Between summer vacation and sick days, we all need a way to keep our kids occupied — and crafting is a great way to fill that time (it’s also a great way to de-stress post-kid bedtime).
But with so little free time for us parents, I know I personally would prefer to delegate the “coming up with ideas” part to the professionals.
Luckily, there are some amazing Jewish moms out there with troves of great crafts for us to mine. As a Jewish mom and a craft lover, I’ve assembled a list of some of my favorite creators who make both Jewish and non-Jewish crafts — and who are also awesome Jewish moms themselves.
Get your bookmarking/Instagram-saving fingers ready, because we’re about to go on a joyous technicolor ride through the wonderful world of Jewish crafts:
1. Make It Jewish
We love Lisa Dvorin from Make It Jewish so much that we’ve teamed up with her on many exciting craft workshops and themed holiday Instagram reels. As both a teacher and a mom, Dvorin just knows how to explain her crafts so well, and she’s truly got a gift for photographing and sharing them in a very accessible way.
Lisa’s crafts are easy to follow, beautiful and clean. We love her Shabbat rocks and this metallic pasta menorah that she made especially for us (thanks Lisa!)
Lisa also adds so much Jewish meaning to every one of her crafts — she’s a great communicator and full of soulful Jewish insights that are appropriate for every age.
2. Midrash Manicures
Rabbi Yael Buechler of Midrash Manicures makes us want to get our nails done and sing the Netta bop “I Love My Nails.” Seriously, they’re definitely an inspiration for a family manicure night!
Buechler is also not only a purveyor of great Jewish nail decal; she also makes great Jewish merch like these matzah pajamas.
She recently posted an Instagram reel about how to make a lego mezuzah, and I think it’s exactly the addition my kids’ playroom needs.
3. Creative Jewish Mom
Sara Rivka Dahan has a trove of wonderful Jewish crafts on her website and her Instagram. The mom of five is chock-full of great Jewish ideas that tie into Jewish concepts and holidays.
I love her many eco-friendly crafts, from collages to her Tu Bishvat paintings on old boxes and her repurposing of hand-made color swatches. I also adore her pastel art and the way it inspires her crafts.
Mushky, a longtime teacher, got her online crafting start by making Purim costumes out of duct tape — I mean, you have to check them out.
She recently launched her own YouTube channel, and while her crafts aren’t all explicitly Jewish, they are so much fun. The production value of these is so great, and Mushky is such a fun soothing presence.
5. Meri Cherry
With over 60k followers on Instagram and lots of colorful crafts, Meri Cherry, a storefront craft store in LA started by Cherry, is just a joy to have on your feed. These Reggio-style inspired crafts are all so wild and free — the neon shades and organic feel of it all makes you want to get your hands dirty and leave all your precious and perfectionistic inclinations at the door. Her Instagram is full of accessible craft reels for all ages.
Cherry has some great craft ideas for Hanukkah and Sukkot, and I especially love this reel of a menorah made out of tiny glass bottles that I’m pretty sure my windowsill needs.
6. The Neon Tea Party
Is the Neon Tea Party my newest obsession? Yes, yes it is. This craft Instagram/club/shop was started by Jewish mom Marisa Morrison Stein and specializes in delightful beaded bracelets and crochet crafts. I truly want all of their craft kits. The neon colors and the fun pattern take me back to my ’90s childhood and Lisa Frank sticker collection. It’s absolutely my happy place.
I mean, would you look at this crochet seder plate? I want to attend a neon tea party seder, please and thank you.
