbolaget decorated these wooden hangers with her daughter.

Se7en is brilliant as usual with this fab collage chicken inspired by Chagall, and you can't get much cuter than this simple little crocheted owl by Kirvei.

Thats all for now, looking forward to another week of inspiration from you!

Purple Thistle Balls In Bloom!

2012-05-25T00:38:28+02:00

In the early Spring when I visited the dentist in Rosh Pina, this very same field was filled with gorgeous wild flowers, and now it's filled with purple thistle balls, or at least that's what I call them! And let me tell you, a field packed with them is just stunning!

And it just so happens that I have a particular affection for these prickly guys because it goes like this:

In my past life as a designer of sorts working in Manhattan, I went to the flower district to purchase some props for a photo shoot. I fell in love with some dried purplish prickly balls, and couldn't resist as they were so unusual. Flash forward to a year or so later, and I find myself on a bus climbing the gorgeous hills of the Galil in Israel. I look out the window and what do I see? The hills covered with those very same purple prickly balls!

Every year I think about cutting some and trying to dry them, or at least enjoying them in a vase, but so far it just hasn't happened for whatever reason, or the fact that one really needs heavy garden gloves to even consider getting near them. But oh how I'd love a vase full of these purple balls, so maybe just maybe it will happen this year, maybe even in time for Shavous, when we decorate our house with flowers and greenery! (Okay, not likely, I've still got tons of cooking and baking to do, as opposed to taking a hike with the kids.....)

Wish me luck, I'll let you know if this is the year when I realize my prickly purple ball dreams, or whether it's one of those dreams that should just stay a dream!

Decoupaged Tissue Paper Candle Jars

2012-05-23T18:06:59+02:00

Recycle glass jars and make some festive decoupaged candle holders for your holiday table! This decoupage with tissue paper is a great project for all ages with gorgeous results, and if you have the supplies on hand, well, you're in luck, since there's still time to grace your table with these for the upcoming holiday!

I used floating candles instead of the usual tea lights, and I just love how it looks, don't you?

You'll Need:

tissue paper
mod podge or a mix of half water half white glue
flower or scalloped circle punches, in a few sizes, including tiny ones too!
a large paint brush

How To:

Punch several layers of tissue paper at one time for the best results in punching the desired shapes. If you don't have any punches, of course good old scissors certainly can do the trick! Apply a little mod podge to your jar with a brush and carefully place the tissue paper shapes on the mod podge. Smooth very carefully with fingers and after all the shapes are in place, brush another coat of mod podge on top, again working very carefully so as not to tear the tissue paper. Set aside to dry and enjoy. And of course, these little jars would be adorable vases to hold wild flowers or greenery, so make a bunch!