Tag Archives: origami

Index Card Origami Frogs that hop: Passover placecards, game, plague

Posted on 03/15/2013 | 5 Comments
I can't throw them away

several years of old placecards

Have an index card?  You have a frog.  And a placecard, an afikomen clue, a keep-hands-busy-activity, a plague, and a jumping frog game. Continue reading →

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Posted in Activity, Passover

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Jewish Origami: What Not to Make

Posted on 07/12/2012 | 3 Comments

You’ve heard of Jewish Origami.  I’m a fan. You may have heard of Dollar Bill Origami, in which dollar bills replace traditional, square paper.  I’ve made dollar models—animals, a ring, wee clothing— but there is one famous origami dollar pattern I will never make in public: the Jewish Star.  Come on, a Jewish Star made out of CASH?  It looks like clipart from Origami of the Elders of Zion. Continue reading →

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Posted in Activity, Crafts

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Shavuot Origami for Kids: Ten Commandments

Posted on 05/29/2011 | 8 Comments

Easy Ten Commandments Origami for Shavuot

This simple paper-folding craft is a fun way to prepare for and celebrate Shavuot, the holiday that commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments, and by extension the whole Torah.

Ten Commandments Origami

With your help, even a young child can fold and decorate the “Tablets.” The finished product can stand up on a table or lie flat as a card.

The PDF template below has a “granite”  background and two rows of Hebrew letters that will end up in the right place when folded. What’s with the letters? A common visual representation of the Ten Commandments uses the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet to symbolize the mitzvot (commandments). There’s a vertical row of five letters on each tablet, each one serving its ancient double-time as a number: aleph for one, bet for two, gimmel for three, and so on.

What exactly are the Ten Commandments? Well, here in the Bible Belt Continue reading →

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Posted in Jewish parenting, Shavuot

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Origami Mishloach Manot for kids

Posted on 03/13/2011 | 4 Comments

 

origami cup + handle

origami cup + handle

Just about any origami box, bag, envelope or basket can be a Mishloach Manot container, but this one is actually easy enough that little kids can make it.

Remember the origami paper cup pattern? It’s pretty common in schools and scouts and whatnot.  This is it, plus a stapled handle. (The cup can actually hold water, as long as you don’t need it to hold water for very long…) Continue reading →

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Posted in Jewish parenting, Purim

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Origami Dreidels

Posted on 12/13/2010 | 3 Comments

Origami Dreidel station at the Chanukah Carnival

This is a classic design, and fairly easy to teach to little kids. It comes from Florence Temko’s book Jewish Origami (still in print).

You’ll need a square of any size paper. To teach kids, it will be easier to have a pretty large square: at least 9 by 9 if you are cutting down from a regular sheet of construction paper. Even better if you have big origami paper that is white on one side.

I used large rubber stamps for the Nun, Gimmel, Hey and Shin, and let the kids choose which letter they wanted on the body of the dreidel.  You can use stickers, foam stickers, stamps made from other materials (potatoes, which would be appropriate during latke season), stencils, foam aleph-bet puzzle pieces or just free-hand it.

No matter what method, please include a visual guide showing each letter and the name of the letter. I also included what each letter stands for.

We loved making these so much we tried it with napkins and even one square of toilet paper.

The dreidels make great Hanukkah cards (unless created from toilet paper), either on their own or glued to a folded piece of paper, or you can string them as a garland as suggested on the cover of Temko’s book. We’ve also used them as placecards at dinner and as gift tags.

Temko’s design is also available online from the Origami Swami, who claims permission to present.

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Posted in Crafts, Jewish parenting

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