This simple corn salad is light, but is still so filling. It uses pantry-friendly canned corn, plus a few easy add-ins that give every bite crunch, tang, and a little sweetness. The best part is how fast it comes together. It’s the salad that I make when I’m looking for an easy crowd-pleasing side dish that’ll be good leftover too, can be prepped in advance, and I know will come out good.

Why this corn salad is always a favorite BBQ Salad

Corn already has a juicy, summer-friendly side to it. Once it’s chilled, that sweetness gets even more noticeable. Add some complementary flavors and we have ourselves a delicious salad.

The red pepper adds bite and color. Sour pickles cut through the sweetness. Hearts of palm are a mild-tasting complement in color, flavor, and texture. Because everything is served cold, the salad feels so refreshing on a hot day.

Corn also brings more than flavor. It has fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.

The secret is contrast, sweet corn, crisp vegetables, and a tangy note that keeps each bite lively.

What you need for the best flavor and texture

This salad is pretty simple, and that’s why it I love making it so much. Start with 3 cans of corn, drained well. Fresh corn works too, but canned corn keeps this easy enough for a busy weeknight. Frozen corn tends to be less crisp.

Next comes 1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces. It adds crunch, a fresh taste, and that bright red color that makes the bowl look more inviting. Then add hearts of palm, as much as you like. A partial can is plenty if you want the corn to stay front and center. Hearts of palm are mild and tender, so they soften the stronger flavors.

Finally, add 2 sour pickles, chopped small. This is the ingredient that gives loads of flavor. Pickles bring salt, acidity, and a little punch, so the salad doesn’t taste too much like eating spoonfuls of corn.

You can adjust the balance based on your taste. Want it sweeter? Use more corn. Want more tang? Add extra pickle. Want a softer texture? Increase the hearts of palm. This kind of salad is forgiving, which makes it easy to make again and again, without measuring every tiny detail.

A simple dressing that stays light

The salad tastes good plain (in fact, my kids are dressing-averse so I usually skip dressing it), but the optional dressing gives it a more flavor. Keep it light so the vegetables retain their flavor. You want to complement the ingredients, not overtake them.

I use a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a little honey, and some wine vinegar to add a bit of flavor. Then, I add salt, whichever seasoning mix I’m liking in salads that day (here I used Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute), dried dill, and minced onion. Stir it together, then toss it lightly with the salad.

The honey helps balance out the tartness of the vinegar. If you want a vegan version, skip the honey and the dressing still works well. We don’t do mayo in our house so it’s otherwise vegan, and great for those who don’t like mayo.

Easy swaps if you want to change it up

This refreshing corn salad is one of those recipes that you’ll probably end up making your own. It’s so forgiving, and you can really mix it up with whatever YOUR family likes to eat.. Lemon juice works great for those who like lemon in everything. Cucumber adds extra crunch, a bit more vegetable to mix with the carb-y corn, and makes the salad more refreshing.

You can also skip the dressing and use only salt. That works well when you’re serving the salad with richer foods and want the side dish to stay simple.

How to put the salad together in minutes

This is a one-bowl recipe, and that alone makes it useful. There is absolutely no reason to mix up the dressing first. You just drizzle it right on.

First, drain the corn well. Give it a minute in the colander if needed, because extra liquid will make you lose that crisp texture.

Next, chop the red pepper, pickles, and hearts of palm into bite-size pieces. Try to keep the pieces small enough so you get a little of everything in each forkful. Add them all to a large bowl with the corn.

Drizzle your dressing ingredients over your salad and toss it well.

After that, chill the salad before serving. 20 minutes in the fridge will help the flavors mix.

Serving ideas for weeknights, cookouts, and holiday tables

This salad works almost anywhere. It’s my go-to for both barbeques and birthday lunches. It’s great with grilled chicken, burgers, sandwiches, or roasted meat. It really offsets that heavy, salty flavor.

For family meals, it works well because it’s so uncomplicated and kid-friendly.

It’s also easy to make ahead, which helps for cookouts and holiday meals. Mix it earlier in the day, keep it cold, and stir before serving.

Refreshing Corn Salad Recipe

If you need one easy side dish that tastes bright and takes almost no effort, this is a good one to keep in rotation. The mix is simple, flexible, and best served cold.

Ingredients

• 3 cans corn, drained well
• 1 red pepper, diced
• Hearts of palm, to taste (up to 1 can). Cut to half-rounds or pieces
• 2 large sour pickles, diced

Optional dressing

• Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
• Drizzle of honey, omit for vegan
• Splash of wine vinegar
• Salt, to taste
• Your favorite salad spices. I used Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning, to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 1 tablespoon minced onion

Instructions

1. Drain the corn well and add it to a large bowl.
2. Chop the dice pepper, pickles, and hearts of palm into small pieces. Hearts of palm can also be used as half-rounds.
3. Add everything to the bowl and mix.
4. If using the dressing, drizzle those ingredients over the salad. Mix well.
5. Chill before serving for the best flavor.

Serve it straight from the fridge, and let the sweet corn and tangy pickles do the work.

Yield: 12

Easy Colorful Corn Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

A good corn salad is one of those dishes that disappears fast. It's cold, colorful, and perfect when the weather is warm and nobody wants a heavy salad.

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Ingredients

• 3 cans corn, drained well
• 1 red pepper, diced
• Hearts of palm, to taste (up to 1 can). Cut to half-rounds or pieces
• 2 large sour pickles, diced

Dressing

Toggle ingredient group

• Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
• Drizzle of honey, omit for vegan
• Splash of wine vinegar
• Salt, to taste
• Your favorite salad spices. I used Trader Joe's 21 seasoning, to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 1 tablespoon minced onion

Instructions

1. Drain the corn well and add it to a large bowl.
2. Chop the dice pepper, pickles, and hearts of palm into small pieces. Hearts of palm can also be used as half-rounds.
3. Add everything to the bowl and mix.
4. If using the dressing, drizzle those ingredients over the salad. Mix well.
5. Chill before serving for the best flavor.

Notes

Serve it straight from the fridge, and let the sweet corn and tangy pickles do the work. You can also skip the dressing and use only salt. That works well when you're serving the salad with richer foods and want the side dish to stay simple.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post Refreshing Corn Salad – Perfect for Easy Summer Meals appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

We LOVE eating salmon in our house. But if there’s anything we can’t stand it’s dry salmon. I mean leftover salmon that just tastes fishy and not quite there.

The problem with salmon is that it tends to get that way the next day. Unless I’m making a saucy salmon, I find that it’s really not the same thing once it’s gotten cold.

This recipe for leftover salmon cakes was born of need. We were buying full sides of salmon and forgetting to split them in half. Unless we’re hosting a lot of people, that’s way too much salmon for us. And no, we don’t eat “salmon salad” with mayo added – most of us just aren’t fans.

So one day, I took that half side and made some patties, and it came out so good that I decided to share! Yes, it came out delicious on the first try so I quickly jotted down what I did to share.

Everyone – including my picky kids loved it and so I declared it a win and decided to share!

Ingrendients and Substitutes for making leftover salmon cakes

After every recipe, everyone tends to ask “can I use X instead of Y?” I’m trying to address that in advance.

The salmon

One of the reasons that this recipe was such a no-brainer and so easy to get right? Salmon is a fatty fish (healthy fats!) which makes a mean patty. In fact, I’ve even repurposed pans that just baked salmon to make tuna patties, so that they can adopt some of those fats!

While you don’t need to use leftover salmon, the recipe does call for already cooked salmon. You can cook it special, or use canned salmon. I imagine that canned salmon just wouldn’t be the same, but I haven’t tried it.

If you don’t cook the salmon first, you will need to grind it in the food processor – and that’s just a whole different recipe…

I imagine that you can mimic this recipe with other fatty fish, but I can’t promise it’ll come out the same.

Nori snack – and alternatives

This is one of those “happy accidents” where everything just fell into place. One of those was that I had some leftover Nori seaweed snacks in the house. I crumbled it up and mixed it into the salmon cake mixture. It added fabulous flavor that just fits right in.

You can substitute this with regular Nori – although I find that it sometimes clumps a bit more when adding it to a recipe. It also has no added flavor, while the seaweed snack has sesame oil and often has other flavors.

You can also add other flavor boosters, like French’s fried onion, chopped scallions, or anything else that you think might taste good. It’s not a science: you can play around and find a flavor that you love.

How to cook your leftover salmon cakes

I made theses leftover salmon cakes two ways side by side. I put half the mixture in the air fryer, and half in the oven, to see what worked best. I did NOT try pan frying it, but definitely try it if you want.

In the Air Fryer

My instinct was to do this in the air fryer… and it was INCREDIBLE! I put it right on the grate and it stuck a bit, so use a liner if you can.

You don’t even need to add any oil or spray it first – it has plenty of natural oils. Air frying will definitely be my method of choice for baking these in the future. It makes it so crispy, and is ready in half the time.

In the Oven

Not everyone has an air fryer (in fact, I only got mine recently), so I decided to try it in the oven too. While not AS crispy, and ready in double the time, the natural oils really ensure that it comes out delicious this way too.

And it doesn’t take that long regardless. You just need to cook/set the eggs (which happens quickly) and get it crispy. It’s getting it crispy that takes a bit longer, but again, it’s almost oven-fried because of the fats in salmon.

More tips for making leftover salmon cakes

Here are some more storage and serving tips for leftover salmon cakes!

Can you freeze these salmon patties?

I froze a few of these salmon cakes just to test it for you and it was still delicious. Any time you don’t eat these right away, they will automatically be less crispy. But because the oils are natural to the patty, and it wasn’t fried in piles of oil, it doesn’t get soggy or chew.

How long do they last in the fridge?

I can’t really give you insights as to how long this will last refrigerated. Because you will be using leftover fish, it’ll heavily depend on how fresh that fish is. I recommend exercising caution when eating leftovers and follow best practices for leftover salmon.

What to serve your salmon burgers with

As a dinner, I’d serve this with a Romaine lettuce-based salad, and either past or rice on the side! It’ll go great with a starch that’s rich and creamy, plus a light salad.

You can serve it as an appetizer or side dish as well, and it goes well with a dipping sauce. I threw together a quick dill sauce using some mayo, lemon juice, and of course dill. I use frozen dill cubes as my dill-of-choice, but you can use dried or fresh dill as well. Just add it to your mayo-lemon base slowly, until you’re happy with the dill flavor.

Leftover Salmon Cakes Recipe

Ingredients

• About four cups leftover salmon (after flaking)
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (one for every two cups of salmon)
• 4 eggs (1 for ever cup of salmon)
• 4 packs seaweed snack (about .17 oz/5 grams each – one for every cup of salmon)
• If the salmon is well-seasoned, you don’t need more seasoning.

I highly recommend these baking sheets – they get perfectly clean in the dishwasher each time – no parchment needed!

Process

1. Using gloves, flake up the salmon with your hands.
2. Add the breadcrumbs and eggs, mix well.
3. Crumble up your seaweed snack and mix that in gently.
4. Form patties.
5. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes on a sheet pan (spraying with oil is optional.) Or air fry at 350 for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Yield: 24

Easy Salmon Patties

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Leftover salmon might taste way too fishy... but not if you turn them into Easy Salmon Patties in the air fryer or oven! This recipe was a win

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Ingredients

• 4 cups Salmon , flaked
• 1 cup breadcrumbs , one for every two cups of salmon
• 4 large eggs , one for every cup of salmon
• 4 Packs Seaweed snack , about .17 oz/5 grams each – one for every cup of salmon
• If the salmon is well-seasoned, you don't need more seasoning.

Instructions

1. Using gloves, flake up the salmon with your hands.
2. Add the breadcrumbs and eggs, mix well.
3. Crumble up your seaweed snack and mix that in gently.
4. Form patties.
5. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes on a sheet pan (spraying with oil is optional.) Or air fry at 350 for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Notes

As a dinner, I'd serve this with a Romaine lettuce-based salad, and either past or rice on the side! It'll go great with a starch that's rich and creamy, plus a light salad.

Scale up or down the recipe as you'd like, depending on how much salmon you have leftover, using the guidelines in the ingredient notes

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post Leftover Salmon Cakes – Patties in the Air Fryer or Oven! appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

With Shavuot just around the corner, it’s time to share some fun printable Shavuot mazes – including a free sample Torah maze! When you’re done, check out my Sukkot maze bundle too. This post contains affiliate links.

Some kids love paint and glue. Others want a pencil, a challenge, and a page they can finish. That’s why Shavuot mazes are such a good solution for less crafty kids.

These printables work well for quiet time, classroom use, and holiday fun at home. I made them with my 10-year-old in mind, because he loves mazes and happily tests them for me. The set includes a free Torah maze, plus a cheesecake maze, flower maze, Ruth maze, and mountain maze in the full pack.

I’ll be sharing more about these below, but meanwhile, if you don’t want to read, you can get the full bundle in my shop, on Etsy, and on TPT.

Why Shavuot mazes are such a great holiday activity

Shavuot has a lot of beautiful themes, Torah, flowers, mountains, Ruth, and dairy foods. Mazes turn those ideas into something kids can hold in their hands. That makes the holiday feel more real, especially for children who learn best by doing.

They also do more than fill time. A good maze builds focus, hand control, and problem-solving. Kids scan the page, plan a route, and keep trying when they hit a dead end. Along the way, they practice patience without feeling like they’re doing schoolwork.

A holiday activity should feel festive, but it should also be easy to pull out when you need a calm option. Parents, teachers, and shul leaders don’t need a long supply list. You print the pages, hand out pencils, and you’re set.

A screen-free way to keep kids busy

Paper activities still have a place, especially when learning about a holiday. Mazes give kids something hands-on to do minus the screens, and are a great solution when you want a quieter choice. A pencil and a printed page can go a long way.

They’re also a good match for kids who aren’t in the mood for open-ended art. Some children want something self-explanatory and a good challenge. Mazes give them that structure, so they can enjoy the holiday activity without the pressure to “be creative.”

Mixed-age groups do well with them too. Younger kids can try with help, while older kids often want to solve every page on their own. Because each sheet is separate, everyone can work at the same table without needing the same skill level.

Helpful for classrooms, homes, and holiday programs

These pages are easy to use in groups because you can print as many as you need. That makes them handy for early finishers in the classroom, a holiday workshop, or a quiet table during a school event. Teachers can also send one home as a simple take-home page before Yom Tov.

At home, they’re useful during meal prep, between activities, or when kids need a calmer moment. In a shul program, you can put out a stack of mazes and a cup of pencils, and kids will usually settle in fast.

A low-prep holiday activity is gold when you need something fun that doesn’t create extra mess.

What is included in the Shavuot maze pack

The full set includes five holiday maze pages and two extra “spoilers” pages with the answers.

The themed maze pages kids will recognize

Each maze connects to a familiar Shavuot image or idea:

• A Torah Maze ties into Matan Torah (receiving the Torah) and is also available as the free sample.
• A Cheesecake Maze gives a playful nod to Shavuot dairy foods.
• A Flower Maze fits the greenery and florals that traditionally are used to decorate the home in honor of receiving the Torah.
• A Ruth Maze links to Megillat Ruth, which is traditionally read on Shavuot.
• A Mountain maze points to Har Sinai in a kid-friendly way. The flowers join in as maze obstacles

Because the themes are easy to spot, kids connect with the pages right away. The art feels holiday-specific without needing a long explanation first. And yes, everything is hand-drawn digitally by me.

What the spoiler pages add to the printable

The two “spoilers” pages are solution pages. They’re there for kids who try hard and still can’t find the path, or for parents and teachers to help kids with.

Instead of getting frustrated, children can check the answer and move on. Meanwhile, teachers and parents don’t have to solve each maze before handing it out. It keeps the activity light, which is what you want during a busy holiday.

How to use the free sample and the full download

The free sample and the full pack each have their place. If you want to test the activity first, the free page is the easy starting point. If you need more variety, the full set gives you enough pages to stretch the fun longer.

Start with the free Torah maze + Download

The free Torah maze is a great idea if you don’t need much – you just want a single item to send home with kids, or to combine with other activity pages. It also gives you a feel for the style before you grab the full set.

If you want to build around that theme, pair it with an origami Torah scroll tutorial. The maze and the paper project work well together for a Torah-focused Shavuot activity.

Download your free maze! It’ll arrive right in your inbox. By downloading, you’re subscribing to our FREE newsletter with updates on cool printables like this, ideas to simplify Jewish life, and more. Unsubscribe at any time at the bottom my emails. I respect your privacy and the law, and won’t share or sell your email address.

Choose the full bundle for more variety + Download

The full bundle makes more sense when one page won’t be enough. That’s often the case for a class, a holiday party, a youth program, or longer quiet time at home. More pages means kids can choose the image that interests them most.

It also includes the two spoiler pages. So if you’re printing for a group, you don’t have to worry about what happens when someone gets stuck. The full pack gives you more flexibility with no extra prep.

The Shavuot Mazes available for a few bucks in my shop, on Etsy, and on TPT. Purchasing premium products from me enables me to keep doing what I do, to give more focus to my Jewish blog, creating authentically Jewish resources for homes, educators, and parents.

Simple ways to make the mazes more fun

You don’t need much to make printable mazes feel special. A few small touches can turn them from “something to do” into part of the holiday atmosphere.

Use them as part of a Shavuot activity table

Set out the printed pages with sharpened pencils, crayons, or colored pencils. That’s enough for a simple activity table during a gathering, after a meal, or during a classroom break. If you want, add a small sticker prize for kids who finish a page.

This works especially well when adults are busy and children need a calm option nearby. The setup is quick, and cleanup is even quicker. They can also color the pictures on the mazes when they’re done.

Pair them with other Shavuot crafts or lessons

Because each maze has its own theme, it’s easy to match them to other holiday learning. Use the Torah maze with a lesson about receiving the Torah. Put out the cheesecake maze during a dairy-themed activity. Read Ruth, then hand out the Ruth maze.

You can also use the flower and mountain pages to tie into holiday decor or a simple talk about Har Sinai. The pages fit naturally alongside other Shavuot ideas without taking over the day.

Conclusion

Shavuot mazes are a simple way to add fun, calm, and meaning to the holiday. They give kids a screen-free activity that feels festive, while also building focus and problem-solving.

The free Torah maze is a great place to start. If you want more pages and built-in solutions, the full bundle gives you a fuller holiday set. Sometimes the best Shavuot activities are the ones you can print, set out, and enjoy right away with your kids.

In case you haven’t yet, you can get the mazes in my shop, on Etsy, and on TPT.

The post Shavuot Mazes for Kids: Fun Printables for Quiet Time appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Let’s craft some adorable Har Sinais for the upcoming holiday of Shavuot! This adorable paper craft includes a free mountain template. It is a spinoff of the color & craft version I designed for Parshat Yitro. this one requires more crafting. Choose the one that better suits your needs and have fun crafting!

Tips for crafting your Mount Sinai Shavuot Craft

We got so creative with crafting these, and while I wanted to show you the endless possibilities with making this, I had to limit myself so that I can actually get around to sharing it with you.

Here, I’ll be sharing what I did for each craft, but I’ll also be highlighting how you can switch it up, and share more of my ideas.

The base

For the base of my Mount Sinai craft, I simply printed the template on green copy paper. If you’re having kids cut this out, and yes, preschoolers should be able to do that on their own, paper is the easiest material.

Since you can print it directly on the material, that’ll be your easiest choice.

Here are some more ideas beyond green paper:

• Trace the template onto a paper plate and cut it out from there.
• Try it on green cardstock.
• You can even print it directly onto green construction paper using an inkjet printer. Just trim the construction paper to size if needed.

And it doesn’t even need to be green! Use white versions of any of the above and use a compatible material to decorate it:

• Dot markers
• Paints in yellow and green
• Watercolors

Adding your flowers

I had so many ideas for flowers, but stuck to a few (mixed and matched) to show you just some of what can be done.

One one, I used transparent flower stickers for a more sophisticated look. I filled in with Cra-Z-Art’s new Milky markers.

On the other, I mixed up flower and leaf sequins with self-adhesive gems. I specifically used gems that were in flower shapes, or those that can be the centers of flowers.

I had a whole stash of supplies I wanted to try, and while I couldn’t do it all, here are some of those ideas:

• Classic kiddie flower stickers
• Felt flowers
• Foam stickers
• Scrunched up tissue paper squares – a classic
• Flower punch-outs from construction paper.
• Gel pens for drawing flowers and leaves
• Mini fake fabric flowers
• Small dried flowers

You can really take this in any direction and make it your own. You can choose whether to add grass around the base or not. I drew grass on one, but you can also cut fringe on green paper strips or use sushi grass.

The Luchot or tablets

I made Luchot by cutting the tops of craft sticks and gluing them together. Mine are rounded mainly because they looked cute that way.

However, if you have the tradition that the Luchot were rectangular, go ahead and snip the top end off too.

The luchot are poked into a slit I added into the top of my Mount Sinai craft. You can also make Luchot by cutting them from cardboard or cardstock, construction paper, craft foam or anything really and then gluing them onto a craft stick.

Add letters to the Luchot if you want.

Making the Mount Sinai Shavuot craft with kids

The exact approach to crafting a Mount Sinai Shavuot craft will depend on the setting. Classrooms allow for different crafting sessions than one-time workshops, for example.

Here, I’ll offer adaptations and ideas that are too much to share in the actual process.

In the classroom + adapting it by age

When making this craft in the classroom, I recommend choosing in advance how they’ll be crafting it and sticking with one thing.

For example, if you’re crafting with toddlers, you should probably get them basic flower stickers. Allow them to paint the base before assembling the mountain for them, so that they made more of it.

Preschoolers can cut out the base. They’ll do well with glue-on elements, or more advanced stick-ons like gems. They can also do some drawing. But again, choose one.

And slightly older kids would do well with more sophisticated stickers and drawing supplies. They can also do more assembly, handle adhesives like glue dots or tacky glue, and cut out smaller shapes.

Even older kids/adults can do it! Once you have people responsible enough to use hot glue, decorations like sequins become easier to use.

At open-ended workshops

This Mount Sinai craft is actually open ended enough to make a fabulous craft workshop. You don’t need any dry time for it, especially if you prep the Luchot in advance.

When doing workshops, offering multiple supplies makes more sense. Let crafters choose from an assortment of stickers, sequins, gems, fabric flowers, and more. Add in gel pens, paint markers, and any other nice coloring supplies for the artists to choose from.

Create a few samples showing single-item use, or more aesthetically-pleasing strategic combinations.

How to make a paper Mount Sinai for Shavuot

You’ll Need

• The template – download it below
• Paper – I printed it on green copy paper
• Scissors
• Flowers! I used flower stickers, gems, and sequins
• Optional markers and/or gel pens
• Double sided tape or glue
• Glue for any embellishments that aren’t adhesive. Hot glue dries fastest and is secure, but for kids you can use a dollop of tacky glue or white glue
• A craft stick

Download the Mount Sinai craft template

Download your free template! It’ll arrive right in your inbox. By downloading, you’re subscribing to our FREE newsletter with updates on cool printables like this, ideas to simplify Jewish life, and more. Unsubscribe at any time at the bottom my emails. I respect your privacy and the law, and won’t share or sell your email address.

Step by Step

1. Print your template and cut it out. on the solid line.

2. Start decorating while it’s still flat! On one, I made a grass border using paint markers.

Then, I drew on flowers.

Flower stickers finished the look on this one.

On the other, I started with flower and leaf sequins.

I added adhesive pearls in the centers of the sequins.

And adhesive flower gems finished the look.

Tip: avoid the area within the dashed line – that little flap, as that’ll be overlapped when glued.

3. Put a strip of double sided tape or glue on the flap, next to the dashed line.

4. Form a cone shape, remove the backing of the tape, and adhere that flap to the back of the corresponding end of the cone.

5. Now let’s make Luchot! Snip about an inch off each end of a craft stick. You’re left with about 2 inches in the center.

6. Glue the craft sticks tips side by side, with the rounded end on the same side. You can use hot glue if you want it to dry instantly, but tacky or wood glue would work too – you’ll just need to position it in place until it sets.

7. Glue the extra bit of craft stick to the back bottom portion of the Luchot to form a “handle”.

8. Stick it into the center slit of your paper Mount Sinai craft. You may need or want to widen it a bit, and you can secure it with some hot glue from the inside if you’d like.

Your Mount Sinai Shavuot craft for preschool is complete!

The post Mount Sinai Shavuot Craft for Preschool appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Creating working toys gives kids such a thrill, and today I’m going to show you how to make a working bow and arrow using very simple craft supplies (mostly), minimal tools, and not that much active crafting time.

This can be done by kids who are basically responsible with tools, and parts can be prepped in advance for younger elementary aged kids to make it too.

I’m going to walk you through the basics of this super fun and functional project, and then share step-by-step instructions with photos, along with a video tutorial at the end.

What we used to make a working bow and arrow

One of the cool things about this project is that the materials it uses are super simple. The tools can get a bit more complex. But STEM encourages experimentation, so if some of these tools feel cumbersome, you may want to try others.

The Bow

The bow was made by taking a super jumbo craft stick and bending it. It’s bent by soaking it in hot water until it’s pliable, then holding it in shape until it dries.

I used rubber bands and a round container to hold it in shape.

To make the holes, I used a Power Punch on the ends. The center needed a larger hole, so I started it with a 1/16 inch power punch and enlarged it with an awl.

The cool thing about the Power Punch is that it works really well, just punching right through the craft stick. The problem: the one I have is discontinued. The solution: they now make one with adjustable sizing! That means that you may also be able to use it to punch the arrow hole in the center. But since I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure.

Play around with different tools to make the hole if you need to. You can try to make it while the wood is wet – it may be easier to poke. Try hammering a nail in and then pulling it out. Use thicker nails for larger holes… Experimentation is valuable here!

A rubber band provides the tension needed to propel the arrow forward.

The arrow

The arrow was made using a wood lollipop stick because that’s what I had. A skewer cut to size can work too, I’d assume. That was my original plan, but I had lolly sticks in my craft room and skewers were all the way upstairs in the kitchen…

The arrow is tipped with felt to keep it from hurting humans and beasts. It also looks cool. I used stiff sticky felt to make life easier and recommend you do the same. Keep this glueless…

More ideas

I would love to try making a larger, sturdier bow one day with a paint stir stick. I’ve never tried bending them, but would imagine it could work, so feel free to try it!

For the elastic, you can use larger rubber bands if needed, or even try it with a very taught string.

Finishes and final touches

I painted some of the arrows, and left the bows as-is. You can paint and/or decorate them both – depending on how much crafting you want to do for this project. I recommend painting the bow after bending and making the holes, but before assembling.

Think: stick on gems, glue on sequins, add some glitter glue, or for a fast drying solution, color them with paint sticks or markers.

Learning how to make a working bow and arrow with kids

While this is a fabulous activity to do with kids, learning how to make a working bow and arrow is not just a cut and paste activity. It’s great in some settings and might need some tweaks in others.

A Lag Ba’Omer STEM Activity

Headed to the park with the class for Lag Ba’omer? Preceed it with a STEM activity! This is such a cool way to get kids crafting something functional.

If you’re using this to encourage a little engineering problem solving, you may want to give kids more options and supplies to use.

If you’re doing this in a classroom setting, I’d highly recommend pre-curving the bows. It’ll just make the process much smoother! You can also add the holes.

This is best for older kids (8+) but younger kids can craft it with A LOT of help. They can also play a heavy part in decorating it.

Taking it outdoors

These working bow and arrow sets are totally fun for playing with in the park. As I mentioned, they are a fabulous pre-field-trip activity as kids can really play with it. Make lots of extra arrows if you’ll be using it that way, as some will get lost. That’s the easier part of the activity, anyway.

You can play games with it, such as competitions for distance, target hitting, and more.

How to make a working bow and arrow step by step

Follow the step by step instructions to learn how to make a working bow and arrow set.

You’ll need

• An extra large craft stick (about 8×1 inch) or similar
• A pan with hot water
• A round container
• Rubber bands
• A very strong hole punch, awl, and/or hammer and nail for making holes in the stick
• A wood lollipop stick or small dowel, or similar
• Adhesive stiff felt
• Marker
• Detail scissors
• Optional: craft acrylic paint and brushes.

Watch the video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos.

Written tutorial with photos

1. Place a towel (or paper towels) on your surface to absorb any splashes. Carefully, (adults only) fill a pan or shallow dish with hot water. Place your craft sticks inside. Try to keep it submerged with something heavy propped on top.

2. Let it sit for about half an hour. When you come back it should be softened and pliable. Gently curve it into an arch shape.

3. wrap a rubber band or two around the two ends to somewhat hold the shape. Make sure it’s straight, avoid any twisting.

4. I recommend also putting it into some sort of container that will help it hold its shape. Leave it overnight to dry (exact dry time will heavily depend on temperature and humidity.)

5. Meanwhile, let’s work on or arrows. If you’d like to, paint the wooden dowels.

6. Draw a simple arrowhead on the back of your felt (the paper backing).

7. Cut it out and trace the reverse side so you get two mirrored shapes. Cut it out.

8. Remove the backing, and place the tip of the stick in the center. Curve the ends around the dowel slightly, about halfway around.

9. Starting from the left side, connect the reverse side of the arrow head, and slowly wrap it around to meet the other side of the arrow and wrap around the stick. The should be roughly even, but you can trim it with scissors if you want.

10. Let’s go back to our bow! Remove the rubber band once the bow has dried. You should have a pretty little curved stick – but it doesn’t need to be perfect.

11. Punch a hole in each side of the stick – about 1 cm from the end.

12. Cut a rubber band in half. The ideal rubber band is longer than your bow’s diameter but a few inches.

13. Use a pin or toothpick to poke the end of the cut rubber band from inside to outside. You don’t want to make the hole bigger – just do your best to poke it through. It might take a few tries.

14. Pull it out about an inch and make a double knot on the outside to secure it in place. Pull the knot tight and pull a few times to test that it’s large enough and won’t go through the hole.

15. Stretch the rubber band to the other side and repeat steps 13 & 14 on the other side. I found that it helped to pull it and hold the end against the stick while poking in the tip.

16. Now it’s time to make the hole for the arrow to go into. This needs to be larger than the arrow’s body – large enough for it to go through really smoothly. I started by punching a few holes with my 1/16 inch power punch next to each other.

17. I then used a (very old and rusty) awl to make it large enough.

You’re done when your center hole is large enough for the arrow to go through smoothly! To shoot, thread the arrow through the center hole, pull back with the rubber band, and let go.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make a working bow and arrow with basic craft supplies!

The post How to Make a Working Bow and Arrow – Lag Ba’Omer STEM appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

There’s one thing that really bothers me when it comes to most centerpiece and tablescape ideas: they’re just not practical. But I love setting a gorgeous table – the kind where the entire tablescape feels like decor.

For this year’s seder, my goal was simple: create something that feels effortless, allows for conversation AND easy removal when needed, but really fills the table. The result is on-theme, with calm almost-neutral colors that is elegant, understated, but totally not boring.

I’m going to walk you through recreating this modern Passover table setting step by step. I’ll be sharing loads of tips, variations, what I used, and more insights. This is really cool because it’s assembled in minutes – it’s not really DIY but also requires enough assembly to be a bit creative.

And while it does require some budget to assemble, it also doesn’t require hundreds of dollars worth of flowers that’ll wilt the next day. In fact, ALL of the components besides for the candles are reusable for other mix-and-match centerpieces you might want to put together another time. Even the water can be used on your plants…

So let’s explore this gorgeous modern Passover table setting with a pretty reusable centerpiece that’s subtly on-theme, and totally not tacky.

Choosing this modern Passover Table Setting Centerpiece

While this looks like a generic tablescape, this moder Passover table setting – specifically the centerpiece, but also the details – is very intentional.

Symbolism

I chose olive branches as my focal point because of their significance as one of the seven species of Israel, and specifically one that is often used in Jewish practice. Grapevines can work too, but I do love the look of these olive branches from Michaels.

Fishbowl floating candle holders feature river rocks and water to symbolize the Nile river, the splitting sea, and the journey as well. Floating tea light candles give a beautiful festive vibe.

Practicality

One of the things that I really dislike about all of the centerpiece inspo that I usually find is that it’s not practical for two reasons:

1. It’s super complicated to assemble – and dismantle as needed during the meal
2. It’s too high to allow for comfortable cross-table conversation. Even vases with flowers have this effect.

My goal with this seder centerpiece was to allow it to actually stay on until the food comes out, and then allow it to be easily removable when the center of the table is needed to serve food.

This tablescape fills the table but intentionally avoids adding high obstructions. And while we could have added raised details with narrow legs that allow for conversation, I wanted it to be child-friendly too.

In this case, even the flames are in water so that families with kids can actually have candles on their table.

Reusability and Versatility

A final feature that I wanted to “change” from what I normally saw: I want it to be reusable. The various elements, while not super cheap, are not quite like getting expensive florals AND they’re all reusable. Every part of it is neutral enough to be totally revamped and reused in different ways, for other needs.

The bowls with floating candles are a feature in so many table settings, the olive stems can be repurposed in vases for table decorations or home decor, and the rocks make fabulous vase filler.

The rest of the Modern Passover Table Setting

While this modern Passover table setting is definitely centered on the centerpiece, I figured I’d set the rest of the table too and share it with you. Again, each step is intentional.

We’re starting with very standard plates and wine glasses. If I was purchasing glasses special for this, I would have gone with something more textured glass in look than crystal (like hobnail).

White plates are a great foundation for many tablescapes, and in this case, keeps things light and airy. I do have wood-texture chargers that I’ll be adding into the final ‘scape but didn’t have out yet while filming this.

The base: the tablecloth and linens

My tablecloth is a light beige color, continuing with the natural tones. It’s also reminiscent of the color of sand, and is light enough to feel truly festive.

It has a subtle linen texture and serves as a great blank canvas for many tablescapes.

I swapped off between green and pink runners for the centerpiece. I wrapped the branches mainly to hide them, and to provide a pretty base for the whole thing. I did settle on the light blush pink ones in the end, and I’m glad I did.

My napkins are frayed-edge off-white ones with a natural linen texture, again, keeping things light, classy, and full of natural texture.

Little touches: napkin rings, flatware and glasses

There are many ways to softly tie in different elements to the theme in a way that is neutral but fits. For flatware, I chose inherited floral flatware to go with the subtle Pesach-appropriate Spring touches that are naturally included in this tablescape. On Pesach, we’ll just use our Pesach flatware, but if you’re purchasing special for this, it’s a nice touch.

I used my DIY wooden napkin rings that I made, but any driftwood or light wood look goes beautifully. And while I weighed using my pink hobnail glasses, I did in the end choose our inherited glasses with olive trees in the pictures and a gold rim for interest and height.

The Pyramid Placecards

And a final surprisingly neutral touch were these Pyramid placecards. I made them using this SVG and not only do they seat everyone quickly, but they are also gorgeous and tie everything in with the beginning of the journey to the Holy Land.

I had a vision and it really came together. I am so happy with the result of this modern Passover table setting and can’t wait to set it for real – these photos were all staged while I set my Shabbat table so that I can share a practical and pretty Pesach seder centerpiece before the holiday starts.

How to Assemble the Olive Branch Centerpiece for your Modern Passover Table Setting

This will be focusing on assembling your centerpiece.

You’ll need

• Olive branches – I got these from Michaels (they are 34.5″ long – get something similar to really cover a small table, or create a few to cover a very long table). Find similar on Amazon
• A table runner – I used a pink one but also considered this green one
• River Rocks – I got these from Michaels, find similar on Amazon. I used 3 packages.
• Fishbowl vases for floating candles (they can have floater stems like my hand-me-down ones or not)
• Tea Lights
• This is the lighter I used and I do love it but a match will work too!

Watch the video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos.

Assembly – Step by Step

1. Lay out your branches so that they sit as flat and widespread as possible, pretty sides up. Lay three in each direction with the stems overlapping in the center.

Wrap the center with a table runner. I recommend wrapping it somewhat loosely.

2. Add your river rocks to the bottom of the vase. If yours has a candle holder, they should barely touch the holder. If yours doesn’t, just fill it about halfway, or whatever looks pretty to you.

3. Cover the rocks with water. If you’re floating the candle, you’ll want to make sure you really cover it plus a few mm so that your candle will float.

4. Prelight a tea light (it’ll be easier to light inside the vase if you do this) and place it in the candle holder or float it in the water, being very careful not to get it wet.

5. After you place your vases, go ahead and light your candles.

Your Passover centerpiece is complete and you’re ready to set the rest of your modern Passover table setting!

The post Modern Passover Table Setting Idea with Floral Centerpiece appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Sometimes it can feel like we’re on our own, getting our spaces ready for Pesach. It can feel like a heavy weight, especially when there are smaller humans that are perfectly capable of helping… but don’t necessarily step in.

It’s something that I find frustrating myself. I remember almost every single night between Purim and Pesach spent helping my mother clean the house. And while memories can be misleading, I know I helped a lot. So why doesn’t it work the same in my home?

The truth is, my kids are still young. And while there’s a lot they can do, there’s also a lot they can’t. It took some tries, but I learned some tricks and changes-in-approach that make a big differnece.

Nothing is going to be an all-in-one solution. Every kid is different, so different things will work for everyone. The goal is to share multiple ideas, so that hopefully, you’ll find something in here that is worth trying for your kid. You know them best. See which idea resonates most.

Some of these ideas are just changes in mindset. Some will cost a bit. I like to think of any costs incurred as additional cleaning help expenses. We spend the few extra bucks on a few extra hours of cleaning help, better cleaning tools… so if I spend a few on helping my kids help – while learning valuable life skills – it’s a win.

Make Pesach cleaning easier for the kids

One of my favorite approaches to encouraging kids to help clean for Pesach is by figuring out ways to make it doable. Here are some tips for that.

Choosing the right tasks

A lot of Pesach cleaning is about personality. One kid will get overwhelmed when I ask him to clean the stroller. The other will love it. One will move through a toy box quickly. The other will get lost somewhere in Spain in the process.

It can be easy to hand out the next task to the nearest child, but matching them up better goes a long way. There are also some things that the kids will do a better job of than others. The ones they can do independently are always a win. Some examples of things I give my kids to do:

• The stroller(s)
• Any smaller single drawer, shelf, or bin that needs a quick empty-and-reload.
• Anything that we spray down heavily to get most of the cleaning of it done (that is, figuring that the spray ensures that any leftover chametz is rendered definitely inedible) – like dining room chairs, kitchen stools, table, etc
• Not just cleaning: I also commission kids to cover areas that are being sold, etc.

It’ll take some trial and error to figure out which things work best, but a general rule is that micro tasks work best. When it comes to general picking up toys, I find that giving kids a count rather than an area helps. Meaning “pick up and put away 20 toys” is better than “clean the playroom” – even if you keep adding another ten until it’s clean (as long as you were clear you were going to do that before you started.

Choosing the right times

Another thing to note is timing. How many times have I gotten frustrated with a kid who wouldn’t clean as asked… because he JUST sat down with a book?! Or have them complain that they’re too tired and not really HEARD them?

I like to give my kids a time frame with a little flexibility. I also teach them basic time planning strategies. “You need to get this done before bedtime. You are not going to bed late. The later it is the more tired you might be, the more work it might feel like. Would you like to do it now, read for ten minutes (set a timer) and then do it, or are you pushing it off until the last minute?”

During vacation it’s easy to answer “but I’m too tired” with “okay, that’s your job to get done first thing tomorrow morning. I need it done before I can move on to XYZ.”

I like to think of it this way: I usually get to map out my tasks and have wiggle room with when I do things. In fact, I often get annoyed when I’m given a task that needs to get done NOW despite it having been known in advance. Giving my kids that room to choose their timing (with limitation) does also give them valuable skills for the future.

In general, I give them a lot more to do on the vacation days before Pesach than on evenings before vacation starts. My approach is usually to have them complete certain things before, for example, screen time. It motivates them (more on that soon) AND they tend to emerge from the screens kind of sluggish.

It feels heavy to save so much for those last days before, but there really is more time then. Now, I’m spending those last precious school days working. Then, they’ll have all day, and I won’t be able to get meaningful work done anyway. So it’s a wise strategy, even if it makes me feel a bit anxious.

Visual Aids

Some kids can complete larger (or even smaller) tasks much better with the help of visual aids.

As a paper planner person myself, I understand how much more approachable tasks can be when they’re visually mapped out for you. So, a few years ago, when a reader approached me with this request, I created some visual cleaning guides for kids.

There are two approaches. One focuses on a kid cleaning out their own areas. The other focuses on cleaning other areas around the house. The basic approach is to empty the area, for personal spaces only to sort (keep, donate, toss), clean, and put things back. Kids can color it in as they go along.

It really breaks things down for the kids into an easy-to-understand visual process, with the correct cleaning tool outlined visually on each one. Instead of “help, I need to clean my room” they can think of it as one item at a time. You can create a planner for them, or hand them pages as they need it.

Kid-friendly tools

Another trick in my book is the one that many parents take when it comes to things like snow removal: get special tools for the kids!

Whether it’s a fun spray bottle, or a cleaning set like this that I got for my own kids, getting tools that are fun really make a big difference.

For older kids, it’s less kid-size tools and more… gadgety ones. I’m not gonna lie, those can get pricey. But if you have room in the budget for some cleaning aids, it can really help rope in the kids. PLUS it helps with my cleaning too…

Some examples of tools that have gotten the big kids (again, responsible enough to handle these) into helping:

• Floor steam cleaner
• General household steamer
• Green Machine
• Spin Brush – if you get one, this is the one I’d go for based on our own consumption.

You catch my drift. If it plugs in and makes noise, they’ll want to use it. Teach them how to use it properly and they can be a real help.

For some kids even rubber gloves can help!

Ways to motivate kids to clean for Pesach

Sometimes we just need a little motivation… That’s how we operate. Think about how efficiently we clean the house when guests are on the way, right? That’s our motivation right there. Personally, I’m super motivated Pesach time, both by the deadline, and because I absolutely LOVE that feeling that once-a-year when I know in my bones that the house is truly deep-down clean.

For kids, different things will motivate. Let’s explore some of them…

Share the benefit to THEM – but in a non-preachy way

You CAN try to transfer some of your excitement and enthusiasm to them. Think about how awesome that clean car is. Or how thrilling it is that their room is SO CLEAN. This obviously works better with older kids.

Showcase it. After an area is clean, show them your own joy, show them how fun it is. I also like to highlight how much easier it is to find what they want to play with, how much easier post-play cleanup is when the area started out clean.

Daily Prizes and Rewards

Personally, I lean heavily on the whole prize thing… We give the kids each a prize and an edible treat for each day that they clean. In addition, they get a bigger new toy, a book, etc at the end.

Our parents hooked us up with personal chocolate stashes to thank us for our help back in the day. I’m talking good chocolate, a few bars, just for us, to last us through the holiday. It was the ultimate treat. And they did it in a tasteful way: they snuck an extra bar to those of us who helped more (or maybe they privately told each of us that, who knows?!)

Here are some more ideas for rewards, snuck from the Pesach cleaning tips post:

Prizes are usually small tchachkes (as close to a dollar each as I can get it, besides for a few exceptions that are really worth it). They live in prize boxes (one for the younger kids, one for the older). Kids can choose – and they LOVE going through it and choosing. It’s part of the prize. Bigger cleaning days do often get slightly bigger prizes (small toys more than actual prizes).

• Beanie Bouncers
• Stationery and other fun school supplies: tool theme pens, infinity pencils, erasable pens, gel pens, Minecraft erasers (or other favorite themes)
• Fun fidgets and squishies
• Wigglits
• Enamel pins
• Shashibo (big prize for a more intense cleaning day)

• Cool keychains: Keyboard keychains, screw robots, wristlet keychains
• Water bottle straps
• Mini brick builds
• Collector cards (Pokemon, topps…)
• Button lights
• Adhesive patches
• Coin purses, pencil pouches, journal pen holders, and other small accessories
• For my 5 year old daughter we also added collectibles/blind boxes
• Also for my daughter we added Barbie outfits and accessories
• Another for my daughter: scrunchies
• Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty

And ideas for the bigger/end-of-clean toys for Pesach:

• Keva planks – good for a huge range of age groups. This is what we gave them last year. It’s a timeless, “keep for the grandkids” quality toy.
• New LEGO sets (some people don’t use LEGO on Shabbat and holidays, so ask your Rabbi. We do, so this is a great choice for us).
• Plus Plus is another fun, open-ended building toy

• Clixo is a Jewish-owned magnetic building toy that my kids love
• New games. Some recent (non-muktzah) favorites include Tummple, Floats McGoats, Smart Games single-player puzzle games, and Quirkle
• An experience: gift them a super cool Chol Hamo’ed trip as a reward! This only works if you’re not doing the same for Sukkot
• We usually also give the kids a couple of new Jewish books as a reward for their help.

Outings, parent/kid dates, and similar incentives have even more value, if they are truly helpful and you can swing it.

Special Pesach Incentives for those who help make it happen

Beyond toys, there are small (and not-so-small) ways to make the holiday extra special for those who helped bring it in.

I’m thinking new jewelry (yes, it can be cheap and fake but still pretty), new clothing or shoes for the holiday, a new tie, or anything for direct holiday use. It’s great for those who like to give incentives with intention, in a way that feels more like a direct result of the action.

For kids who care more, giving them leeway with how the table is set, choosing table decor, or in general providing a table decorating budget can be a great way to reward them for being an active part of making Pesach happen. This works best for the kids who ask to help decorate the table – let it be a natural extension of their help cleaning. That is, if you help with the chores of keeping house, you get to be part of the fun parts too.

Do certain tasks before receiving certain privileges

On an everyday basis, my kids know that they have to complete all obligations before screen time. If there’s homework, chores, or even cleaning the toy they were playing with, that must be done first. If they need a little break, that’s fine, but screen time waits until they’ve done what they need to.

Beyond that, Pesach time is ripe with opportunity for more privileges – and again, it’ll depend on age, which privileges they get regardless of earning it, and what feels special. Some more ideas:

• Grocery shopping with parents past bedtime
• Getting to help choose Pesach treats (combined with the above)
• Staying up later than usual in general
• Staying up for full meals if they’d normally only stay for Kiddush and Matzah (great incentive for younger kids)
• Choosing menu items or desserts

Again, the idea is: they’re helping with the grown-up things, so they get to participate in some of the grown stuff.

More tips to encourage kids to help clean for Pesach

Here are a few more tips and tricks for roping in the kids- without adding to your own stress levels.

Be cognizant of their energy levels

It’s something that I noticed – not all kids have the high energy that they’re reputed to have. Having a bit of a mental list of low-energy jobs can help your lower energy kids help more, without adding stress.

Include them in the planning process

Edit and print out this big Pesach cleaning checklist to use as a family. Let kids check off the checklist, choose items from the checklist, and in general take part in the planning angle of Pesach cleaning, and not just be told to do things.

Make it fun

Here’s a trick that works for adults too: make it fun. Turn on that music. Play cleaning games. In fact, I have a free printable I Spy Pesach Cleaning game here, and a Bingo game as well. The idea is that when kids do an action/find a Chametz item/ clean an item they color it in. It can be a little competition, a glorified reward chart, or a self-motivating factor.

Race through bins in the playroom, have a “who can find the most chametz” challenge… get creative!

Do it Together

And a final note: almost all of the help my kids give is alongside me, and often my husband as well. The big exceptions: while I’m cooking they sometimes will clean the dining chairs in the next room, and their backpacks are their own challenges.

I’m not telling them to clean things themselves for the most part. We’re working together. And that helps to make it an actual enjoyable together-time that they sometimes even look forward to.

Got any other tips for how to encourage kids to help clean for Pesach? Comment below!

The post How to Encourage Kids to Help Clean for Pesach appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

If you’ve followed along with my social media, you’ll know that I love setting a beautiful holiday table. I challenge myself to set things up for a gorgeous Shabbat dinner every week, in fact.

With Pesach around the bend, I wanted to try a technique that I did NOT master in the past again, and share the results, including the tricks you need to make it work. I decided to hand stamp some beautiful DIY Passover napkins using the craft foam technique.

Yes, this uses craft foam to make the stamp!

Choosing Your Materials for DIY Passover Napkins

Let’s explore the basics of what you’ll need to make these gorgeous fabric napkins, because materials really do matter here.

The base napkin

The main thing you need in your base napkin is to know that it’ll actually absorb the ink. In the past, I tried this technique on placemats, and it didn’t work. Some absorbency in the base fabric is important.

You’ll want to test one napkin before stocking up for a whole craft. The ones I used are actually flour sack towels. They make for a very generous sized napkin. Hypothetically speaking, real fabric napkins should work too, but again, you’ll want to try it first.

Will it work with paper napkins?

After I did this, I tested it on paper dinner napkins too. It worked, though it was a bit less forgiving (that is, a bit of shadowing or mistakes showed up much stronger). I do plan to make a set of paper napkins for this year too.

Since it’s a bit lower expenditure, you may want to test a few different paper napkins to see which shows up best for you. I used very soft, towel-y napkins.

The Fabric Paint

To make these DIY Passover napkins, I used Fabric Creations Soft Fabric Ink. My favorite color was wine, but you can definitely try others.

It’s a very soft ink that comes in a paint-style formula. So it absorbs into the material – rather than sitting at the surface like a craft paint would – and really becomes part of the fabric.

You can definitely play around with acrylic paints. As long as they are permanent, they should work. They will sit at the surface of the craft more, but you can also try thinning them a bit. This might dilute the color, but if you have a need, I would definitely play around and give it a try.

The stamp itself

The stamp was made from craft foam, attached with double-sided tape on a gripper/handle/base.

You can print this template (it’s down by the instructions), choose your design, and then transfer it to foam (more on that soon). Cut it out to create the outline of the stamp.

Grooves and internal engravings are made using a pen (one that doesn’t work if you have that), or anything that with a little pressure will make deep marks in the foam. These are less consistent and reliable. The more “engravings” you have, the riskier your craft is and the more work you’ll have as you go along.

If you want to turn this into a “real” stamp, you can definitely purchase actual rubber stamp tools, transfer the design, and carve it using carving tools.

To hold the foam, I used a wooden chunky cutout. I had these around my craft room and they’re easy… You can definitely make a base for your foam using scrap cardboard boxes. Just cut 3 same-size pieces from a box – they should be slightly larger than your foam cutout, and a shape you can grip preferably. Use double sided tape or hot glue to layer them up for a thicker base and then attach your foam stamp.

Tips and Tricks for stamping DIY Passover Napkins

Ready for success? Here are the results of my experimentations, and tips for getting it right on the first try.

Template Transfer Techniques

One big challenge is how to transfer the template/design to the foam. This won’t be an issue if you’re making your own designs – or just visually copying mine – and I’ll share more tips on that below.

Meanwhile, here are two ways I tried, plus more ideas, with tips.

First, I tried just cutting out the main shape, outlining that with pen to cut out later. That part is easy. The challenge was the engravings. I tried just pressing in through the paper to make marks on the foam below. That works, but because the foam is such a soft base, the paper does tear. So it works, but it’s not a neat process.

The second way was to use carbon paper. That’s been pretty foolproof for me in the past on multiple materials – including rubber stamp sheets, and acrylic like with this Tzedakah box craft. However, here, the carbon paper was so finicky. It did not transfer nicely at all. Again, it gave me a functional result – especially if I’m willing to go over it again following the design off to the side as well.

Another way – the most consistent but time consuming – is to start by cutting out and outlining your outer shape. Then, cut out each of the internal parts, place it on your foam, and trace them individually.

Keeping things clean and lines sharp

As I went along with these DIY Passover napkins, there was one very important lesson: if you want clean stamps, you need to be patient and intentional with your process.

Using a paper towel to clean around the edges of the stamp before each application really keeps things from shadowing. Using a toothpick to clean out the paint from the engravings really helps keep them sharp.

As with every craft, the amount of effort you put into it can really show. With this one, you may be able to get away with doing it quicker, but it’ll just look less neat. A bit of variation is nice and provides a handcrafted look, but too much can get messy.

Heat setting your artwork

One step that I don’t recommend that you miss: heat setting your prints at the end. This basically just means pressing it with a hot iron to seal the color. It’ll ensure the colors don’t run and that your print remains sharp.

While not 100% necessary, it’ll really help preserve your work. There are ways around it (for example, dry it on hot) but that might otherwise ruin the napkin. If this is a quick kids’ school craft, you can press it for them, or figure that they’re meant to be disposable. But if you’re investing into making yourself a nice set of napkins that you plan to use for years (or gift), do heat set them.

Making your own artwork

I always love to encourage actual creativity, and these DIY Passover napkins are begging for that. In fact, it’ll be much easier to “transfer” the template if you’re just drawing it right on.

You can use my images as idea starters and then make your own, design your own from scratch, or a mix of the two. In fact, on the matzah template, I didn’t even put the lines – I left that for you.

There are two approaches to making your own designs for this. One is to design it on a separate paper and transfer it, as if it’s a template. The other is to draw right onto the foam. I recommend the second option, but with keeping it simple. As I mentioned, template transfers on foam aren’t so easy, so you’ll be able to skip that. I drew my first wine glass right onto the foam.

And just one final note: you can use this technique to decorate the same flour sack towels as Pesach towels, pouches as Afikoman bags, and more. This technique is so fun, looks great, and opens up so many new possibilities for customized home decor.

How to make DIY Passover Napkins – step by step tutorial

Materials needed

• Base napkins – I used flour sack towels
• Rigid cardboard to put behind the napkin
• Craft foam
• Double sided tape – I recommend this for adhering your foam to your base because it will keep it nice and flat.
• Wood blocks that are a bit larger than your design but “holdable” – 4×6 is a good size OR cardboard box scraps layered together
• Fabric paint
• A flat paintbrush
• Toothpicks
• Paper towels
• Pen and optional carbon paper for template transfer/grooving. If you have a pen that doesn’t work, that’s great.
• Iron
• Pressing cloth or butcher paper
• Something to iron on (a heat-resistant mat or ironing board)
• The template – print it below

Print the Template

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Watch the video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos.

Step by Step with Photos

1. Print your template on paper. Position it on your foam. Go over the design, pressing down hard with a pen. Note: for simpler designs, you can first cut the outer shape out – it’ll be easier to trace.

I recommend that you start with something easy, like this wine glass shape.

2. Press down with the pen to make a clear line for any engravings.

3. Cut around the outer shape of your design. You may need to re-trace it a bit first if it didn’t come out clear.

4. Tape your foam cutout to a base that’s easy to hold – either wood, or stacked cardboard.

5. It is highly recommended to iron your napkin before stamping it. Place a piece of cardboard or cardstock behind the napkin.

6. Paint a thin but even layer of paint on your stamp.

7. Use a toothpick in the groove to highlight the engraving.

8. I recommend testing your stamp on a scrap cloth or paper first. When you’re ready (you do need to re-paint each time), press it down on your napkin. Get it in the right spot on the first time. Press down firmly, rubbing the back of the stamp, without shifting it.

9. If you’re doing multiple stamps, keep going….Reload your stamp, clean around the stamp part, and in the groove each time.

10. When you’re done, allow it to dry totally (based on paint instructions). then, using a barrier between the iron and the design, press it to heat set it.

You’ve successfully made your own beautiful hand-stamped DIY Passover napkins! Set your table with pride!

Which Passover crafts do you want to see more of in this space? Comment below!

The post Make Your Own DIY Passover Napkins – An Easy Fabric Printing Tutorial appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Last year, I picked up this pretty plastic serving tray from the dollar store, with the intention to turn it into a decoupage Ke’arah – or seder plate. I wanted a craft that kids of multiple age groups can craft and then actually use.

I created this decoupage seder plate craft using fabric, craft paint, a base plate and some Mod Podge. It’s quite simple, can be adapted to different age groups, different materials, and finished different ways.

In this post I’ll be sharing with you the process that I followed as well as loads of ideas for adapting it. But the basic premise is: decoupage fabric circles to a foundation plate to make markers and spaces for the different foods.

The basics of making a decoupage seder plate

I’ll be sharing with you here what I did to create this from start to finish, including my mindset behind the materials I chose.

The foundation plate

To make this, I used a clear plate that’s a bit larger than a typical plate. That’s ideal, since a Seder Plate is usually a statement centerpiece. Mine is a decorative one from Dollar Tree (meant as a cake plate).

The only issue was that originally, I had wanted to decoupage the reverse of the plate. That way the surface is food-ready (more on that below.) But the plate I got had a very not-smooth back, with loads of ridges. So I ended up decoupaging the front.

I will share in the next section of this post, some alternate ways to make this decoupage seder plate craft, including food safety concerns, specific alternate plates, and more. But the one I used is really pretty and came out quite lovely.

Decoupage Mediums to try

Mod Podge comes in many different mediums. Some of them finish harder than others. When making a functional, usable finished craft like this, I always recommend using a hard finishing formula.

I used Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge, which works wonderfully and might be a bit of overkill for a kids seder plate craft like this.

If you’re making this with older kids who may want to actually have their own usable seder plate, dishwasher safe Mod Podge works, but takes 28 days to cure to dishwasher safe. But also, most people won’t put it in the dishwasher anyway. It just make it good and waterproof, even after a few days.

Other good options for function are Mod Podge Super Gloss (the regular gloss doesn’t finish hard) or Outdoor Mod Podge.

What to decoupage

I absolutely love the look of decoupage fabric. It still retains the look of the textured fabric, and comes in many fun prints.

The easiest fabric to work with will be a quilting cotton fabric in a bit of a stiffer texture. I had some leftover from mask-making (remember those days) that is bright and graphic.

If you’re crafting this with a group, getting a fat quarter bundle with an assortment of simple, graphic prints is ideal.

More ways to decoupage a seder plate craft

Here’s your full rundown of variations and more ways that you can make it your own.

More things you can decoupage

Fabric can be a bit harder to cut than other options (although stiff fabric is a bit easier than soft fabric). So you don’t need to stick to that!

Cut your circles out of fun scrapbook papers for a similar eye-popping look (minus the fabric texture.)

You can also use circles that feature the images of the foods (you can even steal it from this craft template.) Have kids color the images and then decoupage them on. Please note: decoupage can cause many mediums to run, so do test in advance, or only use glue on the back.

If you find mini doilies in a size that works with your base plate, go ahead and give that a try!

More ideas for your base plate

For something more substantial and durable (an “adult-ified” version of this), go for a large glass plate or platter.

You can use an opaque ceramic plate and decoupage to the front. Upcycled serving plates (Kosher for Passover, of course) can work too.

You can also use more basic plastic plates for younger kids, or even colored plates (if you’re decoupaging to the front.)

More ways to decorate the plate

I painted my plate white to provide contrast for my fabric circles. Different colors can be used – they should just contrast nicely with the fabric.

You don’t even need to paint the plate – it just makes the circles stand out more.

For more of a kid-crafty look, glitter glue, stick-on gems, and other decorations can be added. Lines of gems or glitter glue can be used to outline the circles too.

Finishing it up

I didn’t really think beyond marking spots for the foods. You can, of course, add small glass or plastic bowls (make sure they fit) as a modular seder plate. Keep them transparent so that the design still stands out.

For a kid-crafting, more “pretend” experience, you really don’t need to add bowls. But if you do, glue them on.

If you’re making a more durable, real-life use version of this, consider adding the names of the foods using Cricut cut decals, or even Aleph Bet/alphabet stickers.

Adapting the seder plate craft for different age groups

This craft is purposely open-ended and adaptable to different crafting skills and needs. Here are some pointers (but you know your crafter best):

• Toddlers: Pre-cut circles with the pictures for them to color. Have them glue it on, guiding them. Skip the decoupage 🙂 You can offer clay, paper cutout or felt toys for them to play with. They can paint the plate before gluing circles on top, or after gluing the circles on bottom.
• Preschoolers: A similar approach to toddlers, but you can throw in things like stick-on gems and they can cut the circles themselves.
• Younger school age: Go for rigid plastic platters or plates, and let them cut out scrapbook paper circles. They can trace a template (make one that fits your plastic plate size) and cut it out themeselves. Bring out the regular Mod Podge, and do it in two stages. First decoupage the circles and seal it. Then, paint the back of the plate.
• Tween/Middle school: Here’s where you can bring out the stiff fabric – just make sure you have good fabric scissors for them to use, or they’ll get frustrated. Bring out the hard finishing Mod Podge for this age group.
• Teen and adult: I’d definitely see if I can get better base plates (glass or ceramic) for these age groups. You can even allow them to finish their crafts with ceramic paint markers or paints.

Care and post-crafting a decoupage seder plate

Here are some general tips for how to treat your finished seder plate.

Sealing your craft and food safety

The Mod Podges I suggested above are going to basically protect your craft. However, they are not food safe. They ARE non-toxic, they’re just not FDA approved for direct food contact.

My approach to seder plates is usually to assume the foods aren’t eaten (they are left out for SO many hours) but if they might be eaten, your best options are:

1. Either have little bowls to actually put the foods in.
2. Or, decoupage to the back of the plate only (you’ll need a smooth-backed plate for that, though. The ones I used wouldn’t work). Leave the top the original plate surface.

For very young kids, it really won’t matter – they won’t really be using it. If you’re afraid they may, you can also just stack another clear plastic plate on top of their craft.

Washing your seder plate after use

The finishes that I suggested are supposed to make it washing-friendly. The outdoor Mod Podge will allow it to be soaped down and rinsed. I wouldn’t soak it, though. Same for Super Gloss Mod Podge.

The Dishwasher Safe formula is absolutely good enough to put it in the dishwasher. I have decoupaged glass plates with fabric using that and run it through the dishwasher many times safely (just make sure to follow cure time directions).

The paint is another story. If the paint is exposed, I’d really just wipe the front clean and leave it at that. You can also seal the paint with Mod Podge.

How to decoupage a seder plate craft – step by step

You’ll need

• A base plate – I used these but a smooth-backed rigid plastic or glass plate would be ideal
• Fabric scraps or fat quarters – I used one from this bundle. I recommend something stiff and easy to cut, that won’t fray easily
• A circle to trace. Mine is 2.5 inches, but size something to fit your plate
• Good fabric scissors
• A pen/marker/erasable fabric marker to trace
• Decoupage – see notes above. I used Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge
• A paint brush for Mod Podge and one for the paint
• Good quality acrylic paint in a contrasting color

Watch the video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos.

Process

1. Trace your template six times on the back of your fabric.

2. Carefully and slowly, cut them out.

3. Arrange them in an equally-distanced circle around your plate. You can do this on the back if you’re using a smooth-backed clear plate, just make sure the good side of the fabric faces down if you do this

Then, one at a time, apply a thin, even layer of Mod Podge to the back.

4. Carefully glue it to the surface of the plate. Smooth it out, allowing any excess Mod Podge to ooze out of the sides. If it’s more than a thin smear, wipe it off.

Repeat with all your circles.

5. Give it a few minutes to set just so that the circles don’t glide around. Cover it with a thin layer of Mod Podge. The trick with Mod Podge is: don’t overwork it. Just spread neat, even strokes. Err on the side of thin, and seal with multiple layers if needed.

6. When the circles have dried, flip you plate over and paint the back. If your circles are on the back, paint right over them. I decided to leave the border unpainted.

7. Paint doesn’t adhere so well to smooth surfaces, so you may need to apply a few layers. Again, a few smooth, even, thin layers beat one thick layer every time.

Note: you may experience some chipping on the final project. Sealing it can help but won’t be perfect. This adds to the “shabby chic” charm of this decoupage seder plate craft.

You decoupage seder plate craft is complete!

How will you be crafting your decoupage seder plate craft? Comment below!

The post Decoupage Seder Plate Craft – Functional DIY Ke’arah for Kids! appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

If you’re looking for a Hairvivi wigs review that is totally honest and not sponsored, you’re in the right place. Here, I’m reviewing their Georgia wig, but feedback applies in general to their wig structure and general product claims. This post contains affiliate links.

If you’ve ever looked at wig prices and felt the wrath of your wallet, you’re not alone. I wanted a pretty, comfortable lace wig that didn’t cost “a few thousand dollars and an emotional breakdown.”

This post is my honest, not sponsored Hairvivi Georgia wig review, including what impressed me, what annoyed me, and what I had to tweak to make it work for Orthodox life (and real life, like kids yelling in the background and glasses on my face).

You can watch the video review if you’re more of a visual person, or scroll through for the written details.

My backstory: why I needed a new wig (and not another headache)

Wig shopping is supposed to feel exciting. In my case, it just never really worked out right.

I’m Orthodox, and after marriage I cover my hair. The typical storyline is: your mother takes you to a wig person, you get fitted, and you float off into the sunset looking polished. My version included a terrible experience, a lot of discomfort, and wigs that never felt like “me.” Someone even tried to help fix one as a wedding gift (which was incredibly kind), but I still didn’t love what I was wearing. Frankly, it hurt and it looked odd.

Eventually, I got rid of both wigs. I tried again with a secondhand wig, and I still couldn’t make it work. The bigger issue was cost. I didn’t have the means to spend thousands on hair. I did have falls I liked, so I leaned into those.

I also bought a cheap Amazon wig once, around $50, and honestly, the hair quality was great for what it was. It lasted a bit, and then it didn’t. The shade ran a bit warm too, which becomes a theme with budget hair that you (or the brand) try to add some highlights to.

Here’s what kept coming up for me with wigs in general:

• Comfort problems: if the wig cap pinches, scratches, or clamps, I’m out.
• Price barrier: I needed something that didn’t feel like a mortgage payment.
• Color issues: brassiness can sneak in fast, especially on darker shades.

The moment that pushed me to try again

My oldest son’s bar mitzvah is coming up, and I knew I wanted a nicer wig for that. At the same time, it wasn’t a good season financially to buy from a luxury wig brand. So I needed a solution that felt like a real wig, but priced like a mom on a budget bought it.

Discovering Hairvivi: the research, the cart, and the leap of faith

I “bumped into” Hairvivi (long story for another time), and I did what any slightly anxious shopper does. I researched it like I was writing a dissertation.

Recent reviews on the Hairvivi site looked very positive. Same story on Reddit threads I found. During that deep dive into unit measurements, I decided the 18-inch length was the right fit for me. I did see a couple of questionable things, but they seemed older, and the newer feedback was consistently good. That gave me enough confidence to try.

Then I did something dramatic. I added five wigs to my cart, stared at them, and realized the total still looked lower than one local salon-purchased low-end wig. I lept and bought one of them.

I paid under $500 for the Hairvivi Georgia (prices change, so I won’t pretend my checkout total is a law of nature). Still, it landed in the “this is possible” range for me.

If you want to see the exact wig I got, this is the affiliate link: Hairvivi Georgia wig (18-inch, Large, cappuccino lace color).

One thing I liked up front: Hairvivi’s return policy sounded solid. The catch is common sense, though, once you customize, returns get complicated. Also, if you request certain changes (like Brazilian hair), it may not be returnable.

Please note: creating content like this is time and resource intensive. I was not compensated in any way for this post, and wrote it based on a product I purchased myself. if you do choose to purchase, please do so through my affiliate link! It doesn’t cost you any extra and helps support the work that I do here.

Unboxing the Hairvivi Georgia wig: packaging, accessories, and first impressions

The unboxing felt fancy, which is not something I say often while my kids are doing background vocals (but I seriously couldn’t wait). The wig came in a shoebox-style box tied with a ribbon, reflecting thoughtful branding and packaging, and the overall presentation was genuinely nice.

Inside, everything was layered neatly, well protected, and padded.

It included paperwork with tips and pointers, plus protective packaging that made sense for travel. I also appreciated the satin pouch, because it’s not just pretty, it’s actually useful if you’re taking your wig to an event, a Shabbat at the parents, or anywhere you’d rather not throw $500 hair into a grocery bag. Satin specifically keeps the hair smooth.

What came in the box (and what I actually used)

Hairvivi included some practical extras. Inside the package, I found:

• Optional combs you can sew into the wig (I didn’t add them but considered it and was happy I didn’t purchase it just to not use it).
• An extra “piano key” elastic that clips in at the bottom (I did use this).
• Multiple layers of protection (tissue paper and plastic), which helped the wig keep its shape.
• A satin bag that serves as a travel bag.

That extra elastic added grip and made the fit feel more secure, especially since I wear this without glue.

Hairvivi Georgia wig details that actually matter on your head

Let’s talk specs, but in human language.

This is the Hairvivi Georgia wig. Mine is the “18-inch” length. In real life, it looks quite long. Hairvivi’s lengths don’t seem to match the way many Jewish wig sellers measure (often from the scalp). I’m not 100% sure where their measuring starts, but the wig does reach longer than you might expect for 18 inches.

If length stresses you out, Hairvivi usually shows where lengths fall on the body on the product page, so you can avoid buying too much hair.

Cap construction and why I didn’t need a wig cap

One thing that stood out: the wig has an artificial cap material under the lace that helps mimic a scalp tone. Because of that, I didn’t need a wig cap, and I didn’t need to part my own hair. You can see in this hairline image how my hair is matted beneath the lace (I didn’t push it back) but you can’t see my hair through the part.

That’s a big deal because many Orthodox women don’t wear wig caps (and even if we do, it doesn’t feel very good), and with regular lace, hair showing through can look less natural. This design felt like it was made with that reality in mind.

A few more build notes from what I observed:

• It’s a 13×6 lace front unit. That means that the lace is 6 inches from the hairline along the part, and 13 inches across the hairline.
• The top appears hand-tied, while the back looks wefted.
• It has ear tabs with lace, which helps the look, but also brings some quirks (we’ll get there).

I bought a size Large because I have a bigger head. It fit snugly and felt true to size with adjustable straps. Not every wig comes in Large, so I paid attention to that.

Color, density, and texture (aka what you notice in the mirror)

My wig cap (the part lining) is in Cappuccino, which was the lightest option for the Georgia style at the time. Hairvivi also has a “Honey” line, which is more of their lighter, “white women” shade range. If you have very fair skin and want a better scalp-toned match, Honey would be the better pick when a style offers it.

My skin tone is complicated. My face goes pale in winter, but the rest of me tans fast, like “drove carpool once on a sunny day and now I’m medium” fast. Cappuccino worked, but next time I’d go lighter if I had the choice.

Hair quality shocked me in the best way. It felt incredibly soft, especially for the price range. The wig is also described as ready-to-go: pre-plucked hairline, bleached knots, customized hairline for a natural hairline, pre-styled waves. Density is 160% density, and it reads on the thinner side among hair density levels, but in a natural way, especially when air dried (more on that later).

The color came through as a warm chestnut brown with a bit of a reddish warmth, but not as red as it can look in photos online.

First try-on out of the box: secure, comfortable, and a little surprising.

Minutes after opening the box, I completed the wig install because patience isn’t my brand.

I wore this glueless wig with a simple velvet wig grip underneath. No glue. No spray. No spiritual ceremony. It felt secure enough that I didn’t panic-walk around my house holding my head, but I did eventually feel a bit of movement.

The lace was still uncut at that point, and I could see it at the front, but the lace melting made the overall color and hairline look surprisingly natural.

“Wow, I just got myself a wig for under $500.”

That was the moment. Not because it was perfect, but because it didn’t look cheap. It looked like real hair that belonged to a person with their life together.

Pros and cons of the Hairvivi Georgia wig (the honest version)

No wig is flawless. If someone says theirs is flawless, they’re either blessed, or they never experienced a breeze.

Here’s what stood out after wearing it, washing it, and living a bit of life in it.

What I loved (and why it worked for my Orthodox life)

The best thing about this wig is how wearable it is. I wore it to a full-day event, traveled in it, and felt comfortable. That’s rare for me. I’m sensory, and I avoid discomfort (such as high heels) like a special form of torture.

In fact, after recording my video, I went ahead and wore it to two days of Toy Fair – (that is insanely long and intense 14 hour days where I walk 17k steps). It was rock solid and I wasn’t tearing it off my head. You can see the wig in action in my Toy Fair video here.

A few wins that mattered:

• The hair quality felt A++. It was softer than some falls and even some pricier pieces I’ve owned.
• The 160% density looked natural. It’s thinner than some wigs, but it didn’t look stringy or flat.
• It had very little shedding so far with no shedding issues or breakage, even with me touching it a lot.
• There’s a comb at the nape, which adds security in the back.
• The lace and cap design meant I could skip a wig cap, and my hair didn’t need a perfect part underneath.
• After washing, the air-dry texture surprised me. It dried into a natural body wave, like a person with wavy hair who simply washed their hair and didn’t fight it.

What bugged me (and what you should know before you buy)

A few things weren’t as dreamy up close. While I am 100% happy with this wig and hope to buy from Hairvivi again, here are some things to know before buying.

My main cons:

• The wig felt straighter than I expected at first, even though it’s marketed as wavy. After air-drying, it looked much better.
• The bleached knots and hairline weren’t my favorite when I looked closely. It’s pre-plucked for a natural hairline, but not “I can press my face to your forehead and see nothing” customized hairline levels of perfect. Filling in baby hairs at the hair line would fix this (and is often needed on pricier wigs regardless).
• The lace didn’t look pristine HD to me up close. It looked good overall, but I noticed a slight graininess. Again, baby hair filling helps this.
• The ear tabs didn’t lay down on their own. This is the big “not truly glueless” moment. If you want to slick everything behind your ears, you’ll likely need glue, or you’ll need to style hair forward near the ears.
• It’s not high pony-friendly (at least not for me).
• The color had some brightness out of the box, especially for a darker wig with dimension, which is common. Toning helped. And it took the toning and coloring well – something that is a huge deal, especially on cheaper wigs.

To make the tradeoffs clearer, here’s a quick side-by-side:

The takeaway: it looked fantastic at normal conversation distance, and it felt good to wear. For me, that’s the whole point.

Styling and customization: what I changed, and what I’d do again

I don’t baby wigs, but I also don’t want to fry them. Heat styling can shorten the life fast, so I try to keep things gentle.

Washing and air-drying (my favorite surprise)

After washing, I let the wig air-dry. The texture came out better than the out-of-the-box styling. It dried into loose, natural waves, like a person who let their wavy hair do its thing. This style works great for a middle part or side part, adding versatility.

For dressier days, I’d curl it, but for everyday wear, air-dry felt like the sweet spot.

If I need extra body and curl without cooking the hair, I use clip rollers. I roll the ends, clip them, and let the hair set. If it needs help, I use low heat briefly with a hair dryer (this one has great heat control), not a full-blast blowout.

The sister effect: toning and face-framing highlights

My sister helped with two key upgrades:

• She toned down the natural brightness of the wig.
• She added face-framing highlights in front, which gave the wig personality without turning it orange.

That made a bigger difference than I expected. The highlights weren’t brassy at all, and they improved the hair quality with a noticeably soft feel that made the whole look feel more alive.

She also looked at the cut and basically said, “It’s good.” I agreed. Sometimes the best haircut is the one you don’t have to fix.

The wig grip that made it “rock solid”

This part matters if you want glueless wear that actually feels secure.

I recommend a lace-front wig grip like the one I used: lace wig grip from Amazon (affiliate link). It’s the kind with lace at the front/part so it blends better under lace wigs.

However, I found it uncomfortable at first because it sat too far forward and covered my ears. So I modified it according to a friend’s recommendation.

I cut an arch around the ear area, and I sewed around that cut for strength. After that, it stopped annoying me and started doing its job. I wore it to a full-day event and it didn’t slip once.

One important detail: the tag needs to face out. I wore it wrong at first, and it slipped like crazy.

How I put on the Hairvivi Georgia wig (the real-life method)

I don’t do anything fancy here for this glueless wig, which is exactly why I like this setup.

1. I put on the modified lace wig grip, with the tag facing out, and position it forward.
2. I slide the wig on from the front, then settle it into place so the internal elastic band secures everything comfortably.
3. I adjust in the mirror, especially around the hairline and ear tabs. The elastic band of the internal strap adds extra security and aids the fit.

Since I don’t glue the ear tabs, I don’t pull everything straight back. Instead, I style a little hair forward in front of the ears. That hides the grip and keeps things looking natural.

Important buyer notes: kosher questions, returns, and glasses

A few practical points came up that are worth knowing.

Is this a “kosher wig”?

If you’re Orthodox and asking whether it’s kosher, speak to your rabbi. There are different opinions, and this post won’t pretend to decide that for anyone.

From my understanding, this is not a kosher wig. I believe it’s Indian hair (which has ramifications if it was cut as part of a religious ritual), but I’m not 100% certain. Hairvivi also offers Brazilian hair I believe, for those seeking different options, and you may be able to request it. Still, once you customize, returns may not apply.

Returns and the risk of online shopping

Hairvivi’s return policy is part of why I felt okay trying them. That said, customization can change the return situation, so read the details before you do anything permanent.

Online wig shopping always has some risk. If you can afford a salon and want the full try-on and fitting experience, that route can be great. I’ve had rough salon experiences before, so I went online this time.

If you wear glasses, expect a little extra fuss

I wear glasses most days. Glasses and wigs can fight for the same space near your ears.

To make it work, the elastic band offers security for daily wear, but I still pull a bit of hair forward under the glasses arms. That’s not unique to this wig, but you’ll probably need to do it here too.

Summary of my Hairvivi Wigs Review: would I buy Hairvivi again?

Yes. I have zero regrets.

In this Hairvivi wigs review of the Georgia, this glueless wig gave me something I didn’t expect to get at this price: comfort. The lace construction and customized hairline made it feel lighter and easier on my head. Once I figured out the grip situation, I could wear it all day without thinking about it, which is the dream. It delivered a natural hairline that enhanced the overall realism.

It isn’t perfect. The ear tabs aren’t truly glueless for pulled-back styles, the lace isn’t flawless up close, and it needed toning and a little personality in the front. Still, it looked like my dream wig once it air-dried and got those subtle highlights.

If you’re considering it, you can get the Hairvivi Georgia wig here.

Comfort is the reason I’m obsessed, and I’m curious if that’s what you’re chasing too. If you’ve tried Hairvivi (or you’re thinking about it), what’s your biggest wig dealbreaker, elastic band fit, hot comb needs, side part versatility, lace, density, color, or the dreaded ear tab?

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