Clay Apples festive decor

Today we are sharing how I made some easy and cute apples to be used as hanging ornaments or just gifts on Rosh haShanà. They are easy and quick to make, and can be done with a group of children. Adults will enjoy making these as well.

APPLES 

The supplies to make these are:
Air Drying Modeling Material
Acrylic Paints, Paint brush
Deco Art Glue, Sealer,Finish in Gloss
Twine
The process is fairly simple.
Model some clay into an apple, help yourself with a paper model, let it sit a few minutes then cut out the apple shape. While the clay is drying but still moist, cut the hole on the top of each apple. Let the apples dry.
Brush off any dust, and paint. Add a final coat of Sealer to give the apples some shine and protection, but that is optional.
I hope that you are inspired to go. Thanks for stopping by.

Decorative clay fish and pomegranate

There is a tradition at Rosh Hashanah to eat symbolic foods (simanim) meant to help ensure a good new year. This list blends both Ashkenazic (Eastern European) and Sephardic (Mediterranean) traditions and includes recipe suggestions for integrating symbolic foods Fish, too, can be a delicious and symbolic addition to the two-day holiday.
Fish symbolize fertility, prosperity and abundance.
The rimon, or pomegranate, is special for many reasons. It is one of the Seven Species of Israel and has traditionally been used as a "new fruit" for the Shehechiyanu blessing (celebrating new and unusual experiences) on Rosh Hashanah. But there's another link between pomegranates and the Jewish New Year just as the fruits are full of seeds, we hope we'll be similarly full of merits in the coming year.
We decided to make some hanging clay fish and pomegranate 

Air Dry Clay Fish and Pomegranate Decor 

Material:

-Air Dry Clay
-Wax paper
-Rolling pin
-Acrylic paint
-Twine
How to make air dry clay  decor:
First, line your work space with wax paper. I flattened a large chunk of air dry clay on top of it, and then covered it with an additional piece of wax paper to keep it from sticking.  After you cut out the shapes, if you have uneven areas or sharp edges, put your finger in a little bit of water and lightly smooth it over the surface of the clay. The clay must dry for 24-48 hours. It helps to flip it over halfway so that it dries all the way through.
Once dry, decor and paint your fish and pomegranate.

 

Seder Moed: Rosh Hashana/Yoma/Succah: 003

 





Pébéo air dry clay- 1,5 kg

Pinecone apple craft for Rosh HaShanà

I know that a pinecone craft may sound more of a winter activity but there is so much more you can turn a pinecone into: owls or…apples.It’s just a matter of color and leaf  and you can easily have an apple instead of a pinecone. If you want a yellow apple the only thing to change is the color.
                              Pinecone Apple Craft

Materials: pinecones, paint, hot glue, green felt pieces.
1: Gather a few pinecones. If you can’t find any pine trees near your house.
2: Paint your pinecones. We used red paint but yellow or green will also work.
3: Cut out tiny leaves from green felt or paper.
5: Glue the leaves to the sticks.

Wood Decorative Apple for Rosh haShanà

Apples and honey: For Ash­kenazic Jews, these words are an inseparable pairing. We dip a slice of apple in honey to express our hopes for a sweet and fruitful year.
Why were apples and honey chosen for this custom?
It’s not because of what Adam and Eve did in eating from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden; the Bible never identifies the forbidden fruit. More likely, apples were selected because in ancient times they became a symbol of the Jewish people in relationship to G.d. In Song of Songs, we read, “As the apple is rare and unique among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved amongst the maidens of the world.” In medieval times apples were considered so special that individuals would use a sharp utensil or their nails to hand-carve their personal hopes and prayers into the apple skins before they were eaten.
Neither the Bible nor the Talmud dictates the minhag, or custom, of dipping apples in honey. Traditionally, as early as the 7th century, it was customary to wish someone, “Shana Tova Umetukah” (A Good and Sweet Year), and honey ,whether from dates, figs, or apiaries , being the most prevalent sweetener in the Jewish world, was the most available “sweet” for dipping purposes. And as for the biblical description of Israel as a land flowing with “milk and honey,” the Torah is alluding to a paste made from overripe dates, not honey from beehives.
May your year be sweet, fruitful, and filled with contentment and promise.

WOOD DECORATIVE APPLE

 An apple turned from holly wood. It's a pretty simple project for the home Rosh ha Shanà decor in between simple, easy and creative projects.
Making decorations for your home doesn’t need to be difficult, take up a lot of your time or money. Many times the best decorations are the ones you find right under your nose, or behind the garage. That’s where this Wooden Apple started.
The woodscrew chuck is a most useful piece of equipment and can be used to good effect to make wooden fruit.
We prefer the stalks of both apple and pear to leave the fruit at an angle, and this factor influences the chucking techniques. This method means that slightly longer stock than normal is required, but I am quite happy to waste a little wood to make the fruit more natural-looking.
Choice of wood
Exotic hardwoods can produce stunning grain patterns, but  the cost of such species can be prohibitive, particularly in the early learning stage, when mistakes are not unusual. Native hedgerow and garden trees or shrubs can also produce dramatic grain. Yew wood,pine, cherry and holly are eminently suitable, as are spalted woods, particularly beech.

photos from "Woodcraft"

Method
Taking light cuts with the roughing-out gouge, reduce the stock to the suggested 70mm diameter. The profiling can now commence at the open end (the stalk end), using a 10mm spindle gouge. A rolling action is required to form the rounded-over section, merging into a swinging, scooping action to form the undercut profile. At a distance of 70mm from the open end, size in with a parting tool to a diameter of approximately 19mm. The remainder of the profiling down to the depth of the sizing cut can now be completed with the same tool. Before reverse-chucking it is necessary to sand and polish the completed section, and also to drill the 3mm hole to accommodate the stalk.




Koren Sacks Rosh HaShana Mahzor UK Edition: Standard Size by Jonathan Sacks (2011-08-11)

Birkas Habayit - ברכת הבית - Blessing of the home

The Birkat Habayit is perhaps the most popular blessing in the Jewish world, appearing as a hanging amulet inside the entrance of many houses of Jews of all streams.
The theurgical power of scriptural verse is one very significant element that distinguishes Jewish prayer from other literary prayer praxes. At least three verses seems apropos to me. The first two : Exodus 25:8 associates ones own house with the archetypal mishkan, the dwelling place intended for the shekhina (Divine Presence). The second verse, from Proverbs 24:3-4, is prescriptive. If you ask for an accompanying verse from the Tanach to the popular Blessing for the Home you can think of  the verse of blessing given by Bilaam the prophet in Numbers 24:5 upon seeing with his own eyes the wandering camp of the Israelites. These three verses, I think, help to ground the intention of the blessing in the context of the Jewish imagination.
The provenance and original authorship of the formula is unknown.

Birkat habayit:
Bezeh haššshaˁar lo yavo tzaˁar.
Bezot haddirah lo tavo tzarah.
Bezot haddelet lo tavo bahalah.
Bezot hammaḥlaqah lo tavo maḥloqet.
Bezeh hammaqom tehi b'rakhah v'shšalom.

Blessing for the home:
Let no sadness come through this gate.
Let no trouble come to this dwelling.
Let no fear come through this door.
Let no conflict be in this place.
Let this home be filled with the blessing of joy and peace. 

The Days Between: Blessings, Poems, and Directions of the Heart for the Jewish High Holiday Season

Tefilat Shemoneh Esrei V'yosodot Ha-emunah: The Eighteen Blessings and Jewish Faith

Jewish Star of David - Blessing for Home Good Luck Wall Decor.

Wooden Star of David - Chodesh Tov Elul

Beginning of new Hebrew month of Elul. Elul is the 6th month of the Hebrew year. Corresponds to August or September on the Gregorian calendar.
Rosh Chodesh Elul begins at sundown on Mon, 21 August 2017.
Elul is the 12th and final month in the Jewish calendar. It is a month that connects the past year with the coming year, a time when we reflect on where we stand and where we should be going.
It is called “the month of repentance” and “the month of forgiveness.” 
On Rosh Chodesh Elul, Moshè ascended to Mount Sinai for a third 40-day period until Yom Kippur, when he descended with the second tablets (luchot) and G‑d’s word of joyful, wholehearted forgiveness. These were days when G‑d revealed to the Jewish people great mercy. Since then, this time has been designated as a time of mercy and forgiveness, an opportune time for teshuvah, repentance.
The four letters of the name Elul are an acronym for the phrase in “Song of Songs” (6:3): “I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.” “I am to my beloved”we approach G‑d with a desire to return and connect. “And my beloved is to me”G‑d reciprocates with Divine expressions of mercy and forgiveness.
This is the month when “the King is in the field.”
This star puzzle styled is made from Alps pine wood. Pine wood is very soft and easily handcrafted. Handmade working with inspiration.
Make a template by cutting two 5-by-5-by-5-cms triangles out of paper,any paper will do. Turn one triangle upside down, tape it on top of the other one to create a six-pointed star, and outline the star on poster board. Or simply download and print out the template here. You can also have a copy to enlarge or shrink it to three different sizes so that you can see which one looks best on you. Use your final choice to make a wood star by cutting 12 triangles and then glueing them together.

WOOD AND WOOL STAR OF DAVID

These are custom, hand cut, 6 point stars made of white pine with carded wood added in the centre, in sets of 4 different colours. Each star may vary slightly in size or woool colours. They are  sanded to clean up the edges and finished with water wood paint.

Your Jewish guide - Elul Tishrei: A Comprehensive, Contemporary Guide to Jewish Life. Everything you ever wanted to know about The Month of Elul and the Holidays of Tishrei.

Working Wood 1 & 2: the Artisan Course with Paul Sellers

Please contact me if you want to place an order for the stars.

Shavuot decorations - Jars

Passover and Shavuot, most commonly known as the festivals that commemorate, respectively, the Exodus and the Giving of the Torah, each also have a pronounced agricultural element.
The Torah instructs that on the second day of Passover we should bring the first cutting of our barley harvest to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to G‑d, and not to partake of that year's barley crop until that offering is made. On Shavout, we are commanded to bring the first of our wheat harvest as an offering to G‑d, and not partake of that year's wheat until this is done. Hence, the 49-day count leading from Passover to Shavuot is called "The Counting of the Omer"--a reference to the omer (a biblical measure) of barley that was brought on the first day of the count--and Shavuot is called Yom Habikkurim, "The Day of the First-Fruits Offering."
In Biblical tradition, barley is primarily animal food. Wheat is the key and ideal human food.

Who is ready for decoration Shavuot? We are !!!! 
It is time to sort out some of your old glassware for this Shavuot project. 
We love refurbishing items into something fresh and new… do you have an old jar, beverage glass or even glass candle holder laying around? These three miscellaneous items can be turned into Shavuot vases with just yarn and glue.
Supplies needed:
Glass containers (We used an old  glass, a old candle holder )
Cotton yarn
Mod Podge
Scissors
Directions:
1. Starting at the bottom rim (or top… it doesn’t matter), glue the beginning yarn strand in place. Glue around the edge and line it with the yarn, then tuck the lose strand underneath. I glued the first three rows in place for more stability. Continue to wrap yarn around the glass. If glass curves, you will need to glue yarn in place to prevent it from sliding.
2. Once you have the desired thickness, cut the yarn and glue in place. Glue next yarn color on and keep winding around the jar.
3. Continue to add different colors until you reach the top. Just to reiterate, as the glass curves, additional glue will be needed. Along the top rim, glue the yarn until there is no more glass, cut off yarn and glue in place.

As part of this Shavuot decoration we're going to  make some DIY Color Wrapped Wheat.
It’s a simple and easy project, but it’s a beautiful way to add interest and a splash of color to your Shavuot table. And don’t worry, even if you’re not hosting the holiday feast, you can still whip up a few of these to decorate your space.
For this project, you will need dried wheat stalks, embroidery floss (in any color you’d like), and a pair of scissors. Yep, that’s it.
Bunch the wheat together near the top, wrap around once with the embroidery floss, and tie a knot to hold everything in place.
Then, start to wrap the embroidery floss around the stalks. I found it easiest to spin the wheat to wrap the floss rather than spinning my hand around the wheat.
If you’re putting them in a vase like we did here, you can trim the bottom of the stems so they are all the same length.
 

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Plaid Mod Podge Opaco 8oz / 236ml
CurtzyTM 42 cotton yarn - 43.3m
Fiskars scissors

Book of Ruth - Needle felted case

The Book of Ruth is found in the third main division of the Tanach, Ketuvim (Writings). The book has been preserved on parchment and thus came to be known by its Hebrew name of Megillat Ruth, the Scroll of Ruth.
This scroll concerns itself with the Ikvot Meshicha (Ikveta diMeshicha - Aramaic), the approaching footsteps of Mashiach. It concerns itself with the time immediately preceeding the coming of the Mashiach. This is related in the parasha of the “heel”: Eikev
This scroll centers around Ruth, a Moabite widowed princess who spends most of her life alone, without a husband, family, and kinsmen. Her life is filled with hardship as she gleans grain in order to have enough to eat. She has no other way to live. Why does she choose to leave her father’s palace in Moab to become a pauper in a foreign land? We will explore the answer to this question later in our study.
Why read Ruth on Shavuot?
There are seven reasons why we read the Megillah of Ruth on Shavuot:
1. The events occurred during the harvest season. Shavuot is the Harvest Festival.
2. Ruth was a convert to Judaism. Conversion is an individual "Kabbalat HaTorah".
3. Ruth the Moabite was permitted to marry Boaz, based on a drasha of the verse, "A Moabite may not marry into the Congregation of HaShem" (Devarim 23:4). This hints at the unity between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.
4. King David was born on Shavuot. The Megillah of Ruth concludes with David's lineage.
5. To teach the greatness of Gemillut Chassadim, acts of loving-kindness.
6. To teach that the Torah is acquired only through affliction and poverty.
7, The name "Ruth" has the numerical value of 606. At Har Sinai the Jewish People accepted 606 mitzvot, in addition to the 7 Noachide Laws. 

NEEDLE FELTED CASE FOR AN ILLUSTARTED MEGHILLAT

 

Download the illustration for the Book of Ruth

Read the Book of Ruth 

 

The Book of Ruth  Jaromir Vogel - Jewish Style Melodies: Traditional Folk 

 

 Ruth -  Katharine Doob Sakenfeld

Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day

Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day , is the most recent addition to the Hebrew calendar. It is celebrated on the 28th day of Iyar (six weeks after the Passover seder, one week before the eve of Shavuot). In 2017, Yom Yerushalayim falls on May 24. Although Jerusalem has been considered the capital city of the Jewish people since the time of King David, who conquered it and built it as the seat of his monarchy in approximately 1000 B.C.E., there has never been a special day in honor of the city until the Israeli army took over the ancient, eastern part of the city on the third day of the Six-Day War in June 1967.

 Drawing to color, print  and pasta : Zenspirations by Joanne Fink

A common citation in Yom Yerushalayim celebrations in Israel is the quote (Psalm 122:4) Ir shehubrah lah yahdaiv , “a city that is compact together” or “a city uniting all.” (This translation is probably influenced by a rabbinic midrash on this verse which interpreted the phrase to reflect events in rabbinic times. In using the citation today, a modern midrash has been built on the rabbinic interpretation.)
The course which Yom Yerushalayim will take in future decades will be influenced, undoubtedly by the political developments that determine the status of the city in future times.

Quest'anno a Gerusalemme Copertina flessibile – 20 nov 2002

di Mordecai Richler (Autore), M. Birattari (Traduttore)

 Il mare di Gerusalemme. 18 scrittori israeliani raccontano Copertina flessibile – 19 gen 2017

di L. Colombo (Traduttore)

 Il tempio di Gerusalemme. Storia e letteratura del luogo più sacro del mondo Copertina rigida – 1 apr 2009 di Simon Goldhill (Autore), I. Mastroleo (Traduttore)

Felt flowers for Shavuot 2

Handmade layered felt flower button wool pink, silver grey, white
Set of handmade felt & button embellishments flower for Shavuot decoration, made with quality felt in pink, silver grey and  white and centered with an hand stitched button. 
Each set contains x3 gorgeous felt flowers. These are perfect for brooches, clippies, embellishments, hair pieces, bunting, card making ,Shavuot uses are really endless... Buttons may vary and their measure is approx. 1.5" each.

Need some buttons? Find them:

Felt flowers for Shavuot 1

In honor of the giving of the Torah, G-d miraculously adorned Mt. Sinai, which was situated in middle of the Sinai Desert, with greenery and vegetation. For this reason, G-d had to tell Moses, "No one shall ascend with you, neither shall anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain, neither shall the sheep and the cattle graze facing that mountain" (Exodus 34:3).
After all, what would the ladies say if the Torah was given on a barren mountain, without blooming blossoms in the background...?
To commemorate this special miracle, we decorate our synagogues and homes with flowers and plants on the holiday of Shavuot.

Felt Flowers are Easy and Very Enjoyable to Make

Felt flowers are usually made by one of four basic techniques, some use a combination of them.The effect of creating a particular flower (rose, mums, peony, daisy, etc) is achieved by shaping or cutting the top of the felt petals in different ways.
Flat technique: This technique involves cutting felt flower shapes in several sizes and then stacking them in order largest on the bottom, smallest on the top. They are sewn or glued together usually through the center.
Types of Felt
What are the Different Types of Felt?
There are four basic types of felt for this type of project - wool, wool blend, acrylic and "eco" felt.
Wool felt is 100% wool. It's the most luxurious and rich to the touch and in appearance of the felts. It is possible to make your own wool felt material for these projects. You can upcycle wool garments or felt a knitted or crocheted piece.
Wool Blend Felt
Wool is also the most expensive felt to use, and an alternative is a wool blend. For these flower craft projects, we are talking about felt that is available in squares or by the yard. A wool blend is usually less expensive and still quite luxurious.
Acrylic and Eco Felt
What is Acrylic Felt and Eco-Felt? Acrylic and eco-felts are made from plastic. The difference between the two being that eco felt is made from recycled plastic (bottles, for example). As a felt material for flowers, though, they are less expensive
A Simlpe Way to Make Your Own Felt
This is a guide to an easy way of felting knitted, crocheted or upcycled wool garments. This type of felt will work for making flowers, although it is thicker than store-bought felt, but worth experimenting with. I always thought it could be a nice way to re-use favourite children`s sweaters or blankets (so hard to say goodbye to!).