The weather has taken a turn for the worse, here in Seattle. I'm sad to see summer leaving so soon but, I do have a confession to make. As much as I love the lazy, hazy days of summer, the Virgo in me crushes hard on Fall. With back-to-school, my birthday and Rosh Hashanah all falling within weeks of each other, my life literally gets a fresh start every September. {Pomegranate art via The Joy of Color on Etsy.}
This year is feeling particularly symbolic. I just turned 39, just lost my last grandparent and am generally feeling very thoughtful about my past, present and future. With middle-age approaching (or is it already here??) I am craving some measure of control, some kind of brilliant system for managing the hectic holiday season. It sneaks up on me every year, but I'm determined to stay organized this year and actually enjoy the process of planning, crafting, cooking and soaking up every last drop of each and every celebration.
To that end, I've decided to launch a Handmade Holiday series on my blog, to organize, catalog and share my holiday ideas and inspiration. Kicking things off is Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish New Year. I've been celebrating Rosh Hashanah my entire life, but only just started creating my own family traditions within the past few years. This year, I will be hosting a traditional Rosh Hashanah dinner for my family and a few close friends, so I am busy this week finalizing the menu and hoping to squeeze in a last minute craft or two. The holiday falls on Wednesday evening, but we're delaying our celebration until Saturday...that also gives me a few more days to prepare...procrastinate much??
This post highlights a few of my favorite craft ideas and tomorrow I'll talk about food. Apples, honey and pomegranates take center stage as important symbols for this celebration, so without further ado...a round-up of my favorite Rosh Hashanah crafts...
HANDMADE GREETINGS
With friends and family spread out far and wide, it's nice to send cards to wish "L'Shana Tovah" or "Happy New Year." For a handmade holiday, handmade cards are the only way to go...bonus points for using recycled materials. (Hint: All of the following projects would look amazing done on recycled kraft paper grocery sacks.)
How cute are these cork stamped apples? I'm 99% sure I'll be making these with my 5-year-old tomorrow after school...heaven knows we have plenty of corks around here!
{Cork apple stamped cards via Creative Jewish Mom}
Apple stamping with a real apple would also translate well to a card. Part of me feels guilty for wasting a perfectly good apple, but the other part of me thinks this is just so cute...what's one apple? Maybe an apple that is old and not so tasty would be the one to use for this project??
{Apple stamping technique via Pinterest}
This pomegranate card is adorable and doesn't look hard to DIY. I could see using the handle end of a paint brush or a q-tip to make the seeds. Hand-letter or stamp the message and voila!
{Pomegranate card via Disney Family Fun}
3D apples are another cute idea for a card and a great way to use up paper scraps.
{3D apple papercraft via Pinterest}
HANDMADE DECOR
No celebration feels complete to me without some handmade decorations. Whenever I get ready for a party, I make sure that my decor is set first...if I'm still working on food when guests arrive, so be it...at least my house will look fabulous!
I really like this pomegranate swag for the front door...it's a nice change of pace from a wreath and elegant enough to get you through all the fall holidays. You could take this apart and eat the fruit afterwards or buy dried pomegranates to make an everlasting display.
{Pomegranate swag via Martha Stewart}
Fresh apples make sophisticated and symbolic decor. The centerpiece is fresh and modern, while apple place cards can double as favors. If you don't have a long tray like this one, try an arrangement of shallow bowls or compotes.
{Rustic Apple Centerpiece via Curbly}
{Apple place cards via Design Megillah}
I also really like the idea of incorporating bees in the decor for this holiday. Honey plays a big role in the menu, so tying it in to the decor is a nice touch.
Beeswax candles are a no-brainer. If you like to make candles, it's easy to pour or roll a few special ones. Otherwise, you can do a simple search online to find beeswax candles on sites like Etsy.
{DIY Beeswax candle kit via EcoMonster on Etsy}
{Bee skep beeswax candles via Hortons Farm on Etsy}
{12" Beeswax tapers via Pod on Big Cartel}
This bee skep centerpiece is super cute, although I would probably accent with just one little bee. It's simply a length of sisal rope coiled and hot glued in place. Easy peasy.
{Bee skep centerpiece via Design Megillah}
This amazing pomegranate surprise ball is another fun idea for the kids table. I doubt my DIY attempt would look anything near as cool as this one, but I do see crepe paper rolls at the thrift store all the time and would love to try this at some point. (Even though the environmentalist in me sees this as a colossal waste of paper, I am sure the crafty among us could find something clever to do with the paper afterwards. That makes it ok, right?)
{Pomegranate Surprise Ball via Pinterest}
So that's all for now. For more ideas, recipes and creative inspiration, I hope you'll check out my Rosh Hashanah inspiration board on Pinterest. I'll continue to update it as I come across new ideas. And if you share my love and fascination for all things bees and honey, you may enjoy this post I did a while back...Honey, I do.
Will you be celebrating Rosh Hashanah this year? If so, what are some of your favorite ways to celebrate? Will you be attempting any DIY projects? Let's hear your ideas!
XOXO, Cindi
