Matzo Ball Soup

A Bird’s Nest / by Hayyim Nahman Bialik

I know you haven’t been sleeping much, desperately waiting for my post about Hayyim Nahman Bialik ’s poem activity. So this is it, no more sleepless nights for you.
I chose to translate the poem קֵן לַצִּפּוֹר - A Bird’s Nest. It is a classic, every child in Israel knows it, and most importantly it is one of Ori’s favorites. I hope you like it too.
I couldn’t find any other translation for this poem, so...when you can’t find it you just do it. With THE brilliant mind of my friend Anat we have got it done.

קֵן לַצִּפּוֹר - A Bird’s Nest
By/ Hayyim Nahman Bialik
Translation/ Anat Weinstein and Tali Buchler

קֵן לַצִּפּוֹר,
בֵּין הָעֵצִים
וּבַקֵּן לָהּ
שָׁלֹשׁ בֵּיצִים.

וּבְכָל-בֵּיצָה
– הַס, פֶּן תָּעִיר –
יָשֵׁן לוֹ
אֶפְרוֹחַ זָעִיר

Bird’s nest,
in the trees
and in the nest
there lay eggs three.

Inside each egg
-hush…, do not stir-
Is a sleeping hatchling
A tiny baby bird.

Inspired by this poem we have crafted a nest with 3 little painted eggs nesting peacefully within.
I have posted the tutorial on growing up creative as an Eco kids craft project. I hope you will enjoy making it as much as we did.
WARNING:This is a messy project but it is a mess well worth cleaning.



Please let me know if you have any questions.

tali

#03 Recycled egg carton hand-held mask

In the spirit of Purim we have crafted some imaginary birds hand-held masks using recycled egg carton. A great activity appropriate for any age group.
This post is part of an ‘Eco kids craft’ series I feature on my other blog Growing Up Creative. ‘Eco kids craft’ is a series of craft tutorials using recycled materials. My goal with this series is to guide parents and educators through the phases of some easy craft activities that encourage recycling, creativity and making with what you have. I have decided to combine this series in both blogs. I hope you will find it useful.

You will need:
Egg cartons (free range eggs carton is preferred…just kidding)
Scissors
Washable tempera paint and brushes
Feathers
Embellishments: feathers, fabric scraps, paper scraps, glitter etc.
Popsicle stick (craft sticks)
Masking tape
Craft glue
Please note, since I have more egg carton than I can handle and give to preschool, I have I been using them as disposable paint palette, it works great.

How to:

1. Cut a pair of egg carton cups with the “beak” for each mask
   
2. Make holes at the bottom of the egg cups
   
   
3. Paint
   
   
   
4. Embellish
5. set aside to dry
6. Tape or glue craft stick to the side of the mask
   
   
   
    
   
7. play

linked with Craft Schooling Sunday

Enjoy and have a happy Purim

tali

Our dreidel factory

Yes, we have opened a dreidel factory. We have been using Martha Stewart’s tutorial to make those SUPER FAST spinners.

This is how:
Ori was cutting ¼” wide strips of colorful construction paper. I happen to have a paper cutter I have borrowed from Phil and “forgot” to give it back. You may also cut them with a utility knife or a pair of scissors, or buy some ready made strips at the craft store they are called quilling paper. 

I was gluing the edge of the paper to the toothpicks a little bit above the tapered edge, and realized that we must wait patiently for the paper and toothpick to dry before starting the next step (probably the most difficult part of the process).
Zoe was putting color patterns together and doing a great job at wounding the paper. Oren was assisting Zoe with attaching more paper strips Once we had an approximately 1” disc on the toothpick, we glued the end and gave it a little push with our thumbs inwards, creating a tiny bowl shape. (Reminds me of the movie ticket bowls)




I was providing with nibbles and general assistance When you create the bowl shape, Try different silhouettes, see which spins better.
 
Those spinners look like candies and they are so much fun too make and spin (of course).

Have fun
tali

The dreidel/ hovering craft experiment

For some odd reason I hoped this CD + balloon hovering experiment would lead us to a new and revolutionary dreidel…It didn’t turn out so, but (there is always a but) we had a great time doing it, and still going.



You will need:



a CD, one that you don’t need any more
a balloon
a sports plastic bottle cap
glue gun
stickers
sharpies (permanent markers)
good lungs or balloon pump

How to:


Start by decorating the CD. We have used colorful dot stickers creating our own pattern.
 

Worm up the glue gun {(keep away from children) (I am half polish, therefore, I cannot hold back this comment, sorry)}
Apply glue around the edge of the cap (the end that screws to the bottle)
Immediately place cap centered onto the CD, make sure it is attached to the decorated side.


Close the cap



Blow air into the balloon
Slip the balloon onto the cap (make sure it is closed)
Place on a smooth flat surface and release the cap (just like you would before drinking)
 

Talk to your kids before letting the air out:
can they predict what is about to happen?

Variations:
try different surfaces
Different balloon sizes
Try and release the cap just a little bit
Try and release the cap all the way, letting as much air out.


Note:
If your float device/ dreidel has a hard time moving, give it a little push, (some times we need it).

Thank you my dear sister for this great activity.
Have lots of fun
tali

Our little pot of clay

Our little pot of clay is finally set aside to dry.
It was part of my 8 nights of Chanukah 8 crafty ideas post from last year; we never got to do it then, no good reason, maybe it was too many donuts that made us too   l  a  z  y.

but let me tell you, this is one relaxing project you may want to try. if you are over 21, you may just want to pour that glass of red wine for yourself and join in with your kids. Zoe got a little carried a way, after finishing her little pot of clay, she started ‘fabricating’ some menorahs for Ori and herself, her plan is to paint them after they are dry (kind of like "color me mine", only much cheaper and more fun).




I like working with this ancient material that feels so good and so right for this holiday. Please follow this link for the TUTORIAL.

tali

Star of David foil ornament

My mom has the habit of bringing at list 2 cakes when ever she comes to visit: one cake is usually the girl’s favorite and the other is Oren’s (I am insignificant at that matter…I think she takes me for granted…or that she knows I like any cake, period.). After a couple of days I am left with 2 empty disposable aluminum pans that I cant reuse and I hate seeing them go to waste.

So this is my solution, inspired from some great traditional Mexican tin work I got from my dear friend Karen. I hope you will try this at home.

^{Mexican tin art}

^{our Chanukah tin art}

You will need:

• 1 mom that bakes 2 cakes every other week or any other disposable foil pans (could be take-out containers or baking pans)
• A pen/ pencil with out the tip/ or a thick nail
• Colorful permanent markers (such as sharpies and ArtLine)
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Hole puncher
• Newspaper
• Star of David template

How to:

• flatten the aluminum pan, using your hands and a towel. you may cut out the corners if necessary
  
  
• Draw firmly a Star of David using a dull pencil or a tip less pen. You may trace this template to do so.
• Using scissors cutout the Star of David. The edges may be a little sharp, younger kids may need some assistance.
• Place the Star of David on a thick pile of newspaper, this is key to get nice texture.
• Use your drawing tool to deboss your design. if you turn the star over to the other side you will get the pattern embossed, the image you have drawn will be raised.
• the project gets even more exiting when you deboss areas in your drawing instead of just drawing a line, similar to filling-in shapes in a coloring book. only instead of using color, you are creating rich texture of raised and indented material. 

• Use sharpie markers (equivalent to ArtLine in Europe) to add color to your star. 
• Punch a hole at the top of your star, tie a ribbon and hang somewhere special. 

 
The sharpie markers over the aluminum are vividly luminous.

variation:

Try different holiday elements such as a menorah, an oil pot, a dradle etc.

Shana Tova cards featuring THE POMEGRANATE

In this post I will demonstrate 2 different ways of making Shana Tova cards drawing a pomegranate.

You will need:
A pomegranate (at list one)
Card stock paper cut to size, you may find Blank Greeting Cards and Envelopes at your local craft store
A pencil (my preference is sketching with Ebony)
Colored pencils
Oil pastels
Glitter
Red sequence
White glue

Drawing from observation:
I dare you to try this one…
Use the making of Shana Tova cards as an excuse to practice your drawing skills together with your child. It is said that one needs to draw the same subject matter repeatedly in order to draw it well. This is your opportunity!

 

How to:
Place a pomegranate in front of you,Look at it carefully, take your time.
Study the shape of the fruit; forget it is a pomegranate, think of it as a sequence of lines that are connected together.
Follow the outline of the fruit inch by inch. Keep your head still and move your eyes only between the paper and the fruit.

Study the colors of the skin of the fruit, how many colors can you see?
Let the light and shadow help you define the shape of the pomegranate.

Try different mediums, see the different results with each one. experiment with water color, oil pastels and colored pencils. Which is your favorite?

Watch this video for some inspiration.

After drawing the fruit on the page, make it shimmer by spreading some glue and sprinkle some glitter.

My 6 year old did it, so can you.

^{Zoe's on the right mine on the left}

A stylized pomegranate:

Draw an outline of the fruit using a dark and soft pencil.

Apply some glue into the pomegranate shape and fill in with red sequence.

  

Enjoy

tali

How to - apple stamps and glitter greeting cards

There are many different ways of making greeting cards. This year I am all into the experimental style, trying different techniques with different mediums without knowing what’s going to come out at the end. Making cards this way, keeps the process interesting and prevents it from becoming automated. I know each card will come out different and personal. In the following posts I will demonstrate different methods of making cards as a family activity. I want you to keep in mind that as much as the end result is key, the process of making greeting cards together is just as important. while making the cards some we pass around between us and each one adds something to it; while other Shana Tova’s are done by one person only. We inspire each other with new ideas and techniques, and respond to each others' work. The only one problem I found was that we have to make twice as many cards as we actually need because Zoe wants to keep them all…

You will need:
A sheet of Bristol board (card stock). You can get them as pads in the arts and crafts store in the drawing section.
An apple
A cutting knife
Washable paint or what you may call finger paint
Brushes
Red glitter
Colored pencils
Oil pastels
White glue
Envelopes to fit the card

How to:
Slice the apple in 2 the long way.
Squirt some paint onto a dish
Apply a small amount of paint on to the apple.
Press the apple onto the paper, repeat till the entire page is filled.
Set to dry
Fold paper on it self once and cut in 2. Repeat till you get the desired size of card. I like the rough edges so I don’t use scissors to cut the page but I tear the page after creasing.
Decorate the apples, add glitter, and add details with a pencil or crayons.
make sure you don't forget to add your greetings.

  

 

Thoughts and variations:
Some times the print doesn’t come out very crisp, you may enhance it with a colored pencil after the drawing is dry.
If paint is smudged, it means you have too much paint on the apple, use less.
you may check out a friends blog for a different method of printing @ creative Jewish mom

Any questions please email me.

tali

Next post, is my favorite of all - pomegranates.

Celebrating Shavuot with family and friends

This is how:
Dress up in white
Pack up a picnic basket with delicious dairy spread (including moms cheese cake)
Call up some close friends and family
Find a green spot
Pick up some flowers
Make flower crowns with your children (the old fashion way).
Enjoy a special day outside with family and friends.

^{The Seamstress flower crown}

How to make a flower crown: (3 different ways)

The old school way
You will need:
An ivy branch
Additional flowers
String/ wire/ pipe cleaners

How to:

1. Pick up a branch of ivy
2. Shape into a circle, large enough to fit on the person’s head, and tie with some string or wire. 
3. If you use a branch with flowers like jasmine, this would be it for you; otherwise you may add some flowers around the branch by tying them with string or wire .

The low-tech way (I dare you)
You will need:
25 flowers with about 5 inches of stem (dandelions or daisies are perfect for that)

How to:

1. Gather 25 flowers; make sure that the stems are about 4 to 5 inches long so they can be tied easily.
2. Make a slit in the stem about a 1/4-inch long through the middle of each flower stem. This should be 2 inches below the head of the flowers. Use your fingernail to do this or you can use a sharp knife. 
3. Slip the end of a flower's stem through the slit you have made and pull it until you get to the head of the flower. Repeat with the next flower. Keep going in this manner until you've made a chain of flowers long enough to make a crown. Make sure you measure before you finish it off.
4. Weave the ends of the chain to form a ring. Insert each end through slits in the stems to secure it.

The Seamstress way
You will need:
Approximately 25 flowers (this works best with flowers that have petals that are connected and that get separated easily from the stem. Don’t worry; every other flower is like that)
An embroidery thread
Thick rounded needle

How to:

1. Gather the flowers.
2. Separate the crown of the flower from the sepal/ stem.
3. String thread through the center of the flower. Continue with the next flower until the string of flowers is long enough for a crown.
4. Tie ends. 

For great memories
Happy Shavuot everyone

8 nights of Chanukah 8 crafty ideas

What are we doing this holiday? I think we are staying close by. Eating lots, twirling dreidel with friends, playing No Limit Texas Dreidel, reading lots of Chanukah stories (our favorite Chanukah books found here in the Book Shop). and 'make' till we can't do no more. I have compiled a list of craft activities for the 8 days of Chanukah. Some activities are things I used to do in my childhood, some I made up, and some I found while doing some Chanukah research. I hope you will enjoy them all, and please feel free to copy distribute and share with whom ever you think will enjoy this. Please write a comment, email me or call me with any question, I love to hear from you. I don’t have images to all the projects but I will update images as the holiday goes, so check back for updates.
One little suggestion before you go buy supplies, read through the list of the different activities, see what you want to do, make your ‘grocery’ list and then go shopping for supplies once only. Also, I have posted a holiday card making in growing up creative you may find worth exploring.

Have a luminous and creative holiday.

tali

1st night - finger paint menorah

2nd night - stained glass windows

3rd night - lacy candle (with ice cubes)

4th night - revealing secret notes

5th night - a little pot of clay

6th night - potato stamping

7th night - shadow theater

8th night - star of david extrusion, made of sticks