Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. This post was originally published March, 2016 and was updated with a new template!

While most Jewish moms don’t mind passing by all the Easter eggs and bunnies in the store, it can be frustrating that there is so little available for the children when it comes to Jewish holidays, especially Passover when grape juice and matzohs take over. While it’s possible to find some cute play sets online, there is little choice and they are often expensive or poorly made. That’s why I have recently taken to creating my own.

Combine a some felt with a little bit of embroidery floss, scissors, glue, and hook-and-loop tape. Add in an hour of crafty relaxation, plus a bit of patience. You get an adorable, interactive seder plate that is sure to entertain your little one for the duration of the Seder.

I love to involve my child in the holidays in creative ways, so making an interactive seder plate for him to keep at his own seat seemed like a smart idea. While there is a specific order to the foods on the plate (which, by the way, are symbolic – they’re not actually eaten) I did not stick to it, as I wanted M to be able to rearrange them.

I stuck them on using hook-and-loop closures (a.k.a. Velcro) so that he can switch them around.

I also made a pocket to stick the Matzahs in, as many Seder plates include a section for the three Matzahs underneath. That is an active part of the seder, which your tot can then mimic using her own set!

If you are looking for something that toddlers or preschoolers can actually make, you can mimic this using colored paper, with the shapes printed on and ready to color and/or cut out. You can add hole punches around the edges and use yarn for lacing. Otherwise, this craft really is intended as a DIY toy for parents and caregivers to make.

What you need to make a DIY Seder Plate for toddlers:

• Felt – two full sheets in your choice of color for the plate, two in shades of brown for the matzahs, and one in white for the circles/”bowls”. You’ll also want to have scraps or a sample pack handy for the foods on the plate.
• Embroidery floss in a complementary color
• Embroidery needle
• Glue gun, Tacky glue, or E6000 
• Hook and loop closure/velcro tape or dots
• Fabric and detail scissors OR a cutting machine.

Tip: if you’re cutting this with a Cricut Maker, you can pretty much use any felt with the included rotary blade. If you’re using an Explore Air 2, I’d recommend thin stiff felt such as Cricut felt, which cuts with the fine point blade.

Update: Due to popular demand, I have created a PDF template and an SVG cut file for this seder plate! Get it here!

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How to make a pretend Seder Plate for toddlers:

1. Cut out your pieces.

2. Glue the six smallest circles at somewhat even intervals around your seder plate.

3. The food includes: a hard boiled egg (possibly roasted), a roasted shank bone, a Romaine lettuce leaf, a piece of horseradish, a piece of potato, parsley, radish or similar vegetable, and some Charoset.
Add velcro or similar hook and loop closure to your food and your circles (optional – felt does cling to felt to some degree).

4. Begin sewing together the front and back of your plate around the edges. You can use a simple whip stitch:

Or a prettier blanket stitch:

5. Sew halfway through.

6. The matzahs are a little smaller so that they can slide in and out of the pouch.

Your seder plate is ready to play with! You can even store the food pieces inside the matzah pouch.

Allow your child to pretend “break” his own matzah and use it to explain the story behind each seder plate object.

If you haven’t yet, you can get your template here!

How do you celebrate Pesach or Passover? I hope you love this seder plate for toddlers and pass on the love by sharing this post using the buttons to the left!

The post Pretend Seder Plate for Toddlers appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Passover time can be hectic – whether you’re hosting a big family seder, or packing out for the holiday. These Passover printables help you organize, decorate, entertain, and most of all: they’ll help you bring the holiday alive for you and your kids!

If you want the huge bundle of printables with all the paid products below in a single easy purchase, you can get the entire bundle featuring everything listed in this post (besides the freebies) right here.

The last section of this post features some free printables too!

Otherwise, scroll through for the individual Passover printables.

4 Kids Coloring Pages and Crafts Passover Printables:

1. Bedikat Chametz Play Set:

The tradition of bedikat chametz includes hiding ten pieces of bread, and then searching for them, to ensure that chametz, or leavened bread, has been completely removed from the home.

In this coloring craft, kids get to color and then search for their own “bread” using the traditional cartoon-like bag, feather, candle and spoon. It’s a number hunt and counting game too, perfect for preschoolers!

Get it here!

2. Passover Printable Coloring Pages for Kids:

This mini-coloring-book features nine fun Passover drawings in a kid-friendly style. You can print them out multiple times for your class or for each of your kids.

I’ve illustrated these in a way that brings the holiday and tradition to life, that’ll make the kids chuckle, and will help them relate to the holiday. The broken matzah sits on a wall, the Chametz bandit is quite sneaky, and a little child asks the four questions. A Haggadah tells the story of Passover, the Afikoman is hiding in plain sight, and the three matzahs, representing the three branches of the Jewish people, dance together in unity…

Get it here!

3. Ten Plagues Puppets:

Color and craft these fun puppets representing the ten plauges in a less-scary way! This is a really great way to bring the Passover seder to life.

You can purchase them here, but here’s a secret: I also have these available as a free download for newsletter subscribers. You can grab these passover puppets here.

Get it here!

4. Passover Character Puppets:

Would you prefer to color the characters of the Passover story? Four main characters are included in this set, and are ready for your little ones to color and use in retelling the story.

Get it here!

• You can also get the complete Passover coloring bundle here
• Or get the puppets duo here.

Note: I recommend printing all puppets on card stock for best results.

4 Passover Printables kids toys and games:

You’ll want a decent color printer to print these out (or take them to a copy shop) but once you do, you’ll have some fun, easy-to-assemble games to play this Passover!

5. Full Color Ten Plagues Puppets:

You know those puppets I shared above? Guess what?

You can also get them in full color!

If you’re looking more for a toy your kids can play with on Passover, rather than a craft to keep them busy, these beautifully watercolored ten plague puppets are ready to print in full color, cut out, and glue onto craft sticks.

Get it here!

6. Full Color Characters Puppets:

Just like the ten plauges puppets above, I’ve also colored these, this time using these art markers. You just need to print them out in color, cut out, and glue onto craft sticks.

Get it here!

7. Old Maid & Memory Match Card Game:

I illustrated loads and loads of clipart, took images from other projects (such as the puppets), and turned them into a fun Passover printable card game. I even designed a box to go along (optional). You’ll find Hebrew and English descriptions on each card, so kids will be learning by mistake while they play…

You can play two classic games with this:

1. Old maid: your “old maid” card is the chametz bandit – don’t get stuck with it! (Full game play instructions are included).
2. Memory match: Remove the Old Maid, because that one doesn’t have a match (or leave it in for an extra challenge). Place them face down and have kids take turns flipping over two at a time.

Get it here!

8. Crossing the Split Sea Board Game:

I designed this printable board game a few years ago – it’s a classic board game, with a design inspired by the splitting of the sea. To add to the game play, it includes three levels of trivia cards.

Since this is a printable, I offer two options for printing the game board: a mini board on a regular letter-sized paper, or a four-page spread you can tape together to make a full-sized board game.

Get it here!

• You can get both full-color puppets bundled together here.
• You can get all the full color toys and games bundled together here

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6 Table Decorations Passover Printables:

To make these really cool Passover printables and table decorations, perfect for the seder, I created original artwork: a “split sea” design, a wine glass, and a seder plate.

All of the napkin rings use a glueless closure so that they can be stored flat, take very little space and reused. The place cards can also be stored flat and reused – especially if you laminate them, and especially if you have the same guests from year to year.

9. Seder Plate Place Cards:

A fun pop-out design, these seder plate Passover printables feature attention to detail and a neutral design.

Get it here!

10. Seder plate napkin rings:

The matching napkin rings make for a beautiful place setting. Or use them on their own!

Get it here!

11.Water/split sea place cards:

The artwork for these Passover printables was inspired by the splitting of the sea, and designed with those who like to do split-sea inspired tablescapes.

I was careful not to overdo the look, keeping it abstract. These are the easiest to assemble, as they are a simple bifold card, without the cutout.

Get it here!

12. Water/split sea napkin rings:

The matching napkin rings have two styles – a lighter one, from the top of the “split sea” and a deeper one.

Get it here!

13. Wine glass place cards:

Four glasses of wine or grape juice at the seder means you almost always have a full cup! These place cards have a wine glass cut-out/pop-up and a white space to write names.

Get it here!

14. Wine glass napkin rings:

The matching napkin rings will look great on your table too!

Get it here!

• Get theSeder plate duo here
• Get the Split Sea duo here
• Get the Wine duo here
• Get the entire table decor bundle

3 FREE Passover Printables:

While there was simply too much to create for Passover to offer everything for free, I still have some free Passover printables to share with you.

15. Passover Coloring Page for Adults:

16. Passover Menu Planner:

Designed by my friend and blog partner Rochel for our joint blog Beyond the Balagan, this menu planner features at-a-glance planning for the entire holiday.

Get it here!

17. Passover Cleaning Checklist:

This checklist is really the one that my mom has used for many years – throughout my childhood for as long as I can remember. I made it more generic so that anyone can use it and adapt it.

Get it here!

What are your favorite Passover Printables? Looking for something you didn’t see here? Comment below!

 
This post is part of the Passover for Kids Blog Hop from Multicultural Kid Blogs. Visit the co-hosts below for more about how to celebrate this special holiday with kids. You can find even more ideas on our Passover board on Pinterest.

Participating Blogs

Faith Seeker Kids on Multicultural Kid Blogs: 10 Fun Facts for Kids About Passover

Mommy Evolution: Children’s Books About Passover

Moms & Crafters: Passover Printables (you’re here!)

The post Passover Printables – Coloring Pages, Games, and Decor appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

These free printable holiday gift tags were first published Oct 2015 and updated to showcase them better and make them current.

Winter is a season of gift giving, so I decided to help you out a little bit with these fun printable holiday gift tags. I personally celebrate Hanukkah, but I know that most of my readers celebrate Christmas, so I decided to create tags for both.

FREE PRINTABLE CHRISTMAS GIFT TAGS: 

I really went for abstract designs in muted versions of the colors that these holidays are normally celebrated in. On the Christmas cards, I did create one that looks like bokeh lights and the rest are simply fun plaid, torn paper, and lace style designs. Yup, I did intentionally aim for an old-time feel. I truly hope you like it.

FREE PRINTABLE HANUKKAH GIFT TAGS: 

For the Hanukkah cards, I also went a little old-time, though not as much. The one card shows a slightly abstract version of the Menorah glowing in a starry night. The others are again, torn paper, plaid, and a kind-of watercolor design.

I usually try to print out my printables, to show them to you in real life, but with these holiday gift tags, I had a hard time. I did print out the Christmas version, but when I printed the Hanukkah one, my printer ran out of Cyan ink (the blue one.) That’s rather essential for Hanukkah, don’t you think? Unfortunately my replaced ink isn’t working, so until I figure that out, I’ll have to provide mock-ups of my printables instead of print-outs. I do apologize.

HOW TO PRINT AND ASSEMBLE YOUR FREE PRINTABLE HOLIDAY GIFT TAGS:

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• Download the PDF files above. 
• Print them out on card stock
• Cut them out with regular scissors, or with a paper trimmer (you can stack and do a lot at once if you use this. Just make sure that they are secured to each other so that you get an even cut.)
• I recommend using a paper punch for the hole
• Add them to your gifts using pretty ribbons, twines, and ropes!

These holiday gift tags are a pretty large size. I made it that way as it’s easier to print smaller than bigger. This way, it works for your larger gifts. Plus, if you need it for something smaller, you can just scale it down.

Add some fun type to it using the skills you learned in my brush lettering tutorial.

Which holiday will you be celebrating this winter? How do you celebrate? Wishing you and your family a happy holiday!

New! Get the Hanukkah coloring page packet! You can find it in my Etsy shop, or on Gumroad, or purchase it here:

The post Free Printable Holiday Gift tags for Christmas and Hanukkah! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

While most of the world is busy swirling around with Christmas prep, my family is enthusiastically prepping for Hanukkah!

Over the years I’ve made fun Hanukkah crafts with and for my kids. We’ve made fun Hanukkah decorations, come up with cool ideas for all our Hanukkah parties, played around to find our favorite latke recipes… And now it’s time to share them all in one place!

I’ve split the Hanukkah crafts and other ideas into different categories so that you can easily find what you’re looking for.

Some of these Hanukkah ideas appear in more than one category, again, so that you can easily find what you want.

Hanukkah Crafts for Preschool:

Whether you’re a preschool Morah (teacher), or you want something fun to keep your little ones busy at home, or to teach them about other cultures, these Hanukkah crafts for preschool are simple, educational, and entertaining.

1. Color and craft this super fun Hanukkah Puppets Printable Paper Craft – or grab the full color version and just cut and craft! I illustrated these Hanukkah puppets with my own kids in mind. You’ll find fun story characters, along with the traditions in humourous, animated poses – a dancing dreidel, a hiding flask of oil… 

2. Want a fun Hanukkah keepsake gift? Craft this fun Hanukkah Craft for Kids: a finger print Menorah to hang in your home. It uses air dry clay, making it easier on you! 

 3. When my toddler wanted to “light the Menorah just like Daddy”, I made him a toddler-friendly Hanukkah Menorah Craft for Kids that he can actually light. The flames may be fake, but the fine motor skills are real!

4. When my toddler became a preschooler and came home from school with a “real” menorah that he made, I decided it’s time for some kid-friendly flameless candles that can fit a standard tin menorah. I made these  Chanukah candles for kids using pipe cleaners – they were a huge hit!

The post Hanukkah Crafts for all ages, Coloring Pages, Recipes and Printables! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

If you brows Moms & Crafters, you’ll find many, many puppet crafts. In particular, when it comes to the Jewish holiday crafts, I like to create cheerful, relatable characters like I did with my Purim puppets and Ten Plagues puppets.

There are a few reasons I love them so much:

1. They are so inexpensive and easy to assemble.
2. They can be colored by kids, or more professionally by parents who want to make paper toys for their kids.
3. Because they are inexpensive, they make a great group activity.
4. They present an easy way to bring the holidays to life.

I created these Hanukkah puppets with a slight agenda in mind.

At this time of year, most of the world is celebrating Christmas, and while I don’t expect – or even necessarily want – the commercialization of Hanukkah, it’s so often done wrong.

What I mean is, I’ll see a leading magazine, who should have the resources to do proper research, create the Hebrew letters upside down, or just plain wrong.

This bothers me because it not only shows disrespect, but even more importantly, it spreads misinformation.

So instead of sitting around and complaining, I made some puppets, that have on them Hebrew letters, and I made those letters correctly. And I made that set of puppets free… For those of you who are looking for more ideas, you can find a full list of Hanukkah crafts and coloring pages, as well as other printables.

Which leads me to – I have a few versions of these Hanukkah puppets for you:

1. The free printable traditions set in a coloring-page format
2. The full set that includes the characters of the Hanukkah story in a coloring page format. This one comes with bonus information/educational pages as well.
3. The full-color version of the traditions set, for those who want to use the Hanukkah puppets as a teaching tool, or as an easy DIY Hanukkah gift, without putting in the work and time that coloring it professionally requires.

Get my Little Red Riding Hood puppets to print for a fun literacy activity!

The free printable traditions Hanukkah puppets coloring pages:

I created a “sampler set” that you can download for free from Beyond the Balagan, the Jewish blog I run with my friend. You can find the free printable Chanukah puppets here.

The full printable Hanukkah Puppets Color-in Bundle with the story characters, the traditions and educational guides:

For those who are looking for puppets to bring the actual story to life, I created a larger set, featuring four characters of the Hanukkah story.

• Antiochus – the king who outlawed Jewish practice, under penalty of death
• Yochanan Kohen Gadol – the high priest (John Hyrcanus) for whom the miracle of the candles occurred.
• Maccabee – This can either be Yehudah (Judah) Maccabee, the son of Matityahu and the leader (with the lion of Judah on his shield). Or, it can be his father Matityahu – or any of the Maccabees. That’s the beauty of a printable – you can recreate this puppet as many times as you’d like!
• Yehudit (Judith) – the young widow who cleverly rescued her city from siege.

You also get the first package listed with the Hanukkah tradition puppets – a dancing dreidel, a self-igniting menorah, a hiding flask of oil, and a potato latke and donut dancing. You can find my recipe for delicious golden potato latkes here.

And, as a bonus, you also get two pages with explanations and history behind all the puppets. These pages are also black and white, and colorable. You can either use it as your own resource if you need factual information (as accurate as I could manage!) Or, you can use them as a coloring page in their own right.

Get it here!

The full color Hanukkah Traditions Printable Puppets:

Because they’re quick and easy to assemble, these Hanukkah puppets make amazing gifts. Grab the full-color version, and you can print and gift them to a few people (as long as they are gifts coming from you personally – you may not sell it or anything like that, or redistribute it to others to give as gifts).

I colored these using Prismacolor Premier markers (the classic and the Portrait sets), scanned them, and turned them into a printable for you.

• Get the free printable color-in traditions set
• Get the full color-in version with the traditions, characters, and educational pages
• Get the full-color traditions set

Which of these Hanukkah puppets will you be creating? Comment below!

Love these Hanukkah puppets? Try the Hanukkah crafts below:

The post Hanukkah Puppets Printable Paper Craft appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Contrary to what you might think when looking for Hanukkah crafts and activities, and finding the abundance of ideas out there, Hanukkah is NOT a major Jewish holiday.

On major Jewish holidays, Orthodox Jews totally unplug. We celebrate family meals, go to synagogue, don’t work, and don’t actively use any electronics.

On Hanukkah, we are permitted to work, use electronics, etc – we just have extra traditions we do, such as lighting the Menorah nightly, eating fried foods – such as these golden potato latkes, and giving the kids “Hanukkah gelt” – money or other gifts and incentives for studying Torah and living by our traditions. We also tend to throw big family get-togethers, parties, and other fun events.

While most holidays are more dinner-focused – we’ll cook huge sit-down meals twice for every day of our holiday – Hanukkah is more “casual”, you can say, leaving me more room for creativity.

For this reason alone, I absolutely love Hanukkah.

While browsing through my blog, you’ll find lots more ideas for Hanukkah than any other Jewish holiday because I have the time for creativity.

You can check out my full list of Hanukkah crafts and decorations as well.

Meanwhile, I hope you have fun with these DIY Hanukkah window clings!

You can use Hanukkah window clings in two ways. Either, do what I do and place them on a window or mirror where you’d like them to be.

Update! This post has moved to my Jewish blog to make it easier for browsers!

Get the Hanukkah Coloring Bundle for Adults for some nostalgic coloring fun!

Print the instructions to make Hanukkah window clings

Hanukkah Window Clings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Make this beautiful Hanukkah window clings and stained glass gallery wall art!

Print

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

Materials

• The template, printed out here.
• Gallery Glass paints in your choice of colors
• Simulated Liquid Leading
• Leading Blanks (I didn't have this so I used stencil blanks instead.) If you are planning on making these in frames, you can skip this and make it directly on the glass of the frames.
• Toothpick
• Optional: Frames, painted in your choice of color, with the backs removed and the glass intact

Instructions

1. Place your blank over the template you plan to trace.

2. Trace your stencil outline with the liquid leading. Allow it to dry overnight. Tip: the more complex the design, the harder this stage will be.

3. Fill your spaces with an even layer of window color. Use a toothpick to make sure your color goes all the way to the simulated leading. Any holes can weaken your project and make it tear when you pull it off. Fill in all the holes on your artwork. Keep in mind that the color turns translucent and looks darker when it dries.

4. Allow your Hanukkah window clings to dry completely before removing them from the blank. Dry time will depend on your environment, so test it and remove it slowly, waiting longer if needed.

Place your Hanukkah window clings wherever you'd like them to be, and enjoy seeing them all Hanukkah long!

  

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Recommended Products

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Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Find More Hanukkah Crafts and Activities Below:

This craft was made as part of the Multicultural Kid Blogs Hanukkah blog hop. .

All Done Monkey on Multicultural Kid Blogs: The Ultimate List of Hanukkah Crafts for Kids
Moms & Crafters: Hanukkah Window Clings – Faux Stained Glass (you’re here!)
Melibelle in Tokyo: Channukah and a Case for Light
Coffee and Carpool: 8 Days of Hanukkah Kindness Activities
Mommy Evolution: Hanukkah Books for Preschoolers
Juggling with Kids: Personalized Dreidel Gifts

The post Hanukkah Window Clings Templates – Faux Stained Glass appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Did you ever spend hours making a costume, or spend big bucks on one, only to have your child refuse to wear it when Halloween or Purim came around?

Some kids, whether they have SPD or are simply sensitive, don’t do well with costumes because they tend to be made from less comfortable materials. They are often awkward too.

This past Purim, M asked me to dress up as a “UPS man”. That’s his dream career and I was happy that he took the brainstorming out of my hand.

I made him this DIY UPS delivery costume for him using a brown collared shirt and a brown baseball cap. My big mistake was not getting a cap that fit right (I used an adult one). He didn’t like how it felt and refused to wear it… until I had a brainstorm: I offered him to wear it on top of the cap he usually wears.

That worked! He was happy to do that because it felt right to him.

We didn’t have brown pants, so we paired the UPS delivery costume with tan colored cargo pants.

I made badges out of felt, glued on a flat pad pin to the back, and pinned those onto the cap and shirt. That way, now that we’re done with the costume, the cap and shirt are still usable.

We donated the cap because he didn’t like the fit, and now he has the shirt to wear to school.

For his package, I simply taped back up an empty box that we had received a package in!

The UPS delivery costume was a huge hit!

A few tips for getting your kids to wear their costumes:

1. Let them pick the theme!
2. Compliment them for picking such a BRILLIANT costume – make them proud of their choice!
3. Use real clothing that’s a comfortable fit.
4. Dress up as well. Kids who are old enough to “feel stupid” if they’re the only ones dressed up will be encouraged by you wearing something as simple as bunny ears.
5. Pull out your play dress up box and “practice” a few days before.
6. Remember that it’s okay if your child chooses not to dress up! As long as he or she is happy… While it can be frustrating if you worked hard on a costume, it’s not worth pressuring your child in the long run. Save the battle for something more important.

What you need to make a UPS delivery costume:

• A brown collared shirt
• A brown baseball cap
• Optional: brown pants
• Brown and yellow felt (you can get a sampler pack or pick up individual sheets in a craft store)
• Glue – hot glue, fabric glue, or E6000 should work for the felt. I do recommend E6000 for the pin.
• A flat back pin (optional – use if you  plan to reuse the clothing components)

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How to make a DIY UPS delivery costume for kids:

1. Recreate the badge in a size appropriate for the cap and the shirt.

2. Glue your parts together.

3. Glue a flat pad pin to the back.

4. Pin your badges onto  your shirt and cap.

That’s it!

Who will you be creating this UPS delivery costume for? Got any tips for encouraging kids to dress up? Comment below!

Loved this UPS delivery costume tutorial? Check out the cool costume ideas below!

The post UPS Delivery Costume – DIY Real Clothing Costume appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

I love involving kids in the holidays in a meaningful way, and having them create and color their own Passover puppets is perfect! Print them on cardstock, have the kids color them (or do like I did and color them yourselves with watercolor paints!!)

Cut them out, and glue them onto colorful craft sticks and voila – you have a cool way to review the ten plagues!

These are also a great way to make the Passover seder come to life. I offer a full color version here if you prefer just to use it as a teaching tool and NOT to have the kids craft them.

Visit Beyond the Balagan to read the full instructions and to download your free printable Passover puppets!

If you prefer the full color version, you can purchase it here. It’s perfect for classroom use, if you want this as a Passover toy but not a craft, or if you just don’t have time to color!

If you’re looking for a fun game that the kids can play on Passover (and a great learning tool too!) check out my Splitting of the Sea board game.

If you’re looking for another way for the kids to have fun at the Passover seder, this DIY felt seder plate is so much fun!! Or make your own sensory haggadah for toddlers – they’ll love it!

If you prefer to craft something to decorate your Passover table, I’ve got a few ideas for you! Try making your own DIY seder plate, or craft an Elijah’s cup.

Visit Beyond the Balagan to read the full instructions and to download your free printable Passover puppets!

The post Passover Puppets – Ten Plagues Craft and Coloring Page appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

M couldn’t wait for me to finish making this to play with it. He is obsessed with music and loves making noise too. He didn’t twist it with his palms like it’s meant to be played – he shook it back and forth – but it still made a nice noise, and kept him happy.

At first I did NOT glue the dowel in place. He fought with it until he got it out, so I learned my lesson…

The big challenge in this craft was fitting the balloon over the ring. I could have used a larger balloon, but I wanted it to be pulled taut. One side worked in the end and the other didn’t. I ended up using a bit of duct tape to hold it in place and it went on easily.

What you need to make a DIY hand drum:

• A pringles canister, or similar round container.
• Craft knife
• A wooden dowel. Tip: if you get a 6 inch dowel instead of a 12 inch one, you don’t need to break it! I just used the 12″ ones I had handy. Use code MOMSANDCRAFTERS for 5% off.
• Good hole punch
• Decorative tape (such as washi or glitter tape.)
• Decorative duct tape, preferably thin.
• Two balloons. This might be hit-and-miss depending on your container size so I highly recommend you have a few sizes to experiment with. If you want to create this in bulk or with a group, test one and then make more according to the size that worked.
• Ribbon or string
• Large wooden Beads (make sure the ribbon is a good size to go through the beads and then tie a secure knot)
• E6000 glue or similar
• Scissors

Tip: want an updated way to make this that uses different, easier materials? Try your hand at this spin drum craft!

How to make a toy hand drum:

1. Cut your can about an inch to an inch and a half from the top.

It doesn’t need to be perfect.

2. Cover the ugly with tape. If your tape is too wide, snip it at intervals and fold into the ring.

3. Trim your dowel to size. I did this by breaking it – classy!

4. Punch a hole halfway into your ring. You’ll need a strong hole punch for this (I have this one.) If you don’t have a good one, make an x with your craft knife in that spot, the size of the dowel head.

5. Stick your dowel in. Important: secure it in place with glue and allow it to dry!

6. Cut off the neck of your balloon.

7. This is the tricky part… pull your balloon over the opening on one side of your ring. It needs to be pulled completely flat – no bunching in the middle, no gaps around the edges, or it won’t hold. Tip: if you’re having trouble, secure a small spot in place with duct tape and pull the rest around. You probably won’t be able to get the tape off afterward, so do this in a spot you’ll be covering.

8. Secure it in place with a strip of pretty tape. I used Duck Brand mini tape and cut it in half width-wise.

9. Poke a hole in each side using your knife. Poke a piece of ribbon or string through (you might need help form a “poker” such as a pin.) Secure it with a knot on the inside and the outside.

10. Add your bead(s,) knot them to secure, and trim, making sure that the ribbon reaches easily to the  middle of the drum/balloon.

11. Repeat on the other side.

12. Seal the open side of your ring with another balloon, the same way you did with the first.

That’s it! You can decorate the dowel if you want, or just leave it as is.

This post was originally published in February 2015.

The post How to make a hand drum appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

This Hanukkah coloring page is really relaxing and cool to unwind with. I colored mine using gel pens – I love the metallic sparkle that it adds.

Learn more and download your free printable Hanukkah coloring page for adults here!

Hanukkah is a wonderful time to get the family together and spend quality time. Every year, I try to throw some sort of family gathering for my husband’s family. My family has multiple get-togethers, and we like to play games and do things together.

Coloring is one of those cool things that are so cheap, span a huge age range, and give people something to take home! You don’t need to get fancy with your coloring supplies – a large pack of gel pens is quite inexpensive, and allows people to collaborate and color together too. This coloring page is perfect for that too!

Want more cool Hanukkah printables and ideas? Here are some of my favorites:

• Latkes coloring page 
• Free Printable Dreidel Boxes
• Kids’ Clothespin Menorah
• DIY Toy Candles to fit your kids’ menorah. See the video:

• Dreidel napkin fold. See the video:

• Beautiful Hanukkah Tablescape
• Origami Hanukkah Garland
• DIY Wood and Copper Menorah

Download your free printable Hanukkah coloring page for adults here!

Want a larger variety of Hanukkah coloring pages? Grab the full package below, with five fun and unique coloring pages for you to enjoy! These Hanukkah coloring pages include an intricate dreidel, a nostalgic street scene, a beautiful traditional menorah, a cool pattern (that you can use as gift wrap too!), and some delicious “sufganiyot” or donuts!

  You can also get it in my Etsy shop.

I hope you enjoy your free printable Hanukkah coloring page for adults! Share in the comments: what does your Hanukkah celebration look like? Do you also get the whole family together? Do you light the menorah and sing favorite songs? I’d love to hear from you!

The post Free Printable Hanukkah Coloring Page for Adults appeared first on Moms and Crafters.