Category: Crafts

Shalach Manos Ideas

I thought I’d post some shalach manos ideas that I’ve done in the past, in case you’re scrambling for ideas at the last minute. I usually like to give out something creative, or at least tasty. I feel like we get so overloaded with cellophane wrapped “junk” that giving just another bag of it will just add to the pile. Instead, try to come up with a dish that can be served at the meal, or incorporate servingware or a gadget that will be useful in the future. Your shalach manos will stand out, be remembered, and appreciated.

I do realize that this is not for everyone. At the end of the day, mishloach manos is a mitzvah that does not have to be elaborate or cute. It has gotten so out of hand in some neighborhoods. Everywhere you turn – every store, school, organization – is selling baskets for you to give out. Personally, I enjoy coming up with creative ideas and putting them together. But I don’t do it every year. If you are feeling overwhelmed, I definitely recommend giving a donation to an organization that is close to your heart, and sending out Purim cards (from the organization, or personal) letting people know that you’ve opted to send a donation in lieu of shalach manos. I did that last year (you can see the card in this post).

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

For Teens:

@”Mini Me” – A diet basket for the teenager – mini carrots, mini apples, mini rice cakes, mini orange juice.
@”Lets go to the Stadium” – Popcorn, soft pretzel, can of soda, packets of mustard.
@”Breakfast on the Go” – Danish/donut and small chocolate milk or iced coffee.
@”A Girls best Friend” – Jewelry holder with hanging candy watch, ringpop, winky (or homemade cheerio) necklace etc.

Just Married:

@”Lechaim” – Martini glass with olives and a mini vodka.
@”Bakerman” – Small basket filled with a mini rolling pin, mini jelly, a hamantasch, and a recipe for hamantaschen.
@”An Apple a Day” – Candy apples in an assortment of toppings. Cover styrofoam in faux grass and stick a few candy apples in.
@”In the Kitch” – oven glove with something homemade and a mini alcohol.

For Anyone:

@”Chocolate Lovers Dream” – Mini Boston Cream Pies with chocolate dipped strawberrys and a few red torino chocolates.
@“Shushan Shushi” – Sushi salad prepared on a plate with a side of chopsticks, ginger, soy sauce and wasabi.
@“Sweet & Salty” – Chocolate dipped pretzel rods with assorted toppings.
@”Crazy for Chocolate” – Mini chocolate bundt cake with mini chocolate liquor in the center.
@”Mexican Fiesta” – 7 layer dip with a bag of tortilla chips.

For Teachers, Therapists (or anyone you need to incorporate a nice gift into the shalach manos):

@Cheese plate and spreader with crackers, cheese, jelly or chocolate spread.
@Vase filled with rock candy and real or faux flowers.
@Pie tray or pie server with homemade or store-bought pie.
@Pitcher with lemon, lemon tea and tea biscuits.
@On the go insulated coffee cup with coffee, coffee candy and mini starbucks liquor.
@Set of boxed shot glasses. Fill each glass with different candy or chocolate and wrap in gift wrap.
@Bottle of wine with a nice wine stopper. Pair with chocolate.
@Theme cookbook with a matching gadget – for ex. book on ice cream with ice cream scoop, or book on cookies with a cookie cutter.

I hope you enjoyed these shalach manos ideas! If you need a second bracha, you can always give wine, a mini alcohol, chocolates or a clear box with hamantaschen.

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Purim Busy Bees


I like to look out for good deals on costumes during the post-Halloween season. I found these adorable bee costumes for my girls on Carters.com, and I just had to buy them.

After having a baby recently, I realized I would need a matching bee costume for him too. But instead of spending the money on a bunting outfit that would probably be hot and uncomfortable, I decided to crochet a bee hat, and just dress him in all black. With Purim soon approaching, I ordered black and yellow yarn, and crocheted the hat a few days ago. I love how it turned out!

How To:

size f hook
Tahki Cotton Classic Yarn Black (3002) and Bright Yellow (3533)

Abbreviations:
ch – chain
hdc – half double crochet
st – stitch
sts – stitches
mc – main color: black
cc – contrast color: yellow
fphdc – front post half double crochet
sc – single crochet

Rnd 1: with cc, Ch 5, join to make round
Rnd 2: 8 hdc in round
Rnd 3: [Hdc inc in next st] around. (16 hdc)
Rnd 4: [Hdc in next st, hdc inc in next st] around. (24 hdc)
Rnd 5: [Hdc in next 2 sts, hdc inc in next st] around. (32 hdc)
Rnd 6: [Hdc in next 3 sts, hdc inc in next st] around. (40 hdc)

Fitting Note: at this point, the circumference of your hat will be approximately 14″ (fits my 3 month old perfectly). If you want to make the cap larger, add another round of HDC here, increasing every 5 sts. You should have a total of 48 hdc.

Rnd 7,8,9: change to mc, hdc around
Rnd 10, 11, 12: change to cc, hdc around
Rnd 13, 14, 15: change to mc, hdc around
Rnd 16, 17, 18: change to cc, hdc around
Rnd 19, 20, 21: change to mc, hdc around
Rnd 22, 23, 24: fphdc around (this will create a rolled edge)
fasten off and sew in ends.

For the antennas:

ch 2. 4 sc into first ch. sc around for 6 rows. Pull on tail to stretch and form a cord.
repeat for the second antenna.
Create two small pom-poms and attach to antennas.
sew the antennas to the top sides of the hat.

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The New Chic Ear Warmer


It was Whitney Port, from “The City” who popularized the updated Ear Warmer look in 2009. Anthropologie was the first to introduce the modernized version, in a knitted light-grey tone, called the “Roaring Rose Headwrap.” Now these bands are all the rage, available in stores and online, in every color and style. I’ve made a few in the last year, both knit and crochet. They are incredibly easy to make and warm too!

I like the monochromatic look with the headbands, but I did make my daughters a colorful one to go with one of their skirts. It really completed the outfit (see pictures below). Go ahead and experiment with different color flowers and embellishments.

Ear Warmers

How to:

First make a 1″ square to check your gauge. You’ll want to see how many stitches you need for the width of the band. Using worsted weight yarn and a size G hook, I like how 14 stitches look. You can also experiment with single, double, or half double crochet etc. to make the band. I like to use the hdc stitch since it allows me to finish faster, but its not as open-worked as a double crochet. Everyone’s head sizes differently. You will need approximately 30 rows, but try the headband on as you go to see if you need more or less.

ROW 1: Ch14.
ROW 2: hdc in each st across, turn
ROW 3-30: repeat row 2
Join and sew in ends.

For a finished look, you can sl stitch around the sides of the headwrap, using the same, or a contrasting color.

If you’d like, you can also crochet your headwrap so that it gets smaller around the back. To do this, start off with about 4 stitches, then increase your stitches by one at the end of each row. When you reach 14, continue to crochet 14 stitches for 10 rows (or more, if needed to fit around your head). Then, start to decrease your stitches by one at the end of each row until you reach 4 again. Join.

For the flower, follow the pattern in the Shell Stitch Crochet Hat post.

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Cutest Crocheted Coffee Cup Cozy!


With the freezing weather here in New York, I’ve been loading up on warm drinks lately. I don’t like to use styrofoam cups, since I’ve heard that they’re carcinogenic. Instead, I opt for paper hot cups, but I always need to double up on them so that I don’t burn myself. Then it hit me. Why don’t I just crochet myself a java jacket aka coffee cozy aka cup sleeve aka coffee cuff (I think you get the idea). I started looking up some ideas online, and I fell in love with this moustache idea. I think it’s adorable!! The sleeve was a no-brainer. But I had to play around for quite a while until I crocheted the perfect moustache. I realized that if I crochet two separate leaves and glue them opposite each other, I get a moustache! I’m so excited about how it turned out! Try one for yourself.

Crocheted Coffee Cup Cozy

How-to:

Round 1: Crochet a chain the that fits tightly around the base of the cup (I did 30). Slip stitch into first ch.
Round 2-10:  *ch2, sc in each ch around, sl st into beginning ch2. Repeat from * for remaining rounds.

For Moustache:

Side 1: ch8. sc in 2nd ch from hook. hdc, dc, hdc, sc. slip stitch to beginning ch. ch 3.
Side 2: Repeat instructions for side 1.

Trim and weave in the ends. Glue or sew the two sides opposite each other. Glue onto cup cozie making sure to curl the sides up the moustache upwards.

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Shell Stitch Crochet Hat


It was about two years ago when I finally taught myself to crochet. I started off taking some knitting classes. I loved to knit but my wrists didn’t. I don’t know if it was carpel tunnel or what, but it hurt! I also didnt “get it.” I’d knit basic things, like scarves, and I could never count my stitches. I didn’t know where they started, or where they’d ended. And forget about repairing a lost stitch! I would just unravel the whole thing and start from scratch. But that’s not what got me into crocheting. The love of beautiful hats with big petaled flowers is what did. Oh how I wanted to make those! But the task of circular knitting was too daunting, and so, I gave up. My sister told me about the Knifty Knitter knitting loom and I decided to try a hand at that. It was incredibly easy to make a hat using the loom, but I still yearned to be able to make big, beautiful flowers to adorn my hats. Finally, I decided to give crocheting a try. I started watching YouTube videos by a lady named Teresa, who teaches everything you need to know about crocheting. I remember the first time I tried to make a flower. I had no clue what I was doing, and I must have taken it apart 50 times until I got it perfectly right. I found crocheting to be really easy on my hands. With only one needle, it was quick and I understood what I was doing. I could count and “read” my stitches! So as they say, the rest is history. I like to use basic crochet patterns to start myself off, and go from there, unscripted. Adding earflaps, tassels, aviator foldovers, and of course, lots of flowers, allows me to a finish each project off with my own personal touch. I made the following hat this week for my niece Anya. She lives in Florida, and since it’s been kind of a cold winter for the Floridians this year, I figured she could use it. I opted for the beautiful shell stitch, which is more of an openwork pattern, due to the warmer climate.

Shell Stitch Crochet Hat
Adapted from Mckinley’s Perfect Springtime Hat on Ravelry.com

Size: Newborn (approx 16″ around)

Supplies:
Size G (4.25mm) crochet hook
worsted weight yarn in a few colors
Tapestry needle

Notes:
In this pattern, unless otherwise noted, the ch2 at the beginning of the round DOES NOT count as the first stitch.
The crochet stitches are worked under both top threads.

Abbreviations:
Chain (ch), Slip Stitch (sl st), Single Crochet (sc), Half Double Crochet (hdc), Double Crochet (dc), Treble Crochet (tr), Stitch (st), Stitches (sts).

Foundation: ch4, join with sl st in first st to make a ring.

Round 1: ch2, 9 hdc in ring, join to ch2 space at beginning of round with a sl st. (9 sts)
Round 2: ch2, 2 hdc in each stitch around, join to ch2 space at beginning of round with a sl st. (18 sts)
Round 3: ch2, *2 hdc in first st, 1 hdc in next st* repeat from * around, join to ch2 space with a sl st. (27 sts)
Round 4: ch2, *2 hdc in first st, 1 hdc in next 2 sts* repeat from * around, join to ch2 space with a st st. (36 sts)
(at this point, the basic size of the hat is set, if need be, you can continue to make your round bigger by doing 2 hdc in the first st and 1 hdc in the next 3 sts. In the following row you can increase by doing 2 hdc in the first st and 1 hdc in the next 4 sts etc.)
FOR THE REMAINING ROUNDS, CH2 DOES COUNT AS A STITCH.
Round 5: ch2, 2 dc in next st, *skip 2 sts, 3 dc in next st* repeat from * around, join to ch2 space with a sl st.
Round 6: ch2, skip next 2 sts, *3 dc in space between the shell, skip 2 sts* repeat from * around, when you get to the end, do 2 dc in space and then connect it to the ch2 at the beginning of the round with a sl st. (by doing this, the ch 2 and the 2 dc become a shell with 3 stitches.)
Rounds 7 and 9: repeat round 5.
Rounds 8 and 10: repeat round 6
Round 11: change to contrast color. ch1, sc around, join to first st with a sl st.
Try not the crochet the sc rounds too tightly as it will not have enough give around the head.
12-15: change to finishing color. ch1, sc around, join to first st with a sl st.
To Finish: Cut yarn and fasten off. Weave in the ends with a tapestry needle.

For the flower:

Round 1: ch5, join into a ring with a sl st in the 1st ch.
Round 2: ch3 (counts as first dc), work 9 dc in ring, join to top of ch with a sl st. (10 sts)
Round 3: *ch2, work 3 dc in next st, ch2, sl st in next st* repeat from * five times.
Round 4: switch to contrasting color. ch2. Going behind the petals, sc around the post of the first sc on round 2, ch3, *sc around the post of the next sc on round  2, ch3, repeat from * 3 times. Join with sl st to beginning sc. There are now 5 ch3 spaces.
Round 5: *sc, 3 dc, sc in next ch3 space, repeat from * around. Join with sl st to beginning sc.
Round 6: switch to finishing color. ch2. Going behind the petals, sc around the post of the first sc on round 4, ch3, *sc around the post of the next sc on round 4, ch3, repeat from * 3 times. Join with sl st to beginning sc. There are now 5 ch3 spaces.
Round 7: *sc, 3 tr, sc in next ch3 space, repeat from * around. Join with sl st to beginning sc.
To Finish: Cut yarn and fasten off. Weave in the ends with a tapestry needle. Attach your flower with a tapestry needle and scrap yarn, or glue with a hot glue gun. Top off the center of the flower with a pearl, button, or other embellishment.

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