Thinking about Yerushalayim

Here we are in the Three Weeks of mourning over the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash -- both Holy Temples in Jerusalem -- one 2000 years ago, one 500 years before that. This is a time to be thinking about Jerusalem, and what better way than with some great crafts!

1. Jerusalem watercolor collage in 3D

 

 

This watercolor collage Jerusalem was the first watercolor collage my daughters and I did together. (The shiny glare you see is the plastic covering I added for hanging in the Succah.) You can read about this project's beginnings here and its completion here.

For a similar project, a tissue paper collage on glass, visit creativejewishmom.com.

2. Jerusalem Kirigami

 

Kirigami means folding and cutting paper to get beautiful airy results; it's a Japanese art, like origami. You generally need to use an exacto blade so this is not for young kids; but for anyone who is old enough, it's an easy and beautiful craft. Check it out! Click here for some photos and here for the pattern.

3. Jerusalem sand jar

 

 

Another stunningly beautiful project from creativejewishmom.com. I liked the idea of the tall skinny glass jar -- it gives you more room for larger amounts of sand, and much prettier results than the teeny decorative containers the kids usually make this in. You complete the sand jar first, then draw your Jerusalem scene with permanent markers on the sand background.