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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The moment that pushed me to try again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hairvivi Georgia wig details that actually matter on your head

Let’s talk specs, but in human language.

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

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

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

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

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

A few more build notes from what I observed:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few wins that mattered:

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

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

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

My main cons:

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

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

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

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

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

Washing and air-drying (my favorite surprise)

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

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

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

The sister effect: toning and face-framing highlights

My sister helped with two key upgrades:

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

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

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

The wig grip that made it “rock solid”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Important buyer notes: kosher questions, returns, and glasses

A few practical points came up that are worth knowing.

Is this a “kosher wig”?

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

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

Returns and the risk of online shopping

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

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

If you wear glasses, expect a little extra fuss

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

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

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

Yes. I have zero regrets.

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

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

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

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

The post Hairvivi Wigs Review – Georgia (NOT Sponsored!) 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.

These Neviot Puppets include the 7 Prophetesses of the bible from a Jewish perspective to color and craft! When you’re done, check out these Ushpizin puppets too! This post contains affiliate links.

When someone reached out to me about featuring more Jewish female role models in my Jewish puppet sets, I figured that the 7 Neviot (prophetesses) of Judaism are the perfect way to go!

I illustrated these 7 Neviot puppets based on the stories surrounding them, but of course, they are in no way accurate depictions. They are simply as true to Jewish tradition as I can get them.

I explain more about the puppets and how to assemble them below, but meanwhile, if you want to get them, you can do so in my shop, on Etsy, or TpT.

Get the color-in version:

Get the full color version:

Girls thrive from seeing female role models, and boys will benefit from learning about our great mothers and the heights to which our women can reach. Each of these women is a true Jewish hero, each one teaching us valuable lessons about what a strong role a woman can play in our nation.

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.

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.

And sometimes, you just want a quick finished product to cut and assemble as a classroom tool, toy, or visual. For that reason, I offer 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.

The Prophetesses (the 7 Neviot)

Included in the puppets are the following prophetesses. Please note, this is just a short synopsis (included as a PDF file in your download). If you want a fuller rundown of the 7 Neviot, their stories, and what they’re famous for, check out this series of articles from Chabad.

• Sarah – Our matriarch – with the candles that stayed lit, the cloud that rested over her tent, and the Challah that stayed fresh from Shabbat to Shabbat.

• Miriam – With a tambourine as she played out of gratitude

• Devorah (Deborah) – Twisting wicks while judging by the palm tree.

• Chanah (Hannah) – She set the tone for what our prayer should look like as she prayed for a child.

• Avigail (Abigail) – Saving her husband as she delivers food to King David

• Huldah – She prophesized the message behind a Torah found while renovating the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple).

• Esther – The famous queen of the Purim story, who rescued her people from tragedy.

Each one is illustrated with care, but is, of course, derived from my imagination because we don’t know much about their physical appearances (other than Sarah being beautiful and Esther having olive skin).

Get them here

The Neviot Puppets are available for a few bucks in my shop, on Etsy, or 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:

How to assemble your Neviot Puppets

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. I highly recommend having Crayola’s “Colors of the World” lines available for people-coloring projects.
• Kid-friendly scissors.

Process

1. Print your puppets on cardstock.

2. Color them in.

3. Cut them out on the solid outer line. Devorah also has some inner “holes” to cut, also bolded.

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

5. That’s it! Your 7 Neviot puppets are ready to play with and learn from!

In case you missed it, you can get the 7 Neviot puppets here!

Get the color-in version:

Get the full color version:

The post Neviot Puppets – The 7 Prophetesses Craft for Kids appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

I’ve been wanting to customize Tzedakah boxes for literally ages, but I actually had problems sourcing materials until I figured it out (more on that in a bit). I finally figured it out and I’m so excited to share with you this fun Tzedakah box craft that can be made using acrylic or wood blanks.

While I’m “theming” this as a High Holidays craft – perfect for Yom Kippur – it’s of course fabulous for any time of year. I sometimes struggle with ideas for year-round Jewish crafts, and this one is a win!

It’s also great for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur crafting, because it fits with the theme of “Teshuvah, Tzedakah, u’Tefillah” – repentance, charity, and prayer cancel the bad decrees.

We focus so much on the repentance and prayer during this season – why not create something charity themed for a change?!

Tips for crafting this Tzedakah Box Craft like a pro!

As I mentioned, I had this planned for a while (and the template designed for years) until I figured it out, so I’ll walk you through the general process.

Which types of boxes can you use?

My original plan was as follows:

1. Take a clear acrylic piggy bank.
2. Tape the template to the inside.
3. Trace it with marker.

I designed a 4.5 x4.5 inch template and bought a coordinating piggy bank… and then discovered that it didn’t open! It was a “break it to use it” type.

So I ordered another one that was advertised as opening and…well, it didn’t really open!

Finally, I ordered another cylindrical one that WOULD open, thinking that I’ll redo the template and… it came cracked. I had to give up. I decided to try working with the one that doesn’t open. It’s a great anti-theft measure if you have it in a public space and you can donate it with the box and crack it open when it’s full.

But I obviously couldn’t put the template inside!

I thought I’d just freeform the design and share the craft. I DO like to make these things fun for non-artists too (and if you ARE artistic, skip the template!) But better something than nothing, right?

Then I decided to try the old-fashioned methods of pattern transfer: carbon paper! I didn’t think it would work on acrylic but guess what? It did! Problem solved.

The truth is, you can totally craft this on wood as well. I KNOW that you can transfer the template to wood using carbon paper. And if you can find wood piggy banks that open, you’ll be able to reuse it more!

This tutorial uses an acrylic box, and everything I’ll be sharing was tested on acrylic. If you’re using wood, test your techniques on a sample project first before doing them with a group. You can also test things on scrap wood.

Transferring the design

While we can’t transfer the design by placing it inside, we did use carbon paper to trace over it and have a framework to work with. It’s not as clear, but it works!

The design is made up of two panels. Those panels connect- on both sides (you may need to adjust the lines slightly). That means that you can repeat the designs continuously on all four sides. I made only two since four wouldn’t photograph nicely.

If you want, you can definitely freeform your own design. I do recommend actually tracing your box and plotting out your design on paper so that you don’t ruin your blank. Meaning, I recommend making your own template if you want to design this on your own.

Coloring your Tzedakah Box Craft (tips and tricks)

To color the box, I used paint markers. I did play around a little with cheaper ones (which I do sometimes use in different projects) but ultimately, the Posca markers won. You’ll want good coverage on this with consistent results, and no “drag” in the dry paint when you go over it, and Poscas just worked the best. I used the 3M size.

While it is a bit pricey (and trust me, I get budget constraints!) I personally justified the purchase by thinking of each marker like a little bottle of paint, because that’s really how I use it. You don’t need a pack of EVERY color either, although having multiple tones does help get a nicer affect.

I haven’t tested it, but I’d imagine that if you have a wood box base, quality will matter less as it’ll absorb in – just make sure it’s good enough that your color doesn’t run.

My favorite way to color this is to fill in blocks of color and then outline it in a darker shade of the same. If you’re more limited in your color palette, fill in the colors and then outline them in black (like I did on the trunk of the palm tree).

Finishing it off

Sealing your Tzedakah box craft will ensure that the paint doesn’t scratch off by mistake. I recommend a spray on acrylic sealer for best results. This is not mandatory if you’re doing a simple take-home craft for summer camp or school, but if you’re looking for more of a “real” final finished result, I HIGHLY recommend sealing it.

Again, it’ll be less prone to scraping off if you use a porous base (such as wood) rather than a smooth one (like acrylic).

How to make this tzedakah box craft

Supplies needed

• Wood or Acrylic piggy bank blank (the template is designed for a 4.5×4.5 inch blank. Print it at scale if needed)
• The template (print it at the end of this post) printed on regular copy paper.
• Carbon paper
• Paper tape (masking, washi, etc)
• A blunt pencil
• High quality paint markers, such as Posca (note – you can use a good quality “knockoff” like Ohuhu if your base is wood).
• Recommended: acrylic spray sealer

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. Cut out your template and a piece of carbon paper to match. Tape it onto your box so that the carbon paper has the dark side facing the box, and the template is over that.

2. Trace over the drawing with a blunt pencil, pressing as you go.

3. Remove your template and carbon paper. You should have a pretty clear tracing of the design.

4. When you do the next side, make sure to connect the design and fill in any missing gaps as needed. You can go all the way around on all four sides like this if you’d like (the tall building on the far right of right most panel connects with that tiny beginning of a building on the left of the left panel -and the clouds connect too).

5. Start coloring! I recommend filling in the small spaces first and then adding a darker outline on top.

6. When you’re done, seal it so that your design doesn’t scratch off. Your tzedakah box craft is complete!

Download the Tzedakah box craft template

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

What will you be crafting this tzedakah box craft for? Comment below!

The post Tzedakah Box Craft – Wood or Acrylic (free template) appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

One of the coolest things about the internet is that there is a solution there for virtually anything.

If you’re looking for a printable or cut file for just about anything in life you’ll probably find it… unless it’s a Jewish thing.

One of my goals is to provide resources for Jewish homes that might not exist, and so the “DIY” version of kosher kitchen labels was a must.

To make things more accessible, I created both free and paid versions of this product. All are linked at the end of this post, but if you want quick access to the full bundle, you can get it here:

About the Kosher Kitchen Labels

I try to make my resources work for as many people as possible, so I created a few versions. That includes the various “vernacular” used to describe the categories of dishes.

I included Hebrew (Chalavi, Besari and Parve) , English in two styles (Dairy, Meat, Parve), and Yiddish (Milchig, Fleishig, and Parve).

I created each one as both an SVG to cut from vinyl and a PDF to print on printable vinyl for a good quality sticker or as paper signs.

I also included white background PNG files for you to lay out your own desired sizes and print as you wish, as well as to Print then Cut using your Cricut.

And since some people are on a tighter budget, I do offer the PDF version of the script/English Kosher Kitchen labels as a free download at the end of this post!

Different ways to use these Kosher Kitchen labels

There are so many practical uses for Kosher kitchen labels but here are a few of my favorite.

Printables

Printables are designed to be printed on any kind of paper, but my favorite is glossy vinyl. This can be washed and is quite permanent if adhered to a clean adhesive-friendly surface (so nothing non-stick).

You can hand or machine cut these – whichever you prefer. I didn’t want to limit these to a printable label template so I kept it to a sticker sheet.

Cheaper sticker sheets tend to have poorer adhesive and paper surfaces. They are a good match for longer term storage (such as on boxes for moving or packing away for Passover) but not for dishes.

If you want to label actual cabinets, I recommend digging deeper into what won’t damage paint. I would probably just print it in small on cardstock (or photo paper for a glossy finish) and use Command products to mount it.

SVG/cut files

The SVG files are the real win here, and the reason I really created these kosher kitchen labels.

Just a note: when using an SVG file, the color will depend on the materials ued.

I have two identical mixing bowls in meat and dairy, and so I used blue vinyl to label the dairy one as dairy. I used red vinyl to label my meat mugs as such (we drink tea after meat meals in them).

I used my Cricut to cut out the vinyl and transferred it to the back using transfer tape.

They both have held up to multiple dishwasher runs. I used Cricut permanent vinyl for both and let it sit for a while before using.

You can also use these in laser engravers if you’re that fancy. I’ve engraved wood mixing spoons with the meat/dairy designation so that I don’t forget. I hope to engrave more metal items around the house, too.

Download the Kosher Kitchen Labels

Get the full bundle

The kosher kitchen labels are available for a few bucks in my Etsy shop. 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 free sample

Download your free printable Kosher kitchen labels! 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.

The post Kosher Kitchen Labels: Meat, Dairy, Parve 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.

These Jewish diversity puppets are the perfect project for promoting unity! When you’re done, try this aleph bet coloring page puppet too. This post contains affiliate links.

As you walk through the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, you see one of the most beautiful things: the ingathering of the exiles.

In fact, our people started out as twelve different tribes, and our diversity is beautiful. I hope that if I have any voice in the Jewish world, that I use it to promote unity – achdut. That was the inspiration behind the Jews Around the World Jewish Diversity Puppets.

I’m going to share a LOT of background on this subject, including the struggles I had with it as a sort of “disclaimer”, an intro to each character, and some crafting and use tips. So this post has quite an intro – some of what is included in the download, but if you want to skip it, you can just download it here.

For a while, I wanted to create this project: a set of puppets of Jewish kids from around the world. I wanted to create a puppet representing each diaspora. That is, every single one. That’s why this project sat on my to-do list for over five years.

The scope of the project in my mind: make a list of every single Jewish diaspora, and find a way to illustrate puppets for kids to color, with each one representing a different type of Jew. And each one, a boy AND a girl. I realized that I needed to make the project more realistic in scope.

So I whittled it down to a broad representation of various Jews from different backgrounds – both hashkafic (religious) and diasporic. Each one is drawn to be cute, friendly, and relatable, with arms outstretched so that they can hold hands.

Approaching the Jewish Diversity Puppets with care

One of the big challenges with a project like this is being sensitive to the feelings of kids. The whole goal is to help all kids feel included. The last thing I want is to “other” them. Or leave out a community.

And that’s why I kept it a bit more broad. You can “adapt” each puppet to different communities as needed. I based some on different ways of observance, some on area of diaspora, and you can mix and match those based on the approach you need.

As far as making them feel othered: again, I tried to keep things as normal as possible. I avoided caricaturizing them, and while I did largely base my drawings on researched images – including styes of dress – I tried to use just slight influences into what they’re wearing.

There was no way to do this perfectly. For example, most Teimani (Yemenite) Jewish kids in Israel will be wearing a t-shirt and jeans – but in the original diaspora, as they came, they were often wearing things like mandarin collars and slightly more formal wear like blazers.

Another issue I faced was keeping it hashkafically appropriate for (almost) everyone. While I truly wanted to present the idea that there are many ways to be a good Jew in the puppets, I also didn’t want it to be inappropriate for large swaths of institutions. And I don’t see a Bais Yaakov school bringing this in as a unity project with a girl wearing shorts – they might view it as an “endorsement”.

So I tried to keep it ambiguous and neutral.

The truth is, I also offer the puppets as individual images in the download, so you can just print what you want. It would just be a shame if a group felt they couldn’t use this beautiful unity- encouraging project or had to leave one off because of a small detail like dress.

So yes, I did put one girl in pants, to broaden representation a bit, but hopefully this project overwhelmingly resonates.

Understand that a LOT of thought went into this. I wanted it to appeal to as many Jewish communities as possible – the goal IS unity, we are one. And yet, most of Jewish diversity visuals for kids comes through PJ Library, which, while a beautiful initiative, is not always hashkafically-appropriate for right wing homes. If I’m just going to create another project along those lines, what am I really accomplishing?

Download the Jewish Diversity Puppets

A project like this takes an incredible amount of time and research and while I would love to offer everything for free, the Jewish crafting/education niche is too tight to be only ad-supported.

These Jewish Diversity puppets are therefore available for a few bucks in my shop, as well as 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 Jewish Diversity Puppets

Here’s some background on assembly instructions, ways to use them in the classroom or outside, and an intro to them all. Please note: this info is all in your download instructions file!

Meet them here

I did NOT give them names 🙂 I’m just sharing my inspiration behind each. I don’t necessarily encourage outlining all the details to kids – let it be natural and not stereotyping. I’m just sharing it with you from the grown-up perspective.

I WILL share fashion influences as well, and really fashion is universal. Other groups might wear it. But by looking at popular or tradition-based styles, I just got a broad range of ways to dress in as well!

Again, this was very touchy to draw, hard without stereotyping, but I want it to feel real and representative. So I toed the line and hope I did a good job.

There are six boys and six girls – I thought twelve was the perfect number because we have twelve tribes! (And they are NOT a representation of the specific twelve tribes.)

1. Mizrahi/Sephardi girl – Curly/wavy hair, a loose, flowy dress, and a hamsa necklace.
2. Ethiopian girl- Two buns, high cheekbones (I tried) and a slight touch of tradition on the dress.
3. Haredi/Yerushalmi girl- I tried to go for the very right-wing segments of Ashkenazi Jewish society here, with a blouse, a long skirt, and even braids. She can also be colored like the Yemenite diaspora (which had strong Satmar influence in later years).
4. Russian/former Soviet girl – This was a hard one! I went with straight hair for this one, and a proud star of David necklace!
5. Religious Zionist (Dati Leumi) – This girl was inspired by the Gush Katif exilees. I felt that they especially needed representation now!!
6. An American-style Bais Yaakov girl – As you can see, there’s no real criteria here for representation! I just tried to get as many different vibes as I can. She has a ponytail, and a more casual blouse with sleeves rolled up, and a shorter skirt.
7. Yemenite Boy – With long peyot, and slightly more formal dress.
8. Bukharan Boy – With a Bukharan style kippah.
9. Persian boy – With a Persian-style kippah and thick hair.
10. Hassidic boy – Think Boro Park! He wears a collared shirt and a large kippah with sidecurls.
11. All-American boy – This boy might be secular, he might be religious, but he’s definitely a Jewish American. He wears a baseball cap, t-shirt, and athletic pants.
12. Israeli boy – With a knit kippah and casual dress, he can belong to any non-Charedi religious element of Israeli society.

As you can see, it’s not a clear subdivision. I did this intentionally. The Ethiopian girl might be religious, she might not. The Bais Yaakov girl might be Ashkenazi or Sephardi. And the Israeli boy can be Ethiopian, a redhead, or whatever you want.

While I do hope to offer a colorized version of this project eventually, for now it’s a color-in craft!

Fun ways to use them

I had in mind different ways to use them both in the classroom and at home.

First of all, your files come in two formats: PDF and PNG.

The PDF files are puppet-sized, two to a page, and easy to just hit “print on. The PNG files are much more flexible – you can use them to format whichever size you want, print full page, print just the ones you want to use, etc.

Here are some uses:

• Print them as large as you can and use them as a bulletin board in the classroom or throughout a school hallway.
• Instead of adding sticks, let them hold hands.
• You can laminate these after coloring for longer-lasting puppets
• Use them as paper toys or to narrate stories.
• Use them as visual cues for teaching holidays, so that kids can see all types of Jews celebrating the way they do.
• Use them as a unity project for Lag Ba’omer/sefirat Ha’omer or the Three Weeks/Tish’ah B’av

Assembly Instructions

To assemble these you’ll need:

• Crayons, markers – make sure to get a skin tone set as well, such as Crayola’s Color of the World crayons that I used in my staged photos
• The puppets printed on cardstock (download them here if you haven’t yet)
• Scissors
• Craft sticks
• Glue or double sided tape.

Process:

1. Color the puppets.

2. Cut them out.

3. Glue or tape a craft stick to the back.

That’s it! They’re ready to play with!

If you haven’t yet, you can download these Jewish diversity puppets here!

The post Jews Around the World – Jewish Diversity Puppets appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

This year even more than any other year I’ve been wanting to do a project for the Nine Days, and Tish’ah B’av – days when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem, and every tragedy that has befallen our people since.

To tell you the truth, I wanted to do something more unity-minded, but then, when scanning my personal craft idea list of things I wanted to try, this one popped out. I decided it’s worth giving it a go.

I used tissue paper to create a “Kotel” and cut the word “Mizrach from cardstock to turn it into a DIY Mizrach Sign. I made it using a picture frame with the backing removed, leaving only the glass, just like I did with my pomegranate DIY sukkah decorations.

I created this last minute with things I had handy (I didn’t even have time to let the Mod Podge fully dry before I had to stage the final images). There are definitely ways to do it better if you’re planning ahead a little more – and I’ll share that below. But first…

What is a Mizrach Sign?

When Jews pray, we face the location of our Holy Temple. Jews in Jerusalem face towards the Temple Mount. Jews everywhere else face more broadly towards Jerusalem.

For those of us living in the West, that means that we face East.

The longstanding tradition has been to mark the Eastern wall in the home with Jerusalem themed art, sometimes even marking it “Mizrach” – or East. This helps us remember which direction to pray towards, serves the practical purpose of letting visitors know which is the Eastern wall of the house, and also helps evoke Jerusalem when we pray that way.

Making a DIY Mizrach Sign for the home or the Sukkah

While I definitely had in mind the home when I made this, I do think it can be made for the Sukkah too!

Glass might be susceptible to shattering if it’s not fully secured in the Sukkah. You can replace the glass of the frame with acetate sheets and do the project with that instead. They are easy to cut with scissors.

I cut the words “Mizrach” from gold cardstock on my Cricut and offer the template as both an SVG for machine cutting and a PDF for hand cutting. You can trace and cut from cardstock, or even use it as a stencil and paint in the letters using glass paint.

I do recommend making the letters darker than I did (maybe even black) as it’ll be sharper and stand out more, however, I didn’t have time to go back and redo it once I saw that the gold didn’t stand out as much as I’d like.

I did not have different tones of brown tissue paper to work with – that IS what I would recommend, rather than sticking to one beige one. I was hoping that the light shining through would highlight where it overlaps a little more, but my beige was a special coated thick beige that isn’t as translucent as normal tissue paper.

If purchasing supplies special for this project, get regular thin tissue paper, and aim for a little color variation. It does have some definition but is more abstractly the Kotel the way I did it.

To help bring out the different stones, I did afterward go back and add some detail with a brown sharpie, and I think it does look better, although we’re missing the all tissue paper factor.

So while I am quite happy with how my DIY Mizrach sign came out – I think you can make it even nicer!

How to make a tissue paper stained glass DIY Mizrach sign

Supplies Needed

• An 8×10 picture frame
• Matte Mod Podge
• A foam brush
• Tissue paper sheets in shades of beige/tan and green (you can purchase pre-made squares but I intentionally didn’t want perfect squares for this.)
• Scissors
• Cardstock (I used gold, I recommend something with more contrast to your tissue paper)
• Pencil for tracing
• OR if Cricut cutting – any Cricut machine with a fine point blade and LightGrip mat + brayer
• Template/SVG – download at the end of this post

Process

1. Remove the back of the frame, then carefully remove the glass. The edges may be a little sharp.

2. Cut out your words “Mizrach” from your choice of paper.

3. Lay out your words on your glass face down. One by one, pick u pa letter, apply mod podge to the front, and place it back face down.

Do this with all your “Mizrach” letters.

Note: if you want to use a guide, just print a mirrored version of the PDF template and place it underneath the glass to use as a template for placing your letters. You should be able to even place a non-mirrored one printed on regular copy paper upside down, I think you’d be able to see through it.

4. Cut your pieces of tissue paper. Cut some slightly larger, some medium, some smaller. Cut rough rectangles. Cut some rough small circles from green tissue paper as well. (The amount that I cut is enough to make for quite a few projects).

5. Spread Mod Podge over your Mizrach and the back of your glass, leaving a roughly 1-1.5 inch border.

6. Place green circles at a few random spots and wrinkle it up a bit on the surface.

7. Star placing your large beige rectangles on the bottom, on the Mod Podge, not too organized. Overlap some more than others. Make sure to spread a little more Mod Podge in spots where you’re overlapping other tissue paper, including the green circles. You might want to keep a photo of the Kotel open for inspiration as you make your DIY Mizrach sign.

You can even place some bricks vertically instead of horizontally.

8. Work from bottom to top, largest on bottom, smallest on top, building up your Kotel. When you’re done, seal it with a thin layer of Mod Podge. Don’t overwork it or you’ll wet and lift up your tissue paper.

9. When you’re done, and the Mod Podge has dried, place your glass back into your frame, and flip over to view your gorgeous tissue paper Kotel art. Mine needed a bit more definition because I used a thicker tissue paper in only one shade.

11. If you’d like, roughly outline the stones of the Kotel on the back of your artwork. The tissue paper is translucent enough that it’ll show through.

And that is our final DIY Mizrach sign!

Download the free Mizrach SVG & PDF 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.

The post DIY Mizrach Sign + FREE Mizrach SVG & Template appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Put your Hebrew name on a bracelet for a splash of Jewish pride in our heritage. It’s also a great educational activity for home, Hebrew school, or camp! Kids will learn or practice how to identify or match Hebrew letters and spell their name. You can teach or reinforce phonics at the same time. Not to mention the fine motor workout kids will get while stringing the small beads!

You can also use a meaningful phrase instead of a name – on your own, use it to inspire yourself; in school or camp, use it to complement a lesson.

For example, I made one of my bracelets say “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning the Jewish people are forever. I feel this expresses my optimism at a scary time, which would also make a great group discussion in a school, camp, or even party setting.

I chose to add beads in shades of blue to evoke the Israeli flag, then added complementing beads in silver, gold, and tan. Of course, you can choose any colors you like.

Aim for beads that are similar in size to your letter beads, to give your bracelet a smooth appearance. I found that 8mm worked well to give me a classy bracelet that works both as a single strand or stacked.

Bead bracelets are a super easy craft, but that doesn’t mean they need to be boring – this design looks elegant and sophisticated even though it took minutes to make and used simple, inexpensive supplies.

Kids, teens, and adults alike can enjoy both the process of making them as well as wearing the finished product! It’s a great craft to do in a group because it doesn’t require a lot of different steps or instructions, but can still keep the crafters engaged for a meaningful amount of time as they select beads and put them together. Fast crafters can make a few, slower ones can stick with one.

When you’re done making yours, you can easily make more to give as gifts. They’re so easy to make that you can even do them in larger quantities for fundraising or party favors. Make some in different color schemes for variety, or wear a few stacked up for extra oomph.
Most importantly, get creative and have fun!

What you’ll need

• Elastic cord (or bracelet string of your choice) – Note: the easiest kind is the kind that is made of a few strands twisted as it has more hold. Avoid the crystal clear kind as it is harder to knot (unless you’re a pro).
• Hebrew letter beads – this is incredibly hard to find, surprisingly, but I found an affordable set at Temu. I’m guessing if you’re in Israel you might have an easier time finding it!
• Decorative beads of your choice (I used 8mm wooden beads)
• Optional: clear tape, marker, glue

How to make Hebrew name bracelets

1. Start to plan your design by picking out the letter beads that spell your name (or the phrase you’ve chosen)

2. Cut a length of elastic about 2-3 times longer than you’d need to go around your wrist. If the cut end seems like it will start fraying, take a piece of tape and wrap it tightly around the end to make it easier to slide the beads on.

3. Slide on your letter beads

4. Decide what decorative beads to add – will you need a space between two words? Do you want a colored bead between each letter? Try out the arrangements on the table first. You can use the cut cord to help you estimate how many beads you’ll need to go around your wrist by marking on the cord the actual wrist diameter.

Start stringing on your beads – I like to work with symmetry, coming from each direction. Add the surrounding beads, alternating one on each side so your name stays centered.

5. Continue to slide the beads onto the cord until your design is complete. Keep an eye on the letters to make sure they’re getting strung right-side-up!

When you think you’re done, carefully test out the size by wrapping it around your wrist. You’ll want to leave just a drop of slack both for comfort and to make sure it will fit over your hand. Add more beads if necessary to fill in extra space – this bracelet will look best if it is full of beads.

Finish it off by knotting the ends of the cord together. Make a double or triple knot to secure it. Glue your knot if you’d like for added security.

Trim off any excess string that’s hanging off.

You’ve successfully made some fun Hebrew name bracelets! What will you be stacking it with?

The post Hebrew Name Bracelets appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

My heart absolutely breaks every single day. It’s shattered every time I hold my own redhead baby. It’s aching every time I think of another mother and what her redhead baby’s plight might be, how she is herself, how her interactions with her baby might be…

One of the ways I’ve been trying to help is by using my Etsy shop to raise funds. While I haven’t announced it on my shop (Etsy has funny rules with putting these things on your shop, as bad actors sometimes use it to exploit tragedies) I’ve been quietly donating all my Etsy earnings to various Israel based causes, sharing my initiatives in my newsletter and on social media.

Since Etsy is a side gig for me, and it doesn’t cost me to send out digital products, I’m able to do this.

At the same time, I’ve been trying to express myself through art besides for that. When the attacks first happened, I found myself illustrating a coloring page featuring all different strokes of Jews and Israelis and thinking of the rallying cry of “beyachad nenatzeach – together we will win.”

As things progressed, I illustrated other coloring pages. And I’m adding them to my Etsy shop as I still donate earnings (through the end of Jan 2024 – beyond that TBD). My latest bundle is one that expresses my hopes for a LASTING and enduring peace for the Jews and all people on the land which we hold sacred.

An end to all wars.

Please.

Today.

We hurt enough. Enough is enough.

No more internal wars. No more NEED for existential wars.

I don’t want anyone to misunderstand me or misquote me. I don’t hold Israel responsible for this war. I’m not calling for a pretend ceasefire. I hate this war. We all do. We all pray for peace, for everyone. We all know how this war can end today.

Call these Israel coloring pages your reminder that the ultimate goal is a peace that can last, not another temporary faux truce. And that our strength is in our unity, in our heritage, in our truth.

About the free Dove of Peace Israel coloring page

I decided to also illustrate a freebie to share here for those who want a little “art therapy” in their life.

One of the “Shalom peace and unity” pages features a dove of peace, with an olive branch, flying high above Jerusalem in a gesture for peace.

I zoomed in on that and added lots of intricate detail to make a free coloring page so that EVERYONE can enjoy this.

I had fun coloring mine using artPOP! markers from Blick – I grouped them into color families for the larger areas and then tackled the fine spaces. This is a fun way to teach about color theory in art class – using this strategy to color complex coloring pages.

It shows how different shades of different colors can give a solid effect while adding depth and character.

The page itself is highly detailed in portions but with lots of white space. This gives it an “intricate” coloring experience, while also allowing for shading practice and creativity in others.

Download it here

About the full Shalom Peace & Unity Coloring Page Bundle

The bundle includes five pages, plus a sixth bonus page – the free one shared above.

I always choose my favorite to color (sometimes I finish, sometimes I don’t…)

This time, it’s the typography one: Am Yisrael Chai – the Nation of Israel lives. It features the text written on a background of a banner, with a split star of David. The bird is the Hoopoe bird – doocheefat in Hebrew. It’s the national bird of Israel and fun fact: it’s not Kosher!

The flower is – you guessed it – the national flower of Israel which is the red anemone (calanit). This is particularly a tribute to the anemones of the Be’eri forest.

I colored it using Prismacolor Premiere alcohol markers.

The other coloring pages include the Kotel (Western Wall), the dove flying above Jerusalem (not a very specific picture – it’s just inspired by the architectural details), Israelis united, and an intricate Shalom (in Hebrew) page.

The Shalom was illustrated by accident: I made those criss-crossing rectangles and found the space for the word “shalom” in the gaps. I defined it and brought it out in the design.

The pages feature different styles to keep things interesting, and are medium level, making them accessible for a wide variety of age groups.

Which Israel coloring page is your favorite? Comment below!

The post Israel Coloring Page – Dove of Peace appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.