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

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.

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.

Last year, I made I gorgeous DIY mosaic Menorah tray for Hanukkah and it was such a big hit, I had to try it another way. I used a sheet pan as the base for that one, so when I found these pizza pans, I realized that I needed to turn it into a seder plate.

I used a NEW pizza pan – this is important as pizza is Chametz and it wouldn’t be appropriate for Pesach if it was used.

I want to point out that this can be really cool as a matzah plate too. The shape and proportions are fabulous for that. And since it’s a flat seder plate, you can just follow the same process.

Choosing Supplies for your DIY Mosaic Seder Plate

When it comes to any craft, the supplies you choose make a big difference. I went through some ups and downs with this one, so please read this carefully. I did some oopsies and I’ll share them with you so that you don’t make the same mistakes.

Which tiles should you use?

I used glass craft tiles for this. Because the form of the seder plate – the designated spots for the foods – is effectively just circles marking their spots – you do need relatively small ones. I had hoped to repurpose leftover floor tiles (the mesh mosaic kind) a friend had given me, but they were too large and deep.

So I did what I did for the Menorah tray: I bought big packs of mixed tiles. This turned out to be a mistake. You’ll want specific colors to show contrast between the tiles and the background. So choose your colors and purchase accordingly. You’ll need a nice amount of tiles.

I ended up using a mixed color pack and 2 blues and greens packs.

The base plate

You’ll need a base to build your mosaic on. I used a new pizza pan from the dollar store. Anything rigid in the correct size can be used. You can try wood blanks in a 12 inch round, MDF or chipboard, or anything that won’t bend and crack your mosaic.

Gluing on the tiles

To glue on the tile, I used Weld Bond. This creates a pretty solid adhesion. I did have to crack some tiles off when I did some of my oopsies (more details are in the YouTube video below) but you’ll find it’s pretty solid with sticking smooth to smooth.

Some people use E6000 for this, but I find it to be too hard to use and heavy on the fumes. I like to use Weld Bond and glue it in batches, brushing the glue on with a paint brush.

Grout

Grout can sound intimidating, but it’s really not. It’s a step that I highly recommend taking as it really secures the tiles in place, and pulls the whole project together visually.

You can mix up your own powder grout, as I did. Or, get pre-mixed grout. Grout should be the consistency of peanut butter and comes in many different colors.

I had some gray grout left over from home projects, and used that. Choose something that’ll have some contrast with your tiles. Look at the color shown on the packaging – it dries lighter. Consider a colored grout, as it stays looking cleaner than white grout.

Planning and Crafting the DIY Mosaic Seder Plate Correctly

Again, making my DIY mosaic seder plate did not go as smoothly as it should have considering it was a remake of a craft I had already done but in a different shape. I’ll share my tips below so that you get it right the first time!

The Circles

If your design is the sum total of your food placement guidelines – what makes it a “seder plate” and not just a mosaic platter (which is cool too), you need it to be very visible. This was my main challenge.

I started by picking out the almost-white pieces of the mixed color package. I filled in the circles that I had outlined with it.

Then, when I tried to make the background, I realized that it really does need a border, so I chose the cobalt blue small square tiles to do that with.

The Background

At first, I had planned to do the background colorful, like I did with my Menorah tray. But then I realized that it wasn’t quite looking like I wanted it to. It was a mess, and the circles weren’t clearly defined.

I HAD planned it before, but it just wasn’t right, and I had already started gluing. I managed to push the tiles off with pliers, removed as much glue as I could, and started from scratch.

I purchased mostly-blue packs – a mixed one and a square one (it’s a bit inconsistent, so be prepared for more variation than you want. You can also get specific tiles). I chose the ones I wanted and worked with that.

At first I wasn’t sure I’d love it, but it was good enough. After grouting, it all came together and I absolutely love it.

Variations and finishing tips for the DIY Mosaic Seder Plate

I kept mine just as-is. I plan to simply place small glass bowls of the correct size on each circle and fill that with the correct foods. However, I do want to share some ideas for how to finish it off.

Adding Bowls

Small glass bowls that are placed in each spot really are my favorite fix for this seder plate. It allows it to remain modular and take up very little space in storage. It also allows you to use it as a Matzah plate after the Seder is over. If you do plan to do that, you’ll want to seal it – more on that below.

You can also use it as-is, without any bowls. Again, you’ll want to seal it if you do.

Another idea is to secure bowls in place. Keep in mind that simple, relatively dry foods that are not typically eaten after tend to sit on the Seder plate, so a quick wipe to clean it usually works.

Sealing your Plate + Food safety tips

I did not seal my plate because I plan to use modular bowls on it. However, if you plan to put food directly on, you’ll probably want to seal it. If you plan to eat that food, you probably want to seal it with something food safe.

Resin is one good solution. However, it does darken the grout. It creates a relatively easy, highly washable high gloss surface. Aluminite Clear Cast Epoxy resin is my favorite food safe option.

Counter sealer – The good news is, tile is a pretty easy material to make food safe. Since tile and grout are sometimes used in countertops, there are plenty of food safe sealers that are meant to be relatively resilient.

Simplifying things for younger kids

This is very much an adult (or teen) DIY that teaches a real life skill. Some skilled kids may be able to do it with supervision. If you want to simplify any steps, here are some tips:

• Allow kids to glue on their tiles in whichever order. Have a professional (or a parent/teacher) grout and seal it, adding the bowls in the correct spot.
• Outline the circles for the kids, and allow them to make it like I did. Have an adult grout it for them.
• Skip the grout. Some tiles will fall off. This works if you’re really just looking for it to be a semi-functional kids’ craft.
• I did a version at first where I really just outlined circles with tile. This makes it much cheaper, and easier for kids, however, the tiles don’t stay on very well.

I do plan to share another seder plate craft that’s more kid-friendly this year, and you can find more on the blog (such as this paper seder plate that’s super popular).

How to Craft a DIY Mosaic Seder Plate (Step by Step Tutorial)

You’ll Need

• Mosaic tiles – I ended up using tiles from this set for the inside of the circles, this set (mixed blues), and this one (blues and squares) with plenty left over
• A 12 inch round flat pan
• Weld Bond glue
• A flat brush (recommended)
• A circle to trace (I punched mine from laminated cardstock scraps using a 2.5 inch punch. You can also trace a bowl to make a template – I recommend preparing 6 templates).
• A permanent marker
• Grout (powdered or pre-mixed)
• A mixing bowl or pail (something you can ruin – if mixing your own)
• A pan or bin of water (something you can ruin)
• A mixing spoon (something you can ruin – if mixing your own)
• Something to cover your work surface
• Gloves
• Scraper – anything flat and rigid (such as a membership card you don’t need)

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 with Photos

1. Measure your circles and cut 6 of them from a stiff material. Arrange them in a circle on your pan, equally spaced apart.

2. Trace your circles.

3. Start planning your design. I sorted my tiles, choosing the lighter ones for inside the circles.

4. Roughly place your tiles before starting any gluing .

5. Glue them on in increments, working on a small area at a time. Brush on your glue and lay down one tile at a time.

6. Again, plan your design before gluing. I allowed my circles to dry before doing this step to make sure they stay secure and in place. I placed my cobalt tiles around the light centers and liked how it looked but decided to ditch the larger ones and keep it even.

7. Again, working with a small portion at a time, start gluing your tiles down around the original circles that you drew.

8. Now fill the background! Working with different shades of blue, and section by section, I filled in the spaces. You will want to start with the tighter spaces since those have more specific needs, and then move onto the larger gaps.

9. Eventually, you’ll move on to the center area. You can do a specific design there, but I kept it random. I don’t recommend tiling the border, because that’ll be harder to grout and won’t stay as secure.

10. When you’re ready to grout, follow the package instructions for proportions, and mix up your grout!

You should have a peanut butter like consistency.

11. Spread your grout on the surface of your mosaic. This is the scary part, but don’t worry, your project will be more than fine!

12. I used my (gloved) hands to distribute the grout, and a scraper (out-of-use membership card) to get it in the cracks and scrape off the extra.

13. Take a very slightly damp sponge (if yours has a rope like mine does, cut it off before you start!) Use it to smooth out the surface, gently removing any excess. Clean up your edges.

14. When your grout starts drying and looking lighter, start rubbing some of it off the surface very lightly with a dry paper towel. Tip: as long as the grout is still wet, as you wipe, you’ll be pulling grout out of the cracks. Go easy on it and play it by ear. Do what works. You can do this in multiple stages, checking in on it, wiping a little. Or, just wait until the surface of the whole grout is touchable but it’s not dried through and wipe.

15. When it clouded over a bit more, I gave it another damp sponging… That got rid of most of what was needed.

And then a final dry paper towel wipe when it was pretty much solid (but not yet totally dry) was the final wipe down it needed.

Allow it to dry completely (overnight, a day or two.. whatever you feel it needs.) Finish it off how you’d like (notes above) and your DIY mosaic seder plate is complete!

The post DIY Mosaic Seder Plate appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Paper plates are the perfect medium for making masks – because you have the round shape, in the right size, and the curvature that fits over the face! Today I’m going to share with you some of my best tips for making them with kids of all ages.

We’re going to explore different shapes and ways to cut it out, how to use the ridged edge as elements, and even show you what my kids came up with! I’ll be sharing our art supply experimentation and recommendations based on our successful results.

We tested this with kids ages toddler (2.5) through 9!

These are great for the classroom, Purim parties, and even make a great Purim carnival booth idea!

Tips and Variations for crafting paper plate masks

Crafts like this are very open-ended and I highly recommend allowing room for creativity. Here are some of our experimentations, as well as ways you can take it to the next level.

Different ways to color it

One of my favorite ways to color paper plate masks is using paint. However, with limited dry time, I wanted to give paint sticks a go. They are my go-to paint solution for any time a project needs paint, so why should this be different, right?

However, I ran into one major issue? they were too wide and clumsy for the textured paper plate!

So while they worked, control was challenging.

On round two, I pulled out two more mediums to try: watercolor paints and gel watercolor crayons. They both worked fabulously! The watercolor crayons are similar in texture to paint sticks, fast drying (although you’ll need more time if you’re watercoloring over them) and have finer tips that allow for much more detail.

Watercolors are just EASY – especially for younger kids. They can do a simple wash or paint in additional details.

They can also use markers to add details afterwards.

We also used paint markers (I recommend instant ink ones when crafting with kids). Those are fabulous, especially for older kids who will want to add real detail.

Playing with Shape

The shape of the paper plates really lend themselves to adding pretty designs – especially if you’re making the paper plate masks for Purim!

We cut some with a crown edge to make different characters.

You can also simply play up the shape of the plate to make half masks. I like outlining the eyes in a winged shape.

And my 9 year old got really creative! He traced one of my masks on his own to make a template and cut it out entirely on his own. He added cat eyes and whiskers – and it was all his ideas.

More Decorating Ideas

There are more ways you can craft this and here are some tips and pointers. I’ll also offer different styles of setting up this paper plate masks craft based on group size and age later in this post.

• Use colorful plates with permanent/paint markers for a bright, colorful effect with less coloring needed.
• Add feathers to the center of the forehead.
• Add stick-on gems around the eyes and to the crowns.
• Bring on the foam shapes!

How to turn it into a mask

There are a few ways to turn anything into a mask. One of my favorites is to stick a dowel on the side. A paper straw or craft stick does the job too. These handheld masks are more fun for kids to use as a toy – it’s less uncomfortable to wear.

Of course, you can also go the traditional route and use elastic! Opt for 4mm round braided elastic. You can get it in white or in fun colors, or get pre-made mask elastics with metal stoppers at the ends.

Making Paper Plate Masks with Kids

When you’re crafting this, so much of what you might want to do/how you do it depends on the size and age of the group! Here are some pointers for making paper plate masks for Purim with different group types.

Tips for younger kids vs. older kids

Since we crafted this with a nice range of age groups, I can share some pointers based on personal experience.

• Toddlers – Precut the masks and keep the shapes basic. Use watercolor gel crayons if possible, stickers are great too. Use washable paint if you’re brave. You can use regular crayons but the color will be very faint.
• Preschool – Precut the masks. You can incorporate simple shapes like crowns, cat ears (one-piece). Some kids will use it, some won’t. Stick-on embellishments like foam shapes and gems are great here too. They can watercolor or use gel crayons, paint sticks, paint, etc.
• Grade school – Older kids can cut their own masks. Younger ones will need pre-cut. You can offer a mix of options. They can use paint markers (as long as they’re wearing junk clothes) for more detailed drawings. Or allow them to play with watercolors, gel crayons, etc.
• Tween and up – Just hand them the supplies (the more sophisticated the better) and let them explore!

Tips for small groups vs. large groups

When crafting this with a smaller group, you can go more detailed with the instruction, and higher end with the materials. You can also wait and see if they need help with cutting out the masks.

For larger groups, you will really want to have everything set up and self-serve. Precut masks. Offer more bulk of more basic supplies. Go for paint markers if you can as it’s easier to spread out for a group (but get cheap ones and plan for them to be “used up” in this craft session.)

I also recommend instantly drying materials only for larger groups since it’s harder to track which project belongs to which kid. And stick-on embellishments are a win for large groups.

How to make fun paper plate masks

You’ll Need

• Paper plates
• If possible, grab a mask you have handy to trace
• Scissors
• Coloring supplies. My top 3 are: watercolor paints, watercolor gel crayons (fine tip but instant dry if not actually watercoloring), and paint markers
• Optional: embellishments like stick-on gems, feathers, and foam shapes
• Hole punch: if you can swing a 1/16th inch one that’s ideal, otherwise use a standard one
• Elastic or pre-made mask elastics
• OR use a hot glue gun (adults only) or tape to stick on a dowel, jumbo craft stick, or paper straw

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 Instructions

1. Cut your mask from the plate: Use a mask (or a nearby child) to figure out eye placement. Sketch out and cut your mask. Keep your first mask as a template to trace more masks.

On average, you can fit two masks to a plate.

Try using the plate in different directions and ways for a bit of variety.

2. Color your masks. Try outlining the eyes and adding detail based on the winged eye shape.

Use paint markers to get around the ridges, and use the ridges as a crown shape.

Add facial details like eyebrows and lashes if you want.

3. Turn it into a mask. Punch holes on each side and add an elastic. Or tape or glue on a dowel.

Your paper plate masks for Purim – or anytime – are complete! Which styles will you be crafting next? Comment below and then check out this fun mask decorating activity.

The post Paper Plate Masks for Purim appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

When I was making my triple chocolate hamantaschen a couple of years ago, I realized that it would be so cool to practice on air dry clay! I decided to craft these quite simple clay hamantaschen this year as a fun little Purim craft that’s fabulous for kids and adults.

Adults can make it for little kids to play with, and kids can make it to just have fun and learn the basics of how to make perfect hamantsachen. Well, it won’t quite take them all the way to perfect, but they’ll have fun making it.

The idea is that they can get really hands on and do it “for real” but not on food, and without dealing with messy jelly!

Including DIY Clay Hamantaschen in your Purim prep

I figured before I dive into the clay Hamantaschen tutorial, I’d share with you some ways you can include them in your classroom or home pre-Purim prep.

What to do with them when you’re done

I made these having in mind my kids’ play kitchen. I love updating it with seasonal supplies and I know that many classrooms convert their play kitchens seasonally. We did this with felt hamantaschen in the past, but clay really does mimic the real thing better.

FYI the kitchen toys I have pictured are from this set – a favorite in our house.

Just a word of caution: if making it for younger toddlers, or any kids who might try to eat it, you’ll want to closely supervise it at the very least. J tried taking a bite out of it, and he didn’t manage to, but he did break it. Air dry clay can mimic ceramic when cured so it’s not exactly a shatterproof toy. It’s more likely to crumble, and really just a corner came off, but again, young kids might abuse it .

They are still totally functional, just not as nice!

Some more fun ways to use these clay hamantaschen after you craft them – beyond the play kitchen:

• Use them as part of a Purim sensory bin.
• Have them as a seasonal bowl filler that almost looks real.
• Or add them to a tiered tray.
• Play Purim jokes “shtick” with them (on the right people).
• String them up into a garland (either by folding it around a string and letting it dry that way or by hot gluing a string to the back.)

Adapting this for younger kids’ crafts

This was a mom-made craft, but it’s totally the type of thing that older kids can nail. In fact, if you’d consider offering your kids to help assemble hamantaschen, they can definitely help craft these!

If you’re doing these with younger kids, here are some adaptations:

• Definitely pre-color your filling – that’s a very messy part of the process. Just make sure to store it properly until it’s ready to craft with.
• Work together with them, one-on-one to fill the hamantaschen.
• Do the pinch-corner style and not the overlapping corner style of folding.
• Skip the glitter!
• Consider making a small mark (such as by pressing in a toothpick to make a line) at the corners so they know where to pinch.

More tips for making clay hamantaschen

Here are some tips for success. These are designed to help you understand a little more about the process and my material choices so that you can make it work for you.

Coloring and painting options

There are so many ways you can color air dry clay (which typically comes in white or terra cotta colors). One of the absolute messiest ways to do it is to add paint ot your clay. That’s probably how you want to paint your filling, because you will have a hard time painting it when you’re done!

For the outside, watercolor paints just look so cool – like freshly baked hamantaschen. You can also use acrylic paints – or washable paints. You can even color it with paint markers, but it may ruin the marker, so get cheap ones for one-time use.

There are also all sorts of things you can press in. I really wanted to do the chalk pastel shavings method that I had done in the past on these seashell necklaces, but I couldn’t find my pastels (time to purge the craft room!)

I instead pressed in glitter. Glass glitter works the best for this (and doesn’t get on everything), but I also used tinsel glitter and microbeads.

Sealing the clay Hamantaschen

I chose to seal my clay hamantaschen with outdoor Mod Podge for a water resistant finish. You can use dishwasher safe Mod Podge as well (it takes 28 days to cure but will be playable after a few days).

If I had the time, I’d seal them with UV resin for a real hard finish. I think that would have made it more durable and less crumble-able.

Whatever you use, choose something non-toxic if you’re using it as a toy.

How to make clay hamantaschen

What you’ll need

• Air dry clay – I’m a big fan of the quality of DAS brand
• Acrylic paint in red, purple, etc.
• Optional: glitter
• Rolling pin dedicated to clay
• Watercolor paint
• Paint brush
• A bowl/glass about 3 inches round to trace – and a clay-dedicated craft knife (if it’s a good, straight edge glass, you may be able to just press it in to cut it) – or a cookie cutter that shape and size
• Hard finishing Mod Podge (such as Super Gloss, Outdoor, Dishwasher Safe) or UV resin to seal it.

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 tutorial

1. Protect your surface. Start by softening your clay if needed (just knead it in your hands a bit) and separate small bits of clay for the filling – a bit bigger than a marble.

2. This part is messy: add a glob of acrylic paint to your filling and mix it in. It’ll be very diluted in color.

3. Roll out your clay to about 1/8 inch thick (don’t measure! It should be thick enough to be durable but not crazy thick).

4. Trace and cut out your circle.

5. Carefully remove the excess.

6. Place your filling in the center of the circle.

7. If you’d like, you can add glitter on top.

8. Assemble your Hamantasch! There are two ways to do it. One way is to fold over each third of your circle towards the center.

Overlap the sides – each side should go over one side and under the other.

Give a little pinch at the corners to secure them. Make sure the center opens up a bit to reveal the filling.

9. The less-neat-but-easer method is the pinch method. Pinch each corner (fold up the sides of the circles in three spots to form these corners.

And pinch them together to form your triangle.

10. Allow your clay hamantaschen to dry completely. How long it takes will depend on your environment – temperature, humidity, etc. Then, paint it with a wash of brown watercolor paint.

11. When the top is dry to the touch, flip it over and paint the back. Just a tip when doing watercolors on air dry clay – don’t overwork it or make it too wet.

12. Allow it to dry completely (an hour or so) and seal it with your choice of sealer.

Your clay hamantaschen are complete and ready to be played with!

The post How to Make Clay Hamantaschen from Air Dry Clay appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

This paper gragger craft for Purim is so much fun to color and assemble – and you have eight designs to choose from! If you want a more traditional shape Grogger craft, try this. This post contains affiliate links.

One of the reasons that I love turning coloring pages into crafts is that kids can really get busy with it, playing a meaningful part in the “design”, and then come out with a functional creation.

Sometimes I create something that requires a bit more assembly – more of a complex template. With this paper gragger craft for Purim my goal was the opposite: keep assembly as simple as possible and leave room for creativity there too.

I’m going to share loads of assembly tips and ideas, plus a closer peek at this, but first, you can download it here.

Download the Paper Gragger Craft for Purim here

The paper gragger craft for Purim is 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.

About the Paper Gragger Craft for Purim

The design of this craft is meant to be a simple “pillow” gragger. You have two designs back to back (identical deigns mirrored) and sandwiched between them is a filler that makes noise when shaken.

They’re like mini paper stuffies.

Different ways to craft it

I wanted to keep assembly versatile and assembled it a few different ways. The clown was crafted with a craft stick as a handle for easy shaking.

The Gragger style was designed with a stick in mind. I used a dowel in the same color as I colored the stick.

The tambourine I kept flat – it leads less into having a stick or anything like that. All of these were glued shut.

On the Hamantaschen, I wanted to show you how you can lace these. I punched around the edge and laced it up. It’s purely decorative – you don’t want your filler to fall out so it’s anyway glued around the edge.

The versions your craft comes with

To make this paper gragger craft for Purim fabulous for everyone, I’ve included repeats of the ones with text in Hebrew as well as English.

These are PDF files, with each design on one page to make it really easy to hand out. You can put these out at a shul event or workshop, let everyone choose, and finish it off different ways. Provide a simple printout of instructions, the supplies needed, and a few crafted samples.

Each Gragger has a secondary border to allow for a bit of a border around the project so the actual image can stand out. You can cut that border off if you don’t like it.

8 Styles to choose from

To keep things creative, I provided eight styles of Gragger – that way everyone can craft the one THEY want. These are fun illustrations made special for this craft.

Some can be crafted in more unique image-specific ways. For example, the Gragger can be crafted with a stick that “continues” the illustrated one. Maracas would be filled only at the rounded point, with the base glued together.

The Gragger styles included are:

• Gragger top
• Clown
• Megillah
• 3 Hamantaschen
• Single Hamantasch with text
• Tambourine
• Maracas with text
• Different maracas without text

How to Assemble the Paper Gragger Craft for Purim

You get a printable version of instructions with your download.

You’ll Need

• The templates (get them in my shop, on Etsy, and on TpT) printed on paper
• Markers, crayons, etc.
• Filler – I used plastic pellets. You can get more ideas in myPurim gragger game instructions here.
• Glue – if an adult is assembling it, hot glue is best because of the fast dry time. Otherwise school glue works, Tacky glue is better.
• Optional: yarn and plastic needle for lacing.
• Optional: hole punch for lacing
• Optional: Sticks – dowels or craft sticks

Assembly Instructions

1. Print your chosen templates on paper.

2. Color it in. I skipped coloring the extra border.

3. Cut it out around the outer border.

4. Glue it most of the way around, leaving an opening. If you’re not using hot glue you’ll want to let it dry.

5. Fill it with about a tablespoon of plastic pellets.

6. Glue it shut.

7. If you want to lace it, you can follow the same process as above. But make sure to glue it on the inside perimeter of the border, so you don’t poke holes in the actual container that’s holding the pellets.

8. Punch holes around your border.

9. Tie on a piece of yarn.

10. And sew around the edge!

11. To add a stick: First, glue your stick in position on the back of one piece.

12. Glue around the edge, leaving an opening, and glue securely over the stick so it totally seals.

13. Glue the corresponding side. You may need to smush it down a bit so it seals around the edges. Fill and glue the last bit.

14. Do a craft stick the same way – but you don’t really need to glue along the hole thing. A dowl needs more secure gluing or it’ll poke through.

Your paper gragger craft for Purim is complete! Just a reminder that you can get it in my shop, on Etsy, and on TpT

The post Paper Gragger Craft for Purim appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Color and craft a fun Shivat haminim garland with this beautiful printable – or print the full color version instead! When you’re done, try this felt Shivat Haminim template too. This post contains affiliate links.

Ready for a low-key and fun way to decorate for Tu B’shvat? Assemble this simple Shivat Haminim garland printable! There are two crafting styles:

• The full color garland to print, cut, and assemble OR
• The color-in one for when you want more of a detailed activity, and you want to sit and color!

Both of these are available in my shops: my own website shop, Etsy, and Teachers Pay Teachers. Or scroll on for more details and a few ways you can assemble this!

Get the Shivat Haminim Garland Printable

The Shivat Haminim Printable Garland is 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.

Get the color-in version:

Get the FULL COLOR version:

Crafting your Shivat Haminim garland printable

Here are some general tips for crafting these – but I do have a full tutorial at the end.

Stringing it up – & More cool ways to craft this

The garland is scaled to full pages so that you can display it large. Since images can be scaled down without losing quality but not up, I wanted to leave you with the maximum quality. I did not include any specific hanging mechanism in the template so that you can choose that as well. Here are some ways you can string this Shivat Haminim garland printable – or not!

• Print it any size by using the PNG images. On Windows, you can right click all the images and choose “print” (under “show more options”) and it’ll give you the option to print them in different sizes. I chose 5×7 for this.
• I glued the full color one along a string – simply gluing the back.

• You can glue two back to back to make a two-sized garland. If using the above method, first glue one side, flip it over, and glue the second side to make sure it’s in order.
• For the color-in one, I punched two holes in each one and strung it up with a ribbon.

• You can make tabs on the top of your garland to make hanging loops. Leave two tabs on the top when cutting out your pennants and loop them over. Or, attach loops from a separate piece of colored paper.
• This is a really fun craft for Tu B’shvat or as a Sukkah decoration. If you’re making it for Sukkot, laminate it and leave a laminated border around any cuts. Even if crafting it for Tu B’shvat, laminating it will really protect it and allow it to last from year to year.
• Print it in full size and use it as a bulletin board. Even though these are pennant shapes, you don’t even need to turn it into a garland! You can even make these as a coloring or flip book.

Coloring Tips

If using the color-in version, there are many ways you can color this in!

I used these paint markers to color mine. They are somewhat opaque and a good low-key grown-up marker. Colored pencil gave me a light background. Alcohol markers are also great for adults, as are colored pencils. For kids, colored pencils, markers, or anything really goes.

You can also simply print it on colored paper. Or print on colored paper AND color them in with opaque paint markers.

Variations

There are different options to print – I’ll walk you through them here!

Full color vs color-in

Available as two separate downloads, you can choose from full color Shivat Haminim garland printables or from a color-in version.

If you want more of an instant decoration with minimal assembly, the full color one is the way to go. The photos hardly capture it, so check out the preview below.

It is digitally colored, using digital watercolor brushes for dynamic, artistic color.

The color-in one is great for kids to create home decor for Tu B’shvat or the Sukkah. It’s great for crafting workshops, as an activity that can be started and taken home.

With Text vs. Without

For each version, I’ve made one both with text and without. The text says the Hebrew word for that fruit. The biblical verse for the fruit isn’t always an exact match (for example, dates are referred to as Devash – or honey.) I used the Hebrew word for the fruit (dates are Tamar).

Choose if you want it with text or without and print the one you want.

PNG vs. PDF

As usual, I offer both PDF versions and PNG. The PNG does have in mind Cricut crafters who want to use their machines to Print then Cut, but it’s also fabulous for crafting them different sizes.

The PDF size is quite large. You can print it at scale (for example, 75%) if it’s too big. I did want to give the option of having it large enough for a bulletin board, for example. Print one page to test before printing them all.

This Shivat Haminim garland printable makes gorgeous home or classroom decor for Tu B’shvat, Yom Ha’atzma’ut (celebrating the special fruit of Israel), or as a Sukkah decoration. It’s easy to assemble and will look gorgeous – whether you’re coloring it yourself or using my colored version.

How to assemble your Shivat Haminim Garland Printable

You’ll need

• The files – get them in my shop, on Etsy, and on TpT – printed, preferably on cardstock
• Markers or other coloring supplies, if assembling the color-in version
• Scissors
• Hole punch – optional
• String
• Hot glue gun – optional

Process

1. Cut out your pennants.

2. Color them in.

3. Punch holes at the top if stringing it that way.

4. Run a string through them.

You can also just hot glue them along a string. Hang them and enjoy!

Just a reminder you can download these in my shop, on Etsy, and on TpT. Enjoy!

Get the color-in version:

Get the FULL COLOR version:

The post Color & Craft Shivat Haminim Garland Printable appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Use this simple felt Shivat Haminim template to craft some beautiful home decor for Tu B’svhat or the Sukkah. When you’re done, try making an air dry clay fruit bowl too. This post contains affiliate links.

While I created an SVG and PDF template a while ago for a paper Shivat Haminim garland, I wanted to create one that is more felt-friendly. While they are totally interchangeable, that one is more detailed and a bit harder to work with felt.

So I loosely based this off of that one, but also changed it up to make it more current and simpler. I wanted to show it beautifully stitched but ran out of time, so I hot glued mine together.

Get your felt Shivat Haminim template

The felt Shivat haminim template is 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.

Assembling your felt Shivat Haminim Template

The basic structure of the template

The idea of this template was to avoid any unnecessary details and focus on the basic shape of the fruit. To accomplish that, each piece has a background base, and a fruit made of simple shapes that fit on it.

Additional items like leaves are separate pieces that fit over the “main” fruit to lend it some texture.

Cutting it out

The felt Shivat haminim template can be cut out by hand or using a Cricut. I cut mine by hand. Some of the shapes (especially on the wheat and barley) do get quite fine and need to be handled with care.

It’s a bit time consuming to cut by hand, but if you can put on a podcast and relax with the job, it can be really enjoyable.

The hand-cut template is a fixed size. The Cricut one is scalable and can be made any size.

I used a mixture of different textures and finishes of felt to cut out my garland. Stiff felt is okay for glued-on details, but you’ll want softer felt for any items that will be sewn. Very thick high quality felt is worth it if you want to make a quality piece that will last, but it can get pricey.

Assembling it

There are many ways to assemble your final piece. I highly recommend carefully stitching your work together by hand… but that takes time. You can glue on the finer details and stitch around the outline for a good mix. Or just hot glue them all together…

You can also machine sew some parts, but you’ll need precision and a good command of the sewing machine for that. I only recommend doing that if you’re using your Cricut to make these large.

Another cool way to assemble this is to glue it and then use careful stitching as a decorative edge.

I turned mine into a garland by simply gluing the fruit along a piece of twine, but I’ll share more ideas for this below.

More ways to use this felt Shivat Haminim template

Adding detail

Felt projects look so much cuter with detail added. If you’re hand or machine sewing, add some embroidered detail. Think: lines down the leaves, French knot seeds on the pomegranate and fig, a little shine on the grapes…

If you’re not up for sewing or embroidering, you can also try puffy paint! Add color-on-color details for a classy touch. For example, use green for detail on the leaves. The goal is to add texture, not necessarily color.

Beyond a garland

While I designed this as a garland, felt lends itself to so many different final creations.

Repeat the back layer and turn them into stuffies by filling them with poly fil and then stitching around the edge. You can even make beanbags by filling them with poly pellets. Or turn them into crinkle toys by adding crumpled cellophane between the layers.

Use these as appliques as well. Make them smaller (it will be a bit more challenging) and from stiff felt and glue them onto headbands or barrettes. And you don’t need to do all of them! Choose your favorite fruit and run with it!

How to make your felt Shivat Haminim Garland

You’ll need

• Felt – quality matters. If gluing, you can use stiff felt, if sewing go for a soft felt.
• Good fabric and detail scissors OR
• Cricut, rotary blade, and fabric mat
• Embroidery floss in corresponding colors or hot glue gun – or both!
• Recommended sewing clips and/or straight pins
• If hand sewing: scissors that are not fabric scissors for your template.
• The template – find it in my shop, on Etsy, and on TpT

Assembly instructions

1. Print out your templates if hand cutting. I recommend printing them in color as an easier color reference. The last page is a color reference, so if you’re short on ink, you can print only that one in color.

2. Cut your shape around the outer line. Start by pinning the outer layer on your background color.

3. Cut out your outer layer from felt. Then, cut out the outer layer, preserving it to use as a placement guide when assembling your fruit. Pin and cut out the next color.

4. Repeat with all your parts. Use the cut outlines of the fruit as guides for placement and glue or sew them on the base.

5. For designs with leaves, sew that on top of the piece. It’ll give it a bit of texture.

Your felt Shivat Haminim are complete! If you want another fun craft for Tu B’shvat, try this Tu B’shvat coloring page – it’s free! Or, download these Shivat Haminim puppets – a fun craft for kids.

In case you missed it, you can download your Shivat Haminim template in my shop, on Etsy, and on TpT.

The post Felt Shivat Haminim Template – DIY Garland appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Tu B’shvat, the birthday of the trees, is on the way! We are so excited to celebrate! I wanted to share a fun idea for a workshop-style craft – one that is a bit more of a functional end product and requires a bit more skill-learning to craft.

I thought a fruit bowl is the perfect craft for a holiday where we focus on eating lots of fruit!

Yes, it IS a beginner level craft. That is, you don’t need to have crafted this type of air dry clay project already – it can be your first. But you will need to follow the instructions carefully and learn the skills.

Of course, this craft is cool for anyone to make any time – not just for Tu B’shvat! So hop right in and enjoy this craft!

Basic Guidelines for making a DIY air dry clay fruit bowl

Here are loads of tips you may want to read through for smoother crafting – or you can just skip to the step-by-step tutorial at the end.

Food safety tips

Disclaimer: I am NOT a food safety expert, so follow this at your own risk.

When it comes to crafting, food safety can be a touchy issue. Most standard craft materials aren’t safe for food contact. However, there are workarounds.

Since this is used as a fruit bowl, and fruit are often stored in dubious conditions, coated with dubious materials, and rinsed before using, it needs a bit of a lesser degree of safety. Using a non-toxic clay and sealing it with a food safe coating (such as Alumilite Clear Cast epoxy resin) should be good enough. You’re not using it for heating food or for anything wet.

You can, of course, use food safe resin to coat it. You can even find food-safe paints to paint it with. I haven’t yet found a food safe air dry clay, but again, that’s the base layer on an item that isn’t really used in a very altering way.

Shaping tips

This DIY air dry clay fruit bowl is shaped around a large mixing bowl. This is my favorite way to make the bowl shape because it’s just the easiest.

Pinch pot methods are much more difficult. Multi-part assembly requires a lot of skill. The coil method can be cumbersome and time-consuming. So while all of the above methods of shaping clay can work, this one is the simplest. It also uses a smaller amount of clay – but is harder to control the outcome of.

The final bowl will be quite a bit smaller than the bowl you’re using as a mold. It’ll also be hard to control the exact size. Keep that in mind when choosing your bowl. It can also be difficult to remove the clay from the bowl.

My best tips for removing the clay from the bowl:

• When shaping it, don’t go too tight.
• Cover your bowl with plastic wrap. It may give the bowl some texture on the inside, but it’ll also make it much easier to remove.
• For some reason, metal bowls work better than glass bowls.
• Partially cure (air dry) your bowl just enough that the walls will stand freely and then remove it. Air dry clay does shrink as it cures, so it’ll be less tight if you remove it early.

Painting it

Painting your fruit bowl can be stressful. I recommend not looking too close at your bowl when you are painting it. Take a step back and see how it looks then. I reworked my kiwi bowl a LOT. I share more ideas for how to finish it below, so if you are uncomfortable with making a fruit slice, go ahead and do one of my alternate ideas.

I painted the edges with a gold paint marker (mine is matte – you can go for a real chrome look with this one) to embrace the messy edge. I really like the organic look of it, and the gold marker makes it look intentional.

Sealing it

When it comes to making dishes from clay, you really do need a seal. How tight that needs to be will depend on your intended use. For a fruit bowl that sits out, and holds fruit in the peel, only a quick wipe-down will be needed.

If you’re going for food-safe, resin really is your best bet. It creates a solid seal and makes it so durable. But if you don’t want to mess with resin, you can use Mod-Podge – any hard-finishing water resistant formula will work. Mod Podge is non-toxic but not food safe. I used their outdoor formula.

More ideas and alternatives for making DIY air dry clay fruit bowls

There are so many different ways to craft this – and while I did make this as a kiwi bowl, you really don’t need to!

Cool design ideas

Beyond my kiwi, here are more ideas for finishing and designing your DIY air dry clay fruit bowl:

• Try other fruit slices! Citrus is a shoo-in (lemon, lime, etc). Give the peel (outside) some texture before the clay cures.
• You can paint any pattern. Simple designs like polka dots (dot it with a pencil eraser) are easy to get right. If you’re more skilled, try painting more complex patterns.
• Watercolor your bowl like I did with this pomegranate honey drip tray.
• Keep your bowl white (you can also paint it white after it dries) and add some texture instead.
• Decoupage napkins like I did with these toilet paper roll napkin rings.

Beyond Tu B’shvat

Of course, this is a fun craft workshop for any occasion! Make fruit bowls just to have as home decor. Make them smaller as trinket bowls or dip bowls (they’ll need to be more food safe for dips). Make them larger as a tabletop centerpiece to fill with any bowl filler.

Or, craft these for other Jewish holidays! In small, they can make a cool honey dish. You can even make them for Pesach as bowls for Charoset or salt water. If you have patience to make a lot of them, you can use them as Mishloach Manot containers (just make sure you finish it simpler – such as a solid coat of cream or tan paint, or watercolor paints.)

How to make a DIY air dry clay fruit bowl

Supplies needed

• A full block of air drying clay – I like DAS brand a lot for its quality, durability, and workability
• A protected surface to work on. You can use parchment, but if you have a good sturdy silicone mat, or even a clay-dedicated silicone baking sheet, it’ll be helpful
• A rolling pin dedicated to clay
• A bowl or jar of water
• A clay-dedicated craft knife
• A metal mixing bowl to use as a mold – it should be somewhat larger than you want your bowl to be. If you only have a glass one, it’ll work too, but metal is easier to remove the clay from
• Plastic wrap – again, if you don’t want to use this, it’ll work but be a bit harder to remove your clay.
• Acrylic paint – depending on how you plan to finish it. For a kiwi, a medium brown, different shades of green, red is helpful for toning, and black.
• Paintbrushes – a good mix of sizes, flats and rounds
• Sealer – I used outdoor Mod Podge – see food safety notes above
• Gold acrylic paint marker. Preferably one that you don’t mind ruining. If you don’t want to go that route, you can use gold acrylic paint and a brush.

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.

Craft your bowl – step by step instructions

1. Start by softening your entire block of clay by kneading it for a few seconds. Form a ball and then flatten it to a pancake.

2. Start rolling out your pancake.

Keep rolling, flipping it over occasionally, keeping your thickness as even as possible, and using water to smooth out any cracks that form.

3. Keep rolling until it’s a bit larger than your bowl. It shouldn’t be so thick that it’ll take forever to dry, but it should be thick enough to be sturdy. About 1/8-1/4 inch is a good target thickness. It’ll thin towards the end so the more clay you have around the perimeter to trim the better.

4. Run your knife around the edge of the bowl to trim off the excess clay.

Remove the extra clay and store it in an airtight container for the next project.

5. Smooth the edges a little if you’d like.

6. Cover the outside of your bowl with plastic wrap. Make it as smooth as you can – creases will need to be fixed as they’ll show on the bowl.

7. Center your bowl (plastic wrap side down) on your clay circle.

8. Flip your whole mat over, holding the bowl with one hand and the mat with the other – supporting each with your whole hand. If you don’t have a mat you can flip over like this, you can carefully lift up your clay circle.

9. Lift up your mat. Make sure your clay is properly centered on the bowl.

10. Carefully shape your bowl. You can ruffle the edges for a ruffle edge bowl, or carefully smooth and fold the parts to form it.

11. If you’d like, you can etch your initials into the bottom of the bowl – or stamp it if you have a stamp.

12. Let your bowl partially cure. It should be strong enough to hold its shape but still flexible. Mine sat for 7 hours in a somewhat humid and cool basement. Environment will influence the cure time, so if you’re in a dryer or warmer setting, you’ll want to check much earlier.

When it’s partially cured, carefully remove the clay from the base bowl. Slide your fingers between the two and gently nudge it off.

13. Trim around the edge of your bowl to even it out as much as you can.

14. Use water to carefully smooth out the creases on the inside of the bowl. You may have some pretty serious ones from where it creased when you formed the bowl. The plastic wrap will have also given it some creases.

Use one hand to support the bowl from the outside, and the other to smooth things out.

15. Allow your bowl to dry completely! Then start painting. I did a very light green uneven circle in the center.

Followed by a brighter green for the rest of the inside.

16. I painted some light green lines going outward.

And then blended them in. I did rework my painting a few times – you may prefer to ditch the lines and keep things simple.

17. Add black seeds right around the light portion. A paint marker might be easier, but I used a round brush, pressing it down to widen it at the end.

18. Paint the outside brown, using unbroken strokes from the edge toward the center.

19. When your paint has dried, color the edges with a gold acrylic paint marker.

20. And seal your bowl!

Your DIY air dry clay fruit bowl is complete! I hope you enjoyed crafting this unique piece!

The post Craft a DIY Air Dry Clay Fruit Bowl for Tu B’shvat! appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Celebrate Tu B’shvat with a fun Shivat Haminim puppets craft – featuring the 7 species of Israel. When you’re done, check out these Neviot puppets too! This post contains affiliate links.

If you’re looking for a fun and engaging Tu B’shvat craft that can be made by many different age groups, you’ll want to give these Shivat Haminim puppets a try! This is a really easy craft that can be made more simply, or colored more ambitiously. And I created a color-in AND full color version based on how much crafting you really want to do.

I explain more about each puppet and how to assemble the set below, but meanwhile, if you want to get them, you can do so in my shop, on Etsy, orTpT.

Get the color-in version:

Get the full color version:

The Seven species of Israel feature five fruit, plus wheat and barley. These are the fruit that were biblically the celebrated “special” foods that Israel was blessed with, and so they have always been special in Jewish culture, and even have significance in Jewish practice, in the priority given to foods when reciting blessings on mutliple foods.

While some of these are featured as Rosh Hashanah simanim (and I made puppets special for those too) This set is very specifically the seven species. In order, they are: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegrate, olives, and dates.

Tu B’shvat is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the “birthday” of the trees (or more accurately, the new year for the trees). It falls of the 15th of the Jewish month of Shevat (its name is actually that as “tu” spells out the Aleph-bet of the number 15). This usually is sometime in February – about a month and a half after Hanukkah and a month before Purim.

IT’s a very minor holiday, usually celebrated by eating fruits, with a focus on the five of the seven species that are fruit. Okay, grapes grow from a vine, but they are included in our Tu B’shvat fruit celebrations.

These puppets are fabulous for Tu B’shvat, or any time you’re highlighting the seven species. It’s great as a Parshat Eikev craft – the portion of the Torah that lists the seven species.

About these puppets

The puppets were hand-illustrated digitally (that is, with a stylus but without any generation or anything along those lines) on my Surface Pro using Adobe Fresco. They were colorized the same way and then turned into puppets for you to enjoy using Illustrator.

2 versions: Color-in and full-color

I love “color & craft” projects – they offer the same easy entertainment of a coloring page, with lots of input from the kids, and an educational factor. But they also give kids an end product to play with! For that reason, I offer a line-art only version, which is perfect for classroom or at-home activities.

These offer so many options for any age group. I pulled out alcohol markers (perfect for teens and older) for a more professional color. Toddlers can use do-a-dot markers, preschoolers can use crayons, and grade-schoolers can use SuperTips.

Sometimes, you just want a quick finished product to cut and assemble as a classroom tool, toy, or visual. For that reason, I decided to create a full color version too! And while the puppet itself is a bit smaller than you might want for a bulletin board or classroom decor, you can scale up the PNG images a little to get a larger size for more versatile use.

The Shivat Haminim(the 7 species)

The seven species featured are as follows. If you want to learn more about them, I recommend this resource. You do get printable instructions as well as explanations with your download.

The source – Deuteronomy 8:8 – lists them as: “ אֶ֤רֶץ חִטָּה֙ וּשְׂעֹרָ֔ה וְגֶ֥פֶן וּתְאֵנָ֖ה וְרִמּ֑וֹן אֶֽרֶץ־זֵ֥ית שֶׁ֖מֶן וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ – a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey;“

• Wheat: Chita (חִטָּה)
• Barley: Se’ora (שְׂעוֹרָה)
• Grapes: Gefen (גֶּפֶן) – This translates to vine but refers to grapes
• Figs: Te’ena (תְּאֵנָה)
• Pomegranates: Rimon (רִמּוֹן)
• Olives: Zeit Shemen/Zayit (זֵ֥ית שֶׁ֖מֶן/זַיִת) (olive oil/oil) – While it refers to olives as the fruit, the Torah refers to it as olive oil.
• Dates: Devash/Tamar (דְבָֽשׁ/תָּמָר) (honey/date honey) – Once again, it states honey but we understand it as dates/date honey.

The puppets were illustrated to be playful, with some showing more than one of the fruit and adding character to them.

Get them here

The Shivat Haminim puppets craft is available for a few bucks in my shop, on Etsy, orTpT. 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.

Get the color-in version:

Get the full color version:

How to assemble your Shivat Haminim Puppets Craft

You’ll need

• The puppets, printed on cardstock
• Craft sticks
• Glue or glue lines. I like to prep these in advance with glue lines for kids, with the backing still intact, so that they can just peel it off and stick it on without glue.
• If using the color-in version, crayons, markers, etc, depending on the age group. I used alcohol markers – perfect for teens and adults,
• Kid-friendly scissors.

Process

1. Print your puppets on cardstock. Choose the color-in or full color version.

2. Color them in if crafting the color-in version.

3. Cut them out on the solid outer line. To make it easier, I placed each one in a shape that creates the puppet.

4. Glue or tape a stick to the back/bottom.

5. That’s it! Your Shivat Haminim puppets are ready to play with and celebrate Tu B’shvat.

In case you missed it, you can get the Shivat Haminim puppets craft here!

Get the color-in version:

Get the full color version:

The post Shivat Haminim Puppets Craft (Perfect for Tu B’Shvat) appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.