Hamantaschen Box

I could feel the “Haman” part when I made it >_<
Template was made from 4 even sided (more or less) triangles, and "flaps were added to the outer sides. Then I cut out triangular "windows", taped some cellophane to the inside, and outlined a hamantaschen shape on the outside.
All lines to be folded were scored on the inside, with the duller side of the scissors' tip.
One side (2 flaps) was taped with a permanent double-sided tape.
As for the closing of the box, it can be taped (after filling, of course), or the box can be tied with the flaps on the inside or outside. A ribbon can be added to the rectangle at the top, or the sides of the box, to carry it.
The outside was later painted with scented paint- drink powder with a bit of water.

Lessons learned:
1) It’s not so simple to find a stencil or draw an even-sided triangle.
2) Cellophane won’t stick to the shiny side of a poster board with school glue.
3) A permanent marker, double-sided tape, and an x-acto knife are very useful inventions.

Scented Tree for Tu Bishvat

It’s like a scratch and sniff art, only you don’t have to scratch it.

I mixed different packets of drink powder (you know, the ones aimed at kids), and some lemonade powder with a very small amount of water. I tried to use a variety of colors. Cotton swabs helped control the amount of liquid used, and the poster was heavy enough for this project.

2 weeks later, the trees still smell fruity. The orange scent is very strong, so take into account it might overpower other scents.

 

It was a lot of fun (And by that, I mean to say, of course, that it was a very quiet project that kept them busy for a while ^_^).

Chanukah Lollipop Candle Favors

The lollipop is peeking through a cut out in a shape of a flame. I used very thin foam for that. It’s from the dollar store, so it’s indeed very thin. I didn’t intend on using foam originally, but I think it turned out nice this way.

5 Little Kittens Jumping on the Bed

Do you know the 5 little kittens that were jumping on the bed, one fell off, etc.?

Yes, I know, I know, most people know the 5 little monkeys. However, in our little urban place, kittens are more likely to be jumping on the bed.

I pasted on the back of a cereal box, cut outs from a beautiful sticker book that was already used up, and I just had to find some use to the stickers. Then I pasted the whole thing on a coloured popsicle stick. The picture of the bed was glued to a box I folded. Nothing fancy. I didn’t have 3 boxes in a good size, and folding a simple box was the solution I came up with.

Well, actually, we don’t have kittens or cats in the house.

Umm… And I was looking for pictures of monkeys, but couldn’t find enough of them.

And since I’m already confessing- The beds come from a catalogue of a certain place that insists on sending us their catalogue though we never shop there. Not that I’m complaining- as you can see, I put it to good use.

And… One last thing… The kids liked the idea. It was a lot of fun for the few minutes they found interest in it… -_-

For Elul 6th

Today I talked about how our heart is ”broken” and aching from all the bad things we did, and on Elul we pray even more, asking for forgiveness. We ask H’ to help us mend our heart.

I cut a thin foam heart, then cut it in the middle, and they pasted the heart on a paper, putting it together.

I thought a puzzle of more than 2 pieces of such a simple shape might be too hard for them. Anyway, piecing a puzzle together was not my main focus.

Another thing we did was decorate pencil boxes. Those are pretty big containers, enough to fit a box of 27 crayons (that I got for $0.20 each!), and more.

Not much glue was left ^_^

An Easy Way To Mince (and Cut) Fresh Ginger

wash the ginger to remove debris, and freeze it. When you want to slice it thinly or mince it, take it out of the freezer, but don’t let it thaw.
Rinse quickly the part of the root you want to use. Use a metal spoon or the back of a thin knife to scrape off the peel. Cut or mince the ginger immediately, before it thaws. Be careful, as always, when using the knife.
It’ll be fast and easy.
All Done! ^_^

Cleaning Oil Off The Floor

So, blah blah blah, and the oil spilled on the lovely linoleum floor in the kitchen. I guess there is a limit to multitasking, who knew?

At first I used washcloths to absorb it. It was great for an ‘at first’ stage, but not sufficient. Then I sprinkled, generously, baking soda on the oily spots, and used a washcloth soaked in vinegar to scrub the floor and remove the baking soda and oil off the floor.

It did the trick, and I was happy to have a very clean and not slippery floor. Hooray for baking soda and vinegar! ^_^