With Shavuot around the bend, and Spring here in full force, we are filling our house with flowers! I wanted to use shrinky dinks – yes, that nostalgic childhood craft – to bring this home (literally).

Today, I’m going to be sharing with you some fun, colorful Shrinky Dink flowers, ideas for what to craft with them, templates, and alternate ideas.

These are NOT the realistic-looking single petal flowers, so I apologize in advance, if that’s what you’re after, this isn’t the right post for you. But if you’re just looking for a fun, playful craft that virtually anyone can do, I have your back!

Tips for Crafting Shrinky Dink Flowers

The process for making these is quite simple: trace a template, cut it out, and shrink it. I decided to stop the shrinking short to allow the petals to curl a bit. While you can shrink it in a toaster oven, I find that I have more control with a heat gun (or a blow dryer will do).

This is one of those crafts that are hard to get wrong, but there’s definitely a lot you can do to make it come out much better! Here are my best tips.

Which markers are best for Shrinky Dinks?

To make these Shrinky Dink flowers, I used Posca’s acrylic paint markers. When it comes to paint markers, quality does matter, and nothing I’ve tried compares to Posca. If you’re on a budget, this pack from Ohuhu is a strong choice.

Acrylic paint markers give you that rich, opaque color. They shrink nicely with one caveat: if you lay it on too thick (for example, if you allow it to pool) they’ll crackle. Otherwise, they’re my top choice. If I make a mistake, I can wait for it to dry and carefully color over it.

You CAN also use permanent markers such as Sharpies for this. The biggest difference is that you’ll have more of a translucent finish. It can be hard to see what you’re coloring as you do it, but the colors get much stronger when you shrink it. It works best if you outline it in black after, so if you’re doing this with a group, make sure to get a few extra blacks.

Sealing your shrinky dinks

One advantage of using Sharpies on Shrinky Dinks is that it absorbs much better into the plastic. However, both Sharpies and especially paint markers can scratch off.

This doesn’t matter if you’re making your shrinky dink flowers as a quick, just-for-fun craft, however, if you’d like it to last, I recommend sealing it. Leaving shrinky dink flowers partially curled will make sealing it a bit more of a challenge, however, it’s still quite doable.

Some ways you can seal it include:

• UV resin – probably the most durable and nicest, but also a bit of a to-do.
• Clear nail polish – the paint marker absorbed a lot of this, but it worked well after a few layers. This is a great solution if you are just making this yourself and want to use available supplies.
• Mod Podge Dimensional Magic – a fabulous solution that gives a resin-like finish without using resin. You do need to allow it to totally dry before using, or it’ll streak. You’ll also want to leave plenty of dry time after applying it.

These were the three that I tested, and all of them work. You’ll find lots more hacks online – just make sure to check the photos too – some say “hey this worked great” and show it all streaky or not so pretty looking.

What to do with your finished flowers

After I decided I was making Shrinky Dink flowers for Shavuot, I went ahead and made them quite small. I used this template (and the free one you’ll see attached) and thought I’d turn it into a bouquet.

If you’re making yours into a bouquet, it’s honestly better to go big, but you’ll need lots of Shrinky Dinks – especially if making this as a group craft. So do what’s best – I ended up making a mini bouquet that looks quite cute in a baby food jar with some pebbles to ground it (I didn’t photograph it – sorry!)

Some more ideas – some of which I should have gone with:

• Make them into pendants by punching a hole on a petal before shrinking.
• Make them into earrings by making a pair of one of the smaller flowers and punching a hole in a petal before shrinking.
• Turn them into hair clips by gluing them onto barrettes or flat pad bobby pins.
• Turn them into keychains by punching a petal before shrinking and adding a keychain.
• String a few of them and hang them from a dowel to make a wall hanging.
• Turn them into wind chimes by combining them with beads.
• Turn them into napkin rings – one way you can do this is by gluing a ribbon to the back and tying it onto the napkin. I would have done this if not for the fact that I was already making toilet paper roll napkin rings for Shavuot.

There are really endless things you can do, and even more ways to turn it into a bouquet. I wanted to stick to accessible materials and techniques, so I turned it into this mini bouquet using chenille stems.

Some I managed to punch a hole in the center of, some not, so I finished it off accordingly.

How to craft Shrinky Dink flowers

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.

Supplies Needed

• Shrinky Dink sheets
• Paper tape
• The template at the end of this post, printed on paper
• Posca or other good quality marker (see notes above)
• Scissors
• Heat gun, hair dryer, or toaster oven
• Something to peg it down with (I used a paper piercing tool)
• Hole punch (I used the 1/16th inch Crop-a-Dile Power Punch)
• Chenille Stems
• Hot glue gun
• UV resin, silicone brush, and UV lamp OR Dimensional Magic (see notes above) for sealing your shrinky dink flowers

Process

1. Tape your shrinky dink paper to the template so you don’t accidentally shift it and start coloring your design in. I chose to do a darker color on the inside first.

2. And then I filled in the thick outline with a lighter color.

3. Make a few flowers.

4. Carefully cut out your flowers. I recommend cutting between the petals too so that they shrink and curl, and separate. You can also punch holes as needed at this stage.

5. Place your flowers on a shrink-resistant surface and use something that can handle a little heat to pin it down. Start shrinking them.

I stopped it before it was fully done while the petals were still a bit curled.

6. Seal your flowers using nail polish, UV resin, or Dimensional Magic.

7. To finish them off as flowers, start by twisting the end of a chenille stem and poking it through the hole in the center of a flower.

8. On the back, coil up the stem to fix it in place.

9. Thread the end of the chenille stem around the coil, and through the center of it.

Pull it out. This helps “hold’ the coil.

10. To attach an undrilled flower: coil the end of a chenille stem.

11. Thread the end of the stem through the coil

12. And pull it through to hold the coil.

13. Add some glue to the coil.

14. And glue it to the center back of the flower.

You can also glue the ones that have a hole to help secure it a bit better.

Gather your shrinky dink flowers into a cute little bouquet!

Download the Shrinky Dink flower templates

I made these using a template I created for these paper flowers, but decided to offer the ones that I used in this craft as a free download so that you can make it as well.

But if you want more options, definitely go ahead and get the bundle! It also gives you the larger size options.

The full bundle

The full set of flower templates in multiple sizes is available for a few bucks in my Etsy shop 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.

The free sample

Download your free templates – the sizes and styles I used in this tutorial. It’ll arrive right in your inbox. By downloading, you’re subscribing to our FREE newsletter with updates on cool printables like this, and more. Choose which topics interest you! 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.

The post Shrinky Dink Flowers appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Accessories aren’t just for wearing – they’re for table setting too! And yes, napkin rings are the perfect accessories for the table.

As someone who loves to set a pretty table for Shabbat and holidays, I’ve been building up quite the stash of handmade napkin rings over the years. Most of them are “real” crafts – think wooden ones carved from coasters, resin napkin rings, some copper wire and beaded ones…

But once in a while, I’ll DIY disposable ones (and even have quite the selection of printables for every occasion). These toilet paper roll napkin rings are somewhere in the middle, and there are definitely ways you can further protect them to make them last longer.

My idea here was to use floral napkins to decoupage them, for a gorgeous Shavuot table. Napkins, when stripped down to the top decorative ply only, become part of the decoupage medium and translucent, creating gorgeous printed effects.

Shavuot, for the uninformed, is a holiday where we fill our home with flowers and greens to celebrate receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai, which was filled with flowers and greens for the occasion.

It’s one of the major holidays, where we abstain from work, unplug, and have formal meals with our family – four in total (two in Israel).

Tips for crafting your toilet paper roll napkin rings

Your base

Because the goal here was really to make the floral design, you can definitely get creative with what you use for your napkin ring base!

You obviously do NOT want to put toilet paper rolls that were in the bathroom on your table. I used paper towel rolls from my kitchen roll of paper towels.

Any cardboard tube will do! In fact, crafting tubes are affordable to purchase and generally thicker, so they’ll be sturdier. They’re slightly harder to cut but will give you a cleaner cut. They come in white too, making them readier to craft with.

Here are some more alternative base ideas for making decoupage napkin rings:

• Craft a clay napkin ring base – these are blank slates, waiting to be finished!
• Purchase blank wooden rings to turn into napkin rings with some decoupage
• Form a ring using cardstock or even corrugated cardboard.

You can really use this method on any base and it’s quite fabulous.

Base paint color matters

The coolest part of napkin decoupage is watching that design become part of the base. This works best if you choose the right color for your napkin – and cut out the shapes of the design.

Some tips for paint color:

• Avoid anything too dark. I tried it in navy and it just swallowed the design.
• Unless your napkin is a white based design, don’t do white. Opt rather for something with a hint of color if you want it to be light – like a light beige or off-white.
• Pull the color from the napkin itself for best results.

These are my failed napkin rings: too dark a color didn’t work. And on one I accidentally left a ply so the background really showed strongly.

Do you need to cut out the shapes?

I definitely recommend choosing a napkin with distinct shapes to cut out. The napkins that I used are gorgeous and I’m so pleased with them, but it was definitely a bit challenging finding the shape borders to cut.

They come out so much nicer when you cut the shapes. Like I mentioned, they look like one unit, not like an added napkin.

On some of my toilet paper roll napkin rings, I tried just cutting a strip and centering that. Meh. It looks so much better when you design your own print.

Finishing it off and more crafting tips

Since you’re using decoupage to attach the napkins, this doesn’t really need a seal. However, if you plan to reuse them, you may want to play with a more waterproof seal.

You can try a more hard finishing Mod Podge (such as outdoor) as an extra layer. Definitely seal the inside too.

I did not paint the inside of mine because of time constraints. It doesn’t show when you attach the napkin anyway.

However, you can definitely paint the inside to conceal the cardboard tube better! And definitely do this if you’re not using these toilet paper roll napkin rings as a disposable.

How to make toilet paper roll napkin rings

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.

Supplies needed

• Cardboard tube (a typical paper towel roll makes about 6 rings, depending how wide you cut it)
• Floral napkins
• Matte Mod Podge
• Foam or flat paintbrush
• A good quality opaque acrylic paint (I recommend something like FolkArt) in a light to medium color
• Scissors – I recommend detail scissors that aren’t used for fabric, and regular scissors

Process

1. Cut your cardboard tube into rings. You can flatten it to make it easier to cut and form it back into shape as you work. Paint each one a solid color and allow it to dry completely. Lighter colors or cheaper paints might require two layers.

2. Open up your napkin, Separate the front two plies (layers) from the back two. Cut out any flowers or flower groupings you want to use on your rings.

3. Include a variety for interest. Look closely. There should be another ply to separate. Peel that off gently and handle with care. (I peeled this off after cutting because I found it easier to cut with SOME thickness).

4. Apply a base layer of Mod Podge. It should be thick enough to be white but shouldn’t be drippy.

5. Carefully place each cutout. It’s very thin and can fall apart, so get it right the first time. You may be able to shift it a bit, but you’ll also run the risk of tearing it.

Work your way around the napkin. Try not to overlap too many pieces but a bit of overlap is okay. Don’t worry about the parts that hang over the edge.

6. Now load your brush and carefully go over the layer of napkins. DON’T overwork it. Again, it may take a drop of practice to get the hang of the right amount of Mod Podge to use. You want it to go on smoothly, but not require too much spreading around. Cover your ring completely.

7. Place a drop of Mod Podge on the overhanging parts and fold them to the back. You an also trim them, but that can get tricky.

Place them upright on a surface to dry. Your toilet paper roll napkin rings are complete!

And they look so good on those napkins! Which occasion are you making these toilet paper roll napkin rings for? Comment below!

DIY Napkin Rings from Toilet Paper Rolls

Craft these toilet paper roll napkin rings using cardboard tubes - and floral napkins! These are truly incredible, great for Shavuot or spring, and so easy to make.

Print

Materials

• Cardboard tube (a typical paper towel roll makes about 6 rings, depending how wide you cut it)
• Floral napkins
• Matte Mod Dodge
• Foam or flat paintbrush
• A good quality opaque acrylic paint (I recommend something like FolkArt) in a light to medium color
• Scissors - I recommend detail scissors that aren't used for fabric, and regular scissors

Instructions

1. Cut your cardboard tube into rings. You can flatten it to make it easier to cut and form it back into shape as you work. Paint each one a solid color and allow it to dry completely. Lighter colors or cheaper paints might require two layers.

2. Open up your napkin, Separate the front two plies (layers) from the back two. Cut out any flowers or flower groupings you want to use on your rings.

3. Include a variety for interest. Look closely. There should be another ply to separate. Peel that off gently and handle with care. (I peeled this off after cutting because I found it easier to cut with SOME thickness).

4. Apply a base layer of Mod Podge. It should be thick enough to be white but shouldn't be drippy.

5. Carefully place each cutout. It's very thin and can fall apart, so get it right the first time. You may be able to shift it a bit, but you'll also run the risk of tearing it.

Work your way around the napkin. Try not to overlap too many pieces but a bit of overlap is okay. Don't worry about the parts that hang over the edge.

6. Now load your brush and carefully go over the layer of napkins. DON'T overwork it. Again, it may take a drop of practice to get the hang of the right amount of Mod Podge to use. You want it to go on smoothly, but not require too much spreading around. Cover your ring completely.

7. Place a drop of Mod Podge on the overhanging parts and fold them to the back. You an also trim them, but that can get tricky.

Place them upright on a surface to dry. Your toilet paper roll napkin rings are complete!

And they look so good on those napkins! Which occasion are you making these toilet paper roll napkin rings for? Comment below!

Notes

Since you're using decoupage to attach the napkins, this doesn't really need a seal. However, if you plan to reuse them, you may want to play with a more waterproof seal.

I definitely recommend choosing a napkin with distinct shapes to cut out. The napkins that I used are gorgeous and I'm so pleased with them, but it was definitely a bit challenging finding the shape borders to cut.

Some tips for paint color:

Avoid anything too dark. I tried it in navy and it just swallowed the design.

Unless your napkin is a white based design, don't do white. Opt rather for something with a hint of color if you want it to be light - like a light beige or off-white.

Pull the color from the napkin itself for best results.

Here are some more alternative base ideas for making decoupage napkin rings:

Craft a clay napkin ring base - these are blank slates, waiting to be finished!

Purchase blank wooden rings to turn into napkin rings with some decoupage

Form a ring using cardstock or even corrugated cardboard.

Did you make this project?

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

The post Toilet Paper Roll Napkin Rings – Floral Napkin Decoupage appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

With Shavuot coming up, I wanted to figure out how to make a faux flower crown that even kids can do with a no-fail tutorial that is easy and wearable.

For those who came just for the basic tutorial: Shavuot is a Jewish late-Spring holiday where the tradition is to adorn the home with flowers and greenery. We sometimes take it a step further and wear our flowers, too…

While I made these crowns, I let A wear it and she was in absolute heaven with it. She “tested” it for a few hours and it wore as easily as an elastic headband – which was really the idea.

The best way to make a faux flower crown is using leis. Yes, the Hawaiian kind! I take it apart and thread it buttonhole style. They are lightweight, insanely cheap (you can make a good few crowns per lei), and allow you to really customize your look.

I kind of wished I’d have played with adding colorful wood or acrylic beads (lightweight) in the centers – so if you’re making this for yourself and are willing to experiment, try it!

Also, if you are really looking for a more elegant faux flower crown, definitely try this with classier colors of leis – and large crystal acrylic beads! And classier leaves, of course.

I played with two ways of making these faux flower crowns. On one, I threaded the flowers randomly and used some pretty large ones. On the other, I stuck to smaller flowers and threaded them in a pattern. I prefer the second option.

I do love the depth of the larger color selection on the more random one, so especially if you’re crafting this with a group, offer a good selection of flowers!

How to make a faux flower crown with any age group

While I would love for it to be a preschool-and-up craft, I’m not sure it is – you’d need to test it first with that age group if you want to try it. It should be doable for younger elementary and up.

The lei flowers come with one hole. I punched a second one with the needle, but you can use the 1/16th inch Power Punch to poke a second if you need to prep it in advance for them (or poke it with the needle).

You’ll need a very large hole needle, but you can use quite a blunt metal darning needle to make a second hole through the open weave of the leis.

Adding leaves makes a huge impact. It also makes it a bit harder. You can make it easier, again, by pre-punching holes, but it’s a bit harder in the leaves.

Flower crowns are a really fun party activity – whether it’s for a Shavuot event, for a spring picnic… They can be crafted and then worn around the event.

They are really sweet to make in the classroom as an unusual Shavuot craft. They CAN also be worn as headbands (don’t fill the elastic as much – leave the back blank so that the hair can sit comfortably over it) but that takes away a bit from the fun!

And of course, you can also make these in very small, and make a set as napkin rings for your Shavuot table. You know I love napkin rings!

How to make a faux flower crown: step by step

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.

Supplies needed

• Leis – look for floral colors in a simple color palette (shades of blue, purple, and pink are fabulous) and avoid greens. Go for smaller ones with flowers of about 1 inch. Make sure to get the fabric flower kind and not the plastic scrunched up kind. I got mine from the Dollar Tree.
• Faux leaves or something you can cut faux leaves off of (look for vines if you want something with lots of leaves)
• Elastic cording
• A large-hole blunt metal needle. Make sure the hole fits the thickness of the elastic
• Scissors

Step by step instructions

1. Start by cutting an elastic about 36 inches in length. Make a basic overhand knot a few inches from the end. Thread the needle on the other end.

2. Cut open your leis and decide what you want your pattern to look like. Since the leis are usually single-layer flowers, they look nice when you stack them.

Bring your needle from back to front through the existing hole of the first flower/flower stack.

3. Pull it out a little and poke your needle back through from front to back a little (a few mm) away from your first hole. You may need to do each layer individually and wiggle it a little.

I will take this opportunity to tell you that this is a VERY forgiving craft. Your flowers don’t need to be perfectly centered or spaced. The holes don’t have to exactly align. They can scrunch a little. It is really easy to make look pretty.

4. Slide your flower stack all the way down to the knot you created.

5. Thread your next stack, following the same process and slide it all the way down to the first.

6. Now let’s add a leaf! The ones that I added were a bit harder to poke through, and for kids, I’d definitely pre-punch these. The good news is, you’ll only really use a few per crown. Punch the needle from back to front at the base of the leaf on one side of the vein.

7. Add the next flower stack in your pattern threading it from back to front in front of your leaf.

8. Now poke back through the flowers and the leaf on the other side of the vein.

9. Slide the leaf stack all the way to the end.

10. My basic pattern was as follows: Large pink with small blue, large blue with small pink, leaf facing down with large pink and small blue, large blue and small pink, leaf facing up with large blue and small pink.

Sounds complicated but it’s really a basic pattern alternating the flowers (large blue/small pink and small blue/large pink) and then adding a leaf every third one. The leaves switch off facing up and down.

11. When you’ve threaded enough to complete your flower crown, double overhand knot your two sides and pull tight. Trim. Leave about 3/4 inch tail – you can be generous as it’ll mostly disappear in the flowers.

You’ve mastered how to make a faux flower crown! How cute is this? Which occasion will you be making yours for? Comment below!

DIY Faux Flower Crowns

Learn how to make a faux flower crown that is super easy no-glue, and totally wearable!

Print

Materials

• Leis - look for floral colors in a simple color palette (shades of blue, purple, and pink are fabulous) and avoid greens. Go for smaller ones with flowers of about 1 inch. Make sure to get the fabric flower kind and not the plastic scrunched up kind.
• Faux leaves or something you can cut faux leaves off of (look for vines if you want something with lots of leaves)
• Elastic cording
• A large-hole blunt metal needle. Make sure the hole fits the thickness of the elastic
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Start by cutting an elastic about 36 inches in length. Make a basic overhand knot a few inches from the end. Thread the needle on the other end.

2. Cut open your leis and decide what you want your pattern to look like. Since the leis are usually single-layer flowers, they look nice when you stack them.

Bring your needle from back to front through the existing hole of the first flower/flower stack.

3. Pull it out a little and poke your needle back through from front to back a little (a few mm) away from your first hole. You may need to do each layer individually and wiggle it a little.

4. Slide your flower stack all the way down to the knot you created.

5. Thread your next stack, following the same process and slide it all the way down to the first.

6. Now let's add a leaf! The ones that I added were a bit harder to poke through, and for kids, I'd definitely pre-punch these. The good news is, you'll only really use a few per crown. Punch the needle from back to front at the base of the leaf on one side of the vein.

7. Add the next flower stack in your pattern threading it from back to front in front of your leaf.

8. Now poke back through the flowers and the leaf on the other side of the vein.

9. Slide the leaf stack all the way to the end.

10. My basic pattern was as follows: Large pink with small blue, large blue with small pink, leaf facing down with large pink and small blue, large blue and small pink, leaf facing up with large blue and small pink.

11. When you've threaded enough to complete your flower crown, double overhand knot your two sides and pull tight. Trim. Leave about 3/4 inch tail - you can be generous as it'll mostly disappear in the flowers.

Notes

The lei flowers come with one hole. I punched a second one with the needle, but you can use the 1/16th inch Power Punch to poke a second if you need to prep it in advance for them (or poke it with the needle).

Did you make this project?

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

The post How to Make a Faux Flower Crown appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

I started designing this Origami Torah last year for Simchat Torah, and just couldn’t get it right. Then, while creating a different Origami, I had a breakthrough when I noticed that the first few steps took me where I needed to be to finalize this project.

So in time for Shavuot – and perfect for any time – here is a fun Origami Torah for you to fold.

Making an Origami Torah scroll

There are so many different things you can do with your final project! My main goal was simply to challenge myself. But this origami Torah scroll would make perfect place cards for your Shavuot table or decorations for holiday greeting cards. You can also pull it out for other occasions such as a bar mitzvah, upsherin, or anything really!

This is an intermediate level origami tutorial – it has a lot of steps, but I’ve tried to make them clear for you to follow. Some of the folds are small, so they require a fair level of fine motor skill, and very young crafters may need help. It took me a few tries to get this one right, but the final result is so rewarding!

I’ve given approximate measurements for some of the folds, but don’t worry about being exact. The most important thing is to have fun, and the project will still look great even if it’s not perfect. It’s perfectly fine if your Torah scroll appears more or less open, or if the handles are taller or shorter – just like in real life. Relax and enjoy the process!

You’ll see that in the photos there are many different variations to this origami Torah. That is because I made it a number of times before I got it right, as I was designing the project from almost-scratch. So I played with the proportions and other factors.

You can definitely vary the rolled up part as I did, and I shared a tip for doing that below. But otherwise, your Origami Torah scroll should look mostly like the purple one pictured. I included the others in the shoot to make the photos more fun.

Choose a thin paper for this project – origami paper is best, but if you choose a different paper just keep it thin. You’ll be folding the paper over a number of times and you don’t want it to get too bulky to fold, especially at the corners.

It would also be helpful to get out a bone folder or plastic ruler to help flatten your folds. You can use these tools for any origami craft, but it’s especially helpful when there are numerous layers of folds. Smoothing them out to be flat and sharp will make the next steps easier as well as giving your finished project a nice, crisp look.

I prefer a bone folder – a really cheap and handy tool – because the curved edges are designed to glide smoothly over paper, whereas other tools (a craft stick, a ruler) can work but may pull at the paper’s fibers.

What are you waiting for? Grab a paper and start folding! When you’re done and ready for more, check out these flower crafts to add to your Shavuot decor.

What you’ll need

• Origami paper, about 8×8 inch square (or cut copy paper to size)
• Bone folder (optional but helpful)

How to fold an Origami Torah

I created a YouTube video – a full narrated tutorial – to teach you how to fold an origami Torah. I highly recommend that you watch it if you can! Origami tutorials are full of heavy-worded descriptions but they are simply clearest on video. If you can’t, follow along here:

1. Fold the paper in half horizontally (fold the top down to the bottom) and open.

2. Fold the bottom edge up to the center fold. Fold the top down to center fold.

3. Fold it in half the other way (side to side) to locate the center, then unfold.

If you want the torah less open then fold in thirds instead of half

Fold the right and left sides in to the center.

4. Flip over the project so you are looking at the smooth side

5. Unfold that last set of folds temporarily.

Fold the left side toward the center, about 1 cm past the fold that you just unfolded.

6. Now fold it right back on the fold that you had just made.

7. Repeat with on the other side

8. Flip the project over. Now the center is sticking up toward you, and you can see the edges of the paper. This is the back of your origami Torah.

9. Fold the top down and the bottom up about ½ inch. Smooth it down with a bone folder or ruler. It’s important to make this crease sharp, even though you’ll be unfolding it, so that you have a strong mark and your origami Torah comes out nice.

10. Unfold these top and bottom folds.

11. Focus on your center rectangle now. You’ll be folding all four corners down and inward to the horizontal line you just made. Be careful not to fold it too far; you’ll be able to feel if it starts pulling at the corner. Do this on all four corners of the inner rectangle.

12. Invert these folds.

13. Take the top side in the middle, and fold it down on the temporary horizontal line you made previously. Flatten those inverted corners into a larger triangle as you fold. Repeat on the bottom edge. You can actually do this step while inverting the folds in the previous step, but I broke it down for you for your first time.

14. You have a rectangle on the right and left of your paper. For each of these rectangles: fold it inwards, about halfway, aligning with the edge that sits behind the center segment. You can peek at the other side of the project to see if you like the way the size looks for the rolled up parts of the Torah – they should be about the same as each other. Then flip it back to the work-in-progress side.

15. We’re now going to be doing the same thing to the right and left rectangles. Fold down each corner (you should have a total of eight – four on each side) to the horizontal line you formed in steps 9 and 10. You want to keep it small to create a rounded effect, so that the sides of your Torah don’t turn out sharp and pointy. So if you’re getting the “pointy” effect, your horizontal line was too low down. Just fold your triangles a bit smaller, keeping them proportionate to each other.

16. Take one of the posts and lift it a bit gently. Take the inner corner, which you folded as part of step 15, and tuck it beneath the center rectangle (the “open” part of the Torah) – you’ll be kind of inverting a previous fold as well as you do that. Flatten that center bit over the tucked corner.

17. Now, take the outer corner of the same post. Invert that fold, tucking the corner inside as you re-close the post horizontally. The top of that top layer tucks in naturally.

Repeat, inverting all the corner folds the same way.

19. Finally, finish the project by tucking the loose corners of the posts underneath the center part of the Torah. This helps everything stay in place in addition to giving you a neatly finished appearance. Depending on your proportions, you may also simply be able to fold it under the top and bottom flap on the center portion of your Origami Torah.

Flip the project over to admire your finished origami Torah scroll!

The post How to Fold an Origami Torah Scroll appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

The holiday of Simchat Torah is just a few weeks away, and families love to go to shul (synagogue) to dance with the Torah!

This celebration honors the fact that we have finished reading all the Parshiot (weekly Torah portions) throughout the year, the completion of a cycle. It celebrates not only the fact that we received the Torah, but the joy of reading from it.

While adults tend to dance WITH the Torah, it’s heavy and requires the utmost respect. Some shuls have smaller children’s Torahs (or other books of Tanach/the Bible). But for the very youngest, the best tool to involve them is a little toy Torah of their own.

When I saw some unfinished wooden rolling pins in my craft room that Woodpeckers Crafts had sent me ages ago, I knew I HAD to make them into a Torah that’s the perfect size for A’s little hands.

So what does one put inside a Torah that’s designed for the youngest of the family? The Hebrew letters of the Aleph-Bet were the obvious choice!

Materials & Tips for making a felt toy Torah

I used my Cricut Maker 3 to cut all the letters from iron-on vinyl, but if you don’t have a Cricut here are some other ideas:

• Use a stencil to outline the letters with a felt tip marker and fill it in with fabric paint.
• Sharpie it in yourself – freehand! Or, use puffy paint.
• Skip the letters and just leave it minimalist.
• If you can find pre-made iron on decals with letters that would work too!
• You can make the scroll with paper instead of felt and then use stickers, markers, or the template from my paper Torah craft.

If you DO have a Cricut, I made things easier for you by sharing the project I made in Design Space (using all Access or free elements). I did make the letters on the cover a bit larger than what is ideally nice, so measure your materials and resize as needed!

The inside of the toy Torah is made from dollar store felt, and the outside is made from fleece and some fringe that I found in my craft room. The fringe was very long so I gave it a haircut.

The materials can definitely be swapped out! Fleece and felt are interchangeable in this project. And if you don’t want to spend $$ on trim, you can use any cheap dollar store trim, ricrac, gold ribbon, or just leave it off completely!

I did paint the rolling pin handles using FolkArt Brushed Metallic in bronze. That’s totally optional – you can leave it unfinished or stain it. You can also paint it a solid color to make it more fun.

And finally, I used hook and loop closure to connect the ends of the case rather than sewing or gluing it. This simply makes it easier and more forgiving when closing it – and more toddler/preschool friendly.

It can be hard to slide fleece over felt – so this allows it to be wrapped without sliding it over.

How to make a toy Torah DIY from felt

Materials

• Wooden Rolling Pins
• Optional: Paint or stain (I used brushed bronze from FolkArt)
• Optional: Paintbrush
• White Felt for the scroll – this roll from the Dollar Tree was the perfect width, but you can also glue loose sheets together
• Purple, burgundy, navy, or your own color choice fleece or felt for the cover
• Hot glue gun – see my recommendations for the best hot glue guns for crafting
• Ruler
• Fabric Scissors
• Pen
• Hook and Loop Closure
• Trim such as ricrac or fringe

For Cricut Cutting:

• Cutting Machine – I used the Maker 3
• Black Iron-on
• Gold glitter Iron-on
• Green StandardGrip mat if not using Smart Iron-on
• Brayer if not using Smart Iron-on
• Weeding tool
• Heat Press – I used the EasyPress 3

Instructions

1. If you’d like, paint your rolling pins and allow them to dry completely.

2. Measure the flat center part of the rolling pin on your felt and mark where you need to cut along the whole scroll.

Cut your felt. I did a sloppy job, and honestly my two year old doesn’t care, but you can definitely use a ruler to do it with more care.

3. Hot glue the start of the scroll to your first rolling pin.

4. Cut out your letters using a cutting machine (or use any of the methods I shared above for adding them…) You can find my Design Space project here.

4. Weed your letters and arrange the layout. Leave a bit of a space between the letter and the rolling pin – I left about two inches.

5. Once all your letters are arranged, press them. Make sure that you don’t have any backer pieces blocking the iron-on.

Once it’s cooled down, peel off the backers.

6. Cut, weed, and place your cover design. Leave enough room around it to trim to size after. (You can also trim to size beforehand, but I was happy I didn’t as it allowed me to cut it slightly bigger to accommodate the too-big design).

7. Glue your second rolling pin to the other side. Again, leave a little extra after the last letter.

8. Roll up your scroll equally on both sides (don’t worry if it’s not perfectly straight.)

Measure the rolled up scroll and cut your fleece cover to size.

9. I glued the edges down a bit to hem it just to make it a bit stronger, but you don’t have to do that.

10. Attach a hook and loop closure in the back to secure the two sides of the cover.

Your toy Torah DIY is complete!

DIY Toy Torah from Felt

Print

Materials

• Wooden Rolling Pins
• Optional: Paint or stain (I used brushed bronze from FolkArt)
• Optional: Paintbrush
• White Felt for the scroll - this roll from the Dollar Tree was the perfect width, but you can also glue loose sheets together
• Purple, burgundy, navy, or your own color choice fleece or felt for the cover
• Hot glue gun - see my recommendations for the best hot glue guns for crafting
• Ruler
• Fabric Scissors
• Pen
• Hook and Loop Closure
• Trim such as ricrac or fringe

Tools

• Cutting Machine - I used the Maker 3
• Black Iron-on
• Gold glitter Iron-on
• Green StandardGrip mat if not using Smart Iron-on
• Brayer if not using Smart Iron-on
• Weeding tool
• Heat Press - I used the EasyPress 3

Instructions

1. If you'd like, paint your rolling pins and allow them to dry completely.

2. Measure the flat center part of the rolling pin on your felt and mark where you need to cut along the whole scroll. Cut your felt.

3. Hot glue the start of the scroll to your first rolling pin.

4. Cut out your letters using a cutting machine (or use any of the methods I shared above for adding them...)

5. Once all your letters are arranged, press them. Make sure that you don't have any backer pieces blocking the iron-on. Once it's cooled down, peel off the backers.

6. Cut, weed, and place your cover design. Leave enough room around it to trim to size after.

7. Glue your second rolling pin to the other side. Again, leave a little extra after the last letter.

8. Roll up your scroll equally on both sides (don't worry if it's not perfectly straight.) Measure the rolled up scroll and cut your fleece cover to size.

9. I glued the edges down a bit to hem it just to make it a bit stronger, but you don't have to do that.

10. Attach a hook and loop closure in the back to secure the two sides of the cover.

Notes

If you aren't usuing a Cricut cutting machine, use a stencil and trace the Hebrew letters onto felt and cut out usuing fabric scissors.

Did you make this project?

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

The post Toy Torah DIY from Felt appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Often when working on craft ideas for different holidays – in this case Shavuot – I end up at the Dollar Tree, hunting down inspiration.

While I’ve purchased leis for crafting in the past, I never did much. Then, I passed the display of leis this year, and the colors really caught me. These weren’t those accordion plastic leis. These were vivid fabric flower leis with full flower shapes.

I knew I had to incorporate this into a fun Shavuot craft – especially since they are sold seasonally at the right time of year! Tip: if you can’t get it in-store and don’t need it in bulk, try these instead!

Truth be told, I did not have time to experiment with different ways to make this Har Sinai craft and I definitely have ideas that I’d try to do it better next time. But meanwhile, it still worked out beautifully enough for me to share.

The idea is that it makes a fabulous Shavuot centerpiece. So the foam base that you choose will determine the outcome in a major way. I grabbed a small (maybe six inch) long cone from the Dollar Tree while I was there. If you can get something bigger, that’ll definitely stand out more on a set table – but they get pricey fast!

However, if you’re doing this in a classroom, smaller (and bulk) is probably a better way to buy.

I had purchased three leis for this Har Sinai craft, and I hardly made a dent. I got a few for the colors – one lei can make a few crafts.

I didn’t really know what I was doing at first – I though maybe I’d make a topiary, but didn’t really have the right supplies. You can actually do that with this as well if you are more equipped than me.

I also contemplated purchasing thumb tacks while I was in the store but then decided that I already have some at home. Of course, when it came time to craft, I didn’t have any. So I used some colorful push pins instead.

While I would definitely recommend going for thumb tacks – colorful is better – anything that can serve as the center of the flower and is easy to insert is fabulous.

Part of the coolness of this craft is how easy it is to just stack and assemble your flowers, mixing and matching and getting creative, using thumb tacks in the foam base. No hot glue to make a mess, not sticky fingers… It’s a really calm, easy craft project for anyone old enough to be trusted with sharp things!

So you can also make a Har Sinai craft using straight pins with sequins or anything like that.

And finally, when I originally planned this as a topiary, I did not intend to add anything to the top. Then when I pivoted to Har Sinai, I made a set of luchot. The shape was really easy to cut roughly out of a piece of craft foam, and I etched it using a toothpick. You can also sketch the shape to cut out using a toothpick.

I then took the same toothpick and used it to attach the Luchot to the top of the Har Sinai craft.

If you’d like, you can also start by painting your foam base a “camouflage” color – one that’s similar to your flowers – or green, so that it matters less if it shows through between your flowers.

Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

What you’ll need:

• Leis with nice flowers – get a few colors and 2-3 sizes if you can. Tip: if you can’t get it in-store and don’t need it in bulk, try these instead!
• Cone shaped foam base
• Push pins or thumbtacks
• Craft foam
• Scissors
• Toothpick

How to make the Har Sinai Craft

1. Cut open your leis and arrange petals by color.

2. Stack two petals, a smaller one on a larger one.

3. Insert a pushpin or thumb tack through the center.

4. And poke it into your foam base!

5. Work your way around, letting as little foam show through as you can. Cover your entire cone with flowers.

I didn’t plan to add luchot at first, so I did a flower at the top but later removed it.

6. Cut out a luchot-shaped piece of craft foam. Etch a line down the center using a toothpick.

7. Etch the letters of the Hebrew alphabet aleph through yud. Glue the toothpick to the back so that half is on the luchot, and half sticks down (or tape with strong tape). Stick it into the top of your Har Sinai Craft.

Your floral Har Sinai centerpiece is finished! Got a favorite Shavuot craft to share? Comment below!

The post Har Sinai Craft appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Do you have a favorite Shavuot cheesecake recipe? Many people look forward to celebrating the Shavuot holiday with dairy treats.

This is a delicious new take that is just perfect whether you’re looking for a change from the traditional cheesecake or something extra to serve alongside it.

The cream cheese filling makes these cookies rich and delightful like cheesecake, but with plenty of cookie all around it to keep it neat and clean. The strawberries also add a perfect complement, keeping it refreshing and fruity.

Consider setting aside a couple of fresh strawberries to garnish your serving plate and add a pop of color to your presentation. I’m also thinking of adding a little drizzle of glaze or icing – the cookies look and taste great on their own, but a simple glaze can easily take it up a level for an extra-special occasion.

Some people think of cheesecake as a more complicated project, and your guests will certainly be wowed by the filled cookie concept, but these cheesecake-inspired cookies are actually quite easy to make. They require some time in the fridge before baking, but not too much, so you can still pull it off if you’re a bit of a last-minute person.

You can tell I’m excited about these, so let’s stop talking and get baking!

Ingredients

Cookie:

• 1 cup butter
• ¾ cup granulated white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup frozen or fresh strawberries

Filling:

• ¾ cup cream cheese
• ¼ cup powdered or confectioner’s sugar

Assembling your strawberry cheesecake cookies

1. First, we’re going to prepare the filling. 

Line a pan or baking sheet with cling wrap or parchment paper.

Mix cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth – it may help to use a beater. 

Use a teaspoon to place 10-12 pats of the mixture onto the prepared pan or sheet.

Place the pan with the spoons full of filling into the freezer until they are almost completely frozen – about two hours (it’s fine if you let them freeze longer.)

2. Next, we’ll make the cookie dough.

In a bowl, beat the sugar, egg, egg yolk, butter, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, and add to the bowl of other ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

Cut the strawberries into little pieces. Add them to the dough and fold in.

3. To assemble the cookies:

Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Using about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie, form balls and place them on the baking sheet.

Use a teaspoon to lightly press down the center of each ball.

Remove the chilled pats of cream cheese mixture from the freezer. Place one into each cookie’s center cavity.

Place another tablespoon or so of dough on the top of each cookie to cover the filling. Pinch the edges closed.

Put the cookies in the fridge to chill.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Once chilled, bake for 13-17 minutes until the edges are light golden-brown and the tops are set. Cool on a wire rack.

Aren’t these strawberry cheesecake cookies delish? Now give it a try with another flavor!

Yield: 12 Cookies

Strawberry Cookies with Cheesecake Filling

Do you have a favorite Shavuot cheesecake recipe? Many people look forward to celebrating the Shavuot holiday with dairy treats. This is a delicious new take that is just perfect whether you’re looking for a change from the traditional cheesecake or something extra to serve alongside it.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup frozen or fresh strawberries
• ¾ cup cream cheese
• ¼ cup powdered or confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

Filling:

1. Line a pan or baking sheet with cling wrap or parchment paper. Mix cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth - it may help to use a beater. 

2. Use a teaspoon to place 10-12 pats of the mixture onto the prepared pan or sheet.

3. Place the pan with the spoonfuls of filling into the freezer until they are almost completely frozen - about two hours.

Cookies:

1. In a bowl, beat the sugar, egg, egg yolk, butter, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

2. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, and add to the bowl of other ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

3. Cut the strawberries into little pieces. Add them to the dough and mix very gently.

4. On a covered baking sheet, use about about a tablespoon of dough and form balls and place them on the baking sheet. Use a tablespoon to lightly press down the center of each ball.

5. Remove the chilled pats of cream cheese mixture from the freezer. Place one into each cookie’s center cavity.

6. Place another tablespoon or so of dough on the top of each cookie to cover the filling. Pinch the edges closed. Put the cookies in the fridge to chill.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake for 13-17 minutes until the edges are light golden-brown and the tops are set. Cool on a wire rack.

Did you make this recipe?

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

The post Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipe appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Shavuot is around the bend and I’ve been wanting to come up with a really cute craft for toddlers and preschoolers. Granted, it’s a hard age because how much can they do? I wanted a Torah craft, but I also wanted to put something in the scroll…. but what?

My husband suggested that I start with the Aleph Bet – literally!

Of course, kids also get involved with painting (in our case with paint sticks), cutting straight lines to the best of their ability, and working those fingers to roll that Torah up.

The many different ways to make this Torah craft

I included a free template with the following variations in mind.

On the inside of the Torah craft:

• You can include a plain scroll, and let kids draw their own pictures
• You can use the outlined color-in aleph bet scroll
• You can use the trace-your-own aleph bet scroll
• You can use the plain handwriting paper to write your own letters.

I also included two sizes for the scroll. One is sized for cardboard tubes, cut a bit larger than it. I recommend using narrower wrapping paper (or foil) tubes rather than wider tubes, such as toilet paper – if you can find it. I get mine at the Dollar tree. Otherwise, paper towel rolls cut to size would work – they’re just less sturdy.

The other uses paper straws. I love this mini version.

A few other ideas for handles:

• Small dowels
• Lolly sticks
• Craft sticks

The Torah does NOT stay rolled up easily – you’ll want to either make a paper cover, or just secure it with a rubber band or hair tie.

What you need

• Cardboard tubes or paper straws. Mason bee tubes are great for this too.
• The preferred template, printed on white or colored copy paper
• Optional: colored paper to make your cover.
• Scissors – these are a fabulous first pair!
• Markers – I love these because they don’t dry out when kids leave them uncovered (up to a few weeks)!
• Paint – I actually like to use paint sticks – OOLY and Kwik Sticks are my favorite – because they’re fast drying and not too messy
• Glue or double sided tape (I used the latter). I find that the glue line style works best.

How to make your Torah craft

1. Print out the template that you’d like to use. The horizontal ones are for the larger rolls and the vertical ones are for paper straws (or something small). The same applies for the outline color-in aleph-bet version.

2. Kids can now use markers to color or trace the letters!

3. Prepare your tubes. Cut them to at least an inch taller than the slip of paper on each side.

4. Paint or color htem.

5. Cut out the strips – trim the neds if you need to, but keep in mind that it’ll overlap – under the tube and on each other when you tape it together.

6. Use double sided tape to tape the ends together.

7. Attach it to the tube on each end: place a strip of double sided tape on the top of the scroll, and place the tube centered on top.

8. Roll up your scroll!

9. Want to make a cover? Simply prepare a piece of paper high enough to cover the scroll and wide enough to fit around with a bit of overlap. Decorate as you’d like.

10. Secure the ends together with double sided tape and slide it over. You can, of course, write “torah” on it too.

Your Torah craft is complete! Which variation are you making? Comment below!

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The post Torah Aleph Bet Craft for Preschool appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Shavuot is a time of year that’s full of Spring vibes, especially with the tradition to adorn the house with flowers! And what better way could there possibly be to do that, than to decorate the holiday table with some DIY flower napkin rings?

These use a very simple “daisy chain” beading technique that I’ve enjoyed using to make daisy chain beaded name bracelets in the past.

They are really fun and appropriate for teens and tweens, and quite affordable to create too! It might take younger kids a few tries to really learn, but when they do, they will be SO proud of their creations.

And the best part is: it takes some time to make a full set (I didn’t – I played with three types of beads instead!) So you get lots of entertainment time out of this craft.

Which types of beads should you use to make DIY flower napkin rings?

To make a good daisy chain, you’ll want a bead that leans to the rounder end of things. You can see the differences in the round wooden beads and the pony beads I used.

Pony beads are among the most affordable of beads, but they are slightly oval. You can arrange them to look like petals. But the wooden beads are also very affordable, and the totally round shape means that they look fabulous in any direction.

Even pony beads can vary. Here, I used colorful plastic ones in daisy themed colors. In the other one, I used metallic ones mixed with white for a slightly more festive vibe.

You can play around with crystals, gemstones, and other more upgraded materials if you want a higher end, less crafty and more artisan look. The main thing is that your beads should be roughly 8mm in size. To me, this is the perfect width for the napkin ring. The smaller your bead, the more flowers you’ll want to include.

What you need

• Beads: I used pony beads for one, and wood beads for the other
• Wire or elastic: Wire will be more rigid and easier to work with, with a more stable result. Elastic will actually stretch over your napkin, but won’t “scrunch it up” well.
• Scissors

How to make flower napkin rings

The DIY flower napkin ring tutorial below shows how to make it with elastic. The video shows it using wire. Both processes are the same.

1. Cut about 24 inches of elastic or wire. If you’re using elastic, tape it down to your surface. If you’re working with wire, you may be able to work with it in your hands.

2. Choose your flower colors: one color for the center, and two colors to alternate for the petals.

3. String: four of your petal beads (in one color) and a center bead. Bring it towards the end, leaving an inch or two of a tail.

4. String your elastic back through the FIRST/TOP bead that you added.

Pull so that the petal beads begin to encircle the center.

5. String on two more beads.

6. String your elastic through the bottom petal bead – the one right before your center bead.

And then pull it tight so that the six petals encircle the center. Your first flower is complete! With wire it’ll hold well. With elastic, it’ll build as you create it, and be laid flat on the napkin surface. It’s okay if your flower is a bit lower than you intended, with a longer starter tail. But if you’d like, you can also “nudge” it higher. Follow-up flowers will need to be connected to each other.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 with your second petal color.

8. Make about six alternating colored flowers.

9. Completing your DIY flower napkin rings isn’t an exact science. I basically threaded the elastic through so that it met the other one, and held things together.

10. Knot tight and trim, and then tuck your knot into a bead to hide it. On the wired ones, you’ll want to twist the ends together instead of knotting, and once again hide the twisted end.

SLide your favorite napkin through and enjoy your DIY flower napkin rings for Shavuot or any time!

Enjoyed making these DIY flower napkin rings? Got anything you plan to change, any tips to add, any questions? Comment below!

The post DIY Flower Napkin Rings appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

I absolutely love the idea of flowers for Shavuot! What better way to celebrate Spring?

While you may pick up a bouquet or two at your local grocery, school fundraiser sale, or even Trader Joe’s, I wanted to share with you some tips and ideas for incorporating greenery (or, if you’re going modern, beigery) into your home decor.

The cool thing about these Shavuot flowers is that you can buy them to honor the holiday… but they’ll last way beyond!

Why flowers on Shavuot?

So why is there a tradition to have flowers specifically for Shavuot?

Every year while planning Shavuot crafts, I even struggle with creating anything beyond flowers, because that’s honestly what kids make in school! It’s so part and parcel of Shavuot, much like cheesecake, that even my two year old is talking about flowers.

The reason we all learned had to do with Mount Sinai and the battle of the mountains. FYI, I even made a set of puppets to go with that – you can download them here.

The story goes: every mountain was battling and boasting as to why the Torah should be given there. However, Mt Sinai was humble and small and did not join the boasting. So when the Torah was finally given, G-d made flowers and grass grow on it to honor it.

Another reason is seasonal: Shavuot celebrates the beginning of the harvest and the first blooms. This is when Bikkurim – first fruit – were brought to the temple. The baskets were decorated with florals.

Chabad shares a few probably more well-sourced reasons you’ll want to check out.

Regardless, Shavuot flowers are super fun to incorporate in your home, and definitely make things feel springy, cheerful, and festive.

6 Ideas for Shavuot Flowers for the Modern Home

Here are some pretty arrangements, sourced from my own home that I wanted to share. Some are less on the colorful end of things – mostly neutrals that are loaded with texture rather than color – to fit with most modern homes.

I absolutely love filling pretty vases with dried plants and mixing and matching fake flowers, and therefore have worked on so many centerpieces and arrangements over the years. These are a few of my favorites, with the more recent ones first and moving onto the slightly older ones.

Where the actual supplies I used are available, I linked them. Otherwise, I linked to similar. In case you can’t get what I did (if it’s not available or you can’t order from the US retailers), I did share tips for creating your own so that you can pick up on it on your own.

1. Mixed Pampas and a Textured Glass Vase

If you love decorating with texture, but want to bring in a hint of color in an incredibly on-trend display, this one is for you!

I purchased it for the Pesach tablescape that I plan to share next year (I got it too late for this year’s blog post!) The mixed pampas spray has hints of mauve and various shades of creams, beiges, and tans. It’s exploding with personality and so much variation.

The vase itself is also gorgeous. While the inexpensive pampas (that costs less than you’ll probably spend on a bouquet) might be more trendy and less timeless, the glass will have a much longer shelf life – and it’s affordable too.

It’s a very muted navy blue, with variated texture and a subtle curved shape. I absolutely love it, and I’m so happy with the purchase. It’s one of those things that I really enjoy looking at – it makes me smile – every time I place it on the table, or sit near it.

The scale is similar to that of a vase of flowers – it’s not a statement centerpiece. You might want to intersperse three on a larger table – as long as they sit on a runner. Or, place it on a smaller sideboard or mantle.

One word of warning: the pampas SHEDS!! I knew this when I purchased it and chose it anyway. I tried arranging it while holding it in a bag and it didn’t work. What did work was doing it on an empty floor to make vacuuming afterwards easy. It’s worth it, though.

2. Simple Bunny Tail Spray in Earthy Ceramic Vases

I had these simpler bunny tail stalks sitting as part of a mixed centerpiece (the eucalyptus you’ll see below, with another item) and finally decided I don’t like the look.

I also had these two earthy ceramic vases sitting empty on my windowsill. I did play around with the look before settling on filling the back one at various heights and leaving the front one empty.

These are mini vases that I picked up at Michaels ages ago – so they wouldn’t be carried there anymore. I linked a similar one here so that you can get the look. It’s actually very hard to find the color combo, but the main thing is to look for something earthy, rustic, and handmade-looking.

They are small and sit on my kitchen window sill.

They are fabulous additions for adding Shavuot flowers to bookcases and other open shelves.

You can also try to replicate this look in jumbo using larger pampas and similar mixed earthy vases.

I recommend looking for handmade vases that have all the texture and variation that gives them character, rather than a stale and clean look.

3. Colorful and Cheerful Silk Floral Spray

My dining room has a LOT of brown going on and I wanted something colorful to sit as a centerpiece. While I sort of fell in love with the first pampas, this definitely has more color. I do often move it to the top of a bookcase or a sideboard to make way for others, but wherever it is, it adds a hit of color.

The vase is a very simple bluish-green tinted vase in a modern silhouette. It’s a fabulous size for bouquets too. I had a hard time finding one that’s very similar to link, but the main features to look for is:

• Transparent barely-tinted glass
• A simple, unfussy shape
• A narrow neck, so that the sparse arrangement holds together and then sprays outward nicely.

This one looks like a great choice.

The florals themselves ere kept simple: mises of yellow-heading-into-orange, peach, and deep red mixing in. You have the small flowers, the three larger feature ones, and the sprinkle of red roses mixing in. A simple/sparse cluster allows the shapes to shine and keeps it looking modern and collected.

You probably want to assemble this in person to get the look you want.

This is also on the scale of a vase of flowers. You can go bigger by using a taller vase, but having the branches reach the base will help the look.

To turn it into a permanent bouquet, I’d pour a few inches of clear resin on the bottom. You can also use water for a less permanent but slightly more realistic look.

4. Farmhouse Cotton in a Glass Bottle

I actually have the cotton sitting in a totally different vase on my counter, but that is growing tired. I was thinking of a way I can freshen it up for you for this post, and this stopper bottle (link is for similar) was perfect. It has a collected look.

It’s a fabulous way to pick up on pre-existing blue tones without going overboard with blue, and fabulous for an are where natural light will reflect through the glass.

You can reuse a wine bottle for this one, or go for any bottle, jug, or can look. Just make sure it’ll fit the scale of the cotton – base it on measurements!

Cotton stems are an easy, affordable find that can last for years. It’s neutral and doesn’t shed.

Keep in mind the scale you want to work with. I usually have these in a very tall vase which makes it more of a statement piece, but downsized it to a bottle to share with you.

Regardless, the overall scale of this is tall and narrow, and perfect for when you want to keep the table clear but have something that stands out.

5. Huge Eucalyptus in a Milk Jug

This is the eucalyptus that I mentioned above that I had waiting to repurpose for some time. I love the generous, tall eucalyptus. The milk jug was a galvanized metal (here’s similar) that felt tired and lacked contrast. So I redid it, painting it white with black handles.

You can work with a galvanized metal milk jug but I do recommend getting a white or light colored one to help the eucalyptus feel dramatic and not messy.

My milk jug is about 14 inches tall, a challenging size to find, but you can definitely scale it down.

This one looks great – it’s a fabulous look and somewhat smaller than mine.

The size of this is nice as a permanent centerpiece or as a floor vase. I did stuff the jug with newspaper to prop up the eucalyptus, so you can definitely go with a smaller jug.

6. Minimalist Vase of Sunflowers

These Shavuot flowers are actually different in that they’re real flowers, not faux! But of course, you can pick up realistic flowers.

This rectangular vase has featured in my Rosh Hashanah centerpiece as well as my Sukkot centerpiece.

My favorite way to display florals in it is a very sparse bouquet lying down.

If using fresh flowers, do it close to the holiday, as they don’t grow as naturally in this position, The arrangement lasted a few days. You can also do this with faux sunflowers. Get as realistic as you can when choosing your florals.

And you can, of course, use any flowers to do this – not just sunflowers. To make it look more realistic with faux flowers, add water. If that feels too ick, or you want to make it permanent, use clear resin to finish things off.

Assembling your own Shavuot Flower Arrangements

Want to create something different? Did none of these fit your vibe? Here are some tips for making your own, and keeping them looking neat, clean and modern.

Real Flowers

Real flowers are the absolute prettiest, but you want to keep them from looking like a hodge podge grocery store bouquet!

Here are my tips for accomplishing that:

• My favorite look is to keep it simple: get one statement flower type and stick it in a vase! Tulips are elegant and homely. Hydrangeas are dramatic and shoot off major spring vibes. If you feel it needs more, complement it with ONE filler.
• Want more of a mixed bouquet? Stick to a simple color palette of one color in different shades, plus a neutral. You can also do two or three colors, but be careful – the more color variation you add, the more likely you are to head into grocery bouquet zone.
• Vary the scale. Start with a statement flower – with a few stems – add a medium size one in a similar tone or color family, and then fill it in with filler.
• Avoid overly bright, artificially dyed tones, unless that is the only look you’re bringing in – and you stick to one.
• Choose the right vase. Even when choosing from your home selection, make sure that the vase fits the flowers. You can go for the sparse look – make sure the stems reach close to the base of the vase and the neck is narrow enough that they’ll “spray”. Or, make it full, but make sure the vase is large enough with an opening large enough to allow them to sit comfortably.

When in doubt, simpler tends to gain better results! You can choose one color family, and instead of mixing them in one vase, place them in smaller vases around your home. Choosing a matching filler can make it all cohesive.

Here are a few bouquets I’ve loved in the past:

Just one type – look how tall, elegant, and stately it is:

White lilies with coordinating baby’s breath – also a statement centerpiece. This photo was taken when the bouquet was pretty old.

Tulips with a simple coordinating accent (no, I have no idea what it’s called). Not an exact match, but it picks up on the color of the tulips without compromising their beauty. they’re smaller and contrast in size.

Craft Store Flowers

With craft store flowers, I’d recommend going along the same lines as above. HOWEVER, your variety is MUCH bigger. Be careful not to go too random and to follow the guidelines.

In addition, make sure they don’t look too fake. Avoid flat colors – look for color variation, imperfect petals, and things like that. Pay attention to the stems too, and avoid combining too many of the same flower type.

Even better faux flowers, that tend to have variation between the petals in the bunch, will be the same across different bunches. Once flowers look identical, they look fake.

Note that I did NOT link to the faux flowers above. I really REALLY recommend doing that bit in-store, with the flowers in your hand.

Dried Florals

Dried florals are my favorite, as they are real and low-maintenance. Sometimes they shed. I don’t avoid those that shed, because sometimes they are the prettiest. It’s the perfect mix of permanent without the artificial nature.

If mixing different dried florals, I do recommend buying a pre-made mix as you can see how it looks in advance. If you are mixing your own, stick to a specific category. I wouldn’t mix cotton and eucalyptus and pampas all in one. I have mixed eucalyptus and bunny tail in the past, but I don’t recommend that look anymore.

For those with lots of stems, choose a vase that’ll hold it tight. If it’s just a few stalks, choose a vase with a narrower neck that’ll allow it to spray naturally.

As usual, sticking to a simple color palette (with the neutral nature of dried plants, that’s easy) is the safest way to go. You can get lots of variation in texture and color by sticking to simple.

Got any other tips for displaying Shavuot flowers in the modern home? Comment below!

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