In 2006 (yes my blog is old - so am I).... I did a post on a Ramadaan Surprise box. I had used the tutorial from a site which showed a simple box with sections, and I decided it would look cool as a masjid. Anyway, the tutorial link no longer works and I've had so many requests.. I decided to re-do the whole thing for YOU! - you're welcome *grin*

 
Here is the PDF file, if for some reason you can not download it, email me and I'll send you a copy.

It's not a 'simple' craft... so if you decide to make it - you really love your child *cheesy grin*
 

They are different things you can fill the box with. 
This particular box is for three children. One child is only 2 years old, so I’ve put a candy in for her, and she'll learn the numbers (30 days) and it'll give Ramadaan that specialness it deserves.
The other two children will get a candy as well as a piece of paper where they will write their charity
(sadaqa) for the day - in hopes they will learn about giving, and realize how much they can accomplish in a month.

Other options:
- add small (loot bag type) toys
- add a date for each day
- add a short hadith to read each day
- add a short sentence about Ramadaan (i.e: Allah gave us the Qur'an in Ramadaan).

If you have any other ideas, please share.
AND feel free to show me how you're surprise box turned out, I would LOVE to see it.

Labels: crafts, ramadaan, tutorials

Bows! A wonderful way to make a plain gift look extra special.
I love how simple it is to make your own. The beauty is you can use SO many different things to make one..and they all look interesting - newspapers, magazines, maps, wrapping paper, ribbon, felt, etc.


I have two print outs to make it even easier.
- "Eid Mubarak" print out
- "With Love" print out

Labels: crafts, paper, ramadaan, tutorials

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

I have a pretty cool craft to share with you! A volcano.. that erupts!

I enjoyed this one as much as the kids did. And they REALLY loved it...from the crafting right to it erupting.



Before the craft we learned a little about volcanoes (and the one in Japan had just been on news), we also did this word search, and learned the spelling of the words.

Word Search

And now the fun begins.


You'll need an empty water bottle (500 ml) and a jumbo cereal box (or any cardboard).
Cut the box in half. Using one half as the base, tape the bottle in the center.
Cut the other half of the box in four equal parts. Tape them around the bottle as shown in the picture.
This doesn't need to be neat, nor does it need all the gaps covered - it's just the skeleton of the mountain.



Mix some water and flour - to make a gravy-like paste. Don't make it to thick.
Cut strips of news paper. Dip each strip in the paste and cover the entire mountain (not the bottle top) with ONE layer or paper.
Scrunch balls of news paper, dip in flour-water mix and stick them on. Make it random, in size and position.
Cut strips of news paper and cover entire mountain with one layer or paper - to hold all those 'rocks' in place.



After the mountain dries, (ours took 2 days) paint it. We mixed different colors together.. and got a green-brown color. If you have sand or anything that resembles sand.. sprinkle that over the wet paint. We used crumbs.. because that's just what you do when it's winter here!



Once completely dry, cut the top off. Please make sure it's an adult does this. I just used a knife. The bigger hole will make it easier for kids to pour the liquid in (to make it erupt), and it looks better.



You'll need two measuring jugs (something with a spout to make pouring easy).
In one add:
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tsp baking soda
- few drops of dish washing liquid
- 1/2 tsp glitter (lava actually looks shiny - hence the glitter)
Mix thoroughly - or the baking soda stays at the bottom.



In the next jug add:
- 1 cup vinegar
- few drops red food coloring



This gets messy. So place a tray under your volcano to help with clean up.
First pour in the baking soda mix (mix it well before pouring in, so you get everything).
Pour in the vinegar mix. As soon as the vinegar hits the baking soda, it'll erupt.

Labels: activities, crafts, tutorials

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuh

Ha.. I know, I know.. I'm way behind on posting a Ramadaan activity this year. Well... that's because I have no more nephews to teach, however a wonderful sister reminded me that they are still other children out there that would like to do something fun this Ramadaan. So here it is... my giant Ramadaan Dua' Book!


The purpose of this book:
- To teach children how to 'reflect' on the blessings Allah has bestowed upon us. It's something we (adults) should be doing - so encourage them from now to make it part of their lives.
- One of the best prayers a person can make is "AlhumduliLlah".
- Make Ramadaan fun, and give them a sense of how special it is.



Most of the instructions (on how to assemble this book) are on the pdf file.

Ramadaan Dua' Book PDF

After making the book, you'll need to print out 30 pages of the 'alhumduliLlah' page (last page on pdf) - and secure them in the book using the fastners you glued in.

Print out the "Reflective words" - place a word plus a small toy (balloon, date, candy, stickers, etc.) in each cylinder, cover with tissue paper and a rubber band, and stick a number on (provided on pdf).

Each day the child will poke a hole through the right day (example, 3rd fast - so number three), read the 'reflective word' - and think about what he/she is thankful for that relates with that word. Then write about it, and / or draw a picture of it.

Not much to it, but it'll definitely teach them to 'see' how much they have, and insha'Allah appreciate it.

Labels: crafts, paper, ramadaan

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuh

Here is a craft I first did with my past Sunday School students. A lot of parents/homeschoolers seem to be interested in it.. so I thought it would be nice to share it with my bloggers (what's left of them.. haha)


Our lesson was about Mosques - keeping them clean, how they look (use calendar pics for this), the parts (dome, minaret, etc.), their purpose (community, salaat, helping others).

The idea of the money box was for the kids to collect change and give their box to the a Mosque to go towards helping others.


I prefer the kids use water paint for this craft, because kids love paint and it also allows for the design (doors, etc.) to show through.

Mosque Money Box Template

Materials:
- Mosque template printed on card stock
- wrapping paper
- soap box
- scissor/strong tape/exacto knife
- water paints/brushes/glue/glitter - decorating items
- a few coins


:: Make sure the soap box is taped shut, and cover with wrapping paper.
:: Cut out the template, and using an exacto knife cut out the thin rectangle you see just above the door.
:: Line the bottom of the soap box with the bottom of the Mosque and trace out the rectangular hole you had just cut, onto the soap box - now cut that out as well, it can be slightly bigger.
:: Allow the children to decorate their Mosque before assembling.
:: Stick the Mosque onto the box (making sure the rectangles line up).
:: Give the child a few coins to start their collection.

Labels: crafts, paper

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

Yaaay, I'm finally done! Phew... alright, I must admit.. I rushed to get this project done so that others have enough time to copy it before Ramadaan... and well, I've taken a few short cuts.

If you are a regular reader of my blog (jazak'Allahu khair) you'll know that every Ramadaan I have a project for my nephews (now 5 and 3.5 years old) that not only teaches them a thing or two, but it's designed to make Ramadaan something to look forward to. And yes, they really do look forward to it, in addition to all the other exciting things happening in Ramadaan. (Like cranky people who need food.. I'm kidding.)


This is the 'Cave of Hira', where Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wa-salaam) received his first revelation. Insha'Allah I'd like to focus on the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa-salaam) this whole month. The cave will be filled with goodies (like stickers, balloons, candy, etc.) as well as a hadith (attached to the goodie). Each hadith is in the shape of a palm tree leaf, and once we learn the hadith, we'll stick it up in our scenery (ie: for the lesson plan).

We'll be reading "Goodnight Stories from the life of the Prophet Mohammad", published by Goodword. It has 23 short chapters, which is wonderful, because we can read one each day and do a lesson after each (skipping weekends).


I used a larger box, because I need it for two boys. Cut the front flaps off.. this will be the cave entrance.


This is not the right way of doing paper mache, but it's the method I use when in a rush..it's great! Scrunch up paper and tape it down with white masking tape (green might show through). Try and picture how you would want the cave to end up looking, and just add paper where needed. Make sure to add some in the front (where you cut the flaps, over lapping the sides, bottom, etc.


Add a little water, white (pva/craft) glue, and some brown acrylic paint together. Cut strips of paper towel, and cover the entire cave. This makes the structure stronger, you'll use less paint (next step), and gives it a better finish.


Once it's dry, using a darker acrylic brown paint (you can thin it down with a little water), cover the entire cave. Don't do a good job.. yes you read right. It will give a more realistic look. You are done at this point.

I added a little more glue to the paint and sprinkled some sand over. The palm trees can be made with whatever you have around the house. I used green fabric (with wire stuck under each leaf to angle it right) and branches I found outside. (As far as I know, there were no palm trees near the real cave.. but mine needs some life! - and now the kids know you don't only get coconuts on palm trees.) Make sure everything is dry.. add your goodies.

Caves done by others:

Sister Sonia

Jazaki'Allahu khair for sharing.

Labels: crafts, paper, ramadaan

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

The amazing things you can do using freezer paper! You should be able to find Freezer Paper at any grocery store. It's like wax paper but one side is shiny (ie: waxy), and one side is matte (like parchment paper).

Why use freezer paper to stencil? It adheres to the fabric, leaving your work absolutely clean, and very professional look. It's also cheap!

Materials:
:: fabric (ie: t-shirt, bag, etc; what ever you are stenciling on)
:: freezer paper
:: exacto knife
:: the image you want to stencil (drawn or a computer print out)
:: tape
:: iron
:: paints (either of the following):
- fabric paint
- acrylic paint (with fabric medium mixed in)
- acrylic paint - will need to heat set after stenciling
:: sponges


Find the image you would like to stencil. You can either: print your image directly on to the freezer paper - on the matte side!! using your ink jet printer, or draw the image (onto the matte side), or tape a photocopied/sketched image onto the matte side of the freezer paper. (note: I first sketch my ideas out, then trace it onto the freezer paper..as shown in the image).


Cut the image out using an exacto knife (or small scissors).. I think exacto knives are one of the greatest inventions in this world.

Once your image is cut, place your freezer paper stencil on to your ironed (wrinkle free) fabric. So the shiny side should be down.. right? Make sure the iron is on dry set and iron the stencil on.

Take another piece of freezer paper (the same size as the one you just ironed on), and iron it behind the fabric; the inside of the fabric (shiny side touching the fabric). This helps keep the fabric in place and stops the paint from leaking right through. (optional: you may also place a cardboard inside the shirt to prevent the paint going through to the other side)



Using a sponge dab a thin coat of paint on. Make sure to dab, not brush. If you need another coat of paint or add another colour, let the first one dry all the way through and then dab another thin layer on, etc.



Once you are done painting, and it is completely dry, peel the stencil off. Peel the freezer paper on the inside off. Heat set your image.

Heat set: with your iron on medium tempreture (no steam), iron it inside-out for 30 seconds. Or you can put it in the dryer on low heat, inside-out for 15 minutes. Note: the stencil can not be used again... but stencilling is addictive!

Have fun ..and make sure to come back and share your masterpiece!

Labels: crafts, paper, tutorials

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

To day is:

The Stolen Light

Sketched Soul

Sultana's Palate

A Wayfarer's Journey

Al-Miskeenah

The Rainstick originally came from South America, but are now popular in many other parts of the world. Traditionally, it is made from the dried stem of a cactus, the spines of which are pulled out, reversed and then pushed back in. Then a few small pebbles are filled in and when they strike the spines as you tilt it, it makes the sound of rain.

Used as a musical instrument for some, and a teaching tool for me, this lovely invention makes a great craft for children. Apart from building on their creative skills, you can teach them to be aware of the different sounds around them, encourage them to ponder over nature, and Who created the rain, etc.

They are many methods to make the rainshaker, I've included two methods here.

Materials
Potato chip canister or paper towel roll
2 circles cut out of a plastic bag
2 rubber bands (or masking tape)
White glue
Straight pins (or toothpicks or wire)
1/2 cup pebbles or dried beans or uncooked rice
Decorating material

Procedure
:: Decide if you are going to use a potato chip (Pringle) canister OR a paper towel roll.
:: If using a paper towel roll, cover one end with a piece of plactic (or wax paper) and close it off with a rubber band (or masking tape).
:: Fill with approximately 1/2 cup pebbles.
:: Glue plastic lid on chip canister OR close off paper towel roll as done previously.
:: Poke pins into tube. (An adult will have to do this.)
:: *option: poke toothpicks right through to other end of paper towel roll, place a little glue around toothpick, once dry cut off the part which is sticking out.
:: *option: if using wire, push them through and bend ends down and tape over using masking tape, this makes it easy to decorate.
:: Decorate! - either paint it, colour it, or stick tissue paper (with gluestick) around it. And then you can add other decorations like yarn, beads, stickers, feathers, etc.
:: Once all dry, lift upright and hear the rain.

I'd love to see pictures of how you and your children decorate their rainstick.

Labels: crafts

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

Way back in June (I can't believe it was so long ago), I mentioned a little about our (mine, and my cousins) Crazy Creation swap. We each exchanged a list of 10 items (or similar) and had to come up with something using all of the items. We decided to exchange our gifts on Eid, ahh.. and what a wonderful and fun way to spend Eid!

I had a blast working on mine, and was just as excited to see what Fatima would come up with. Well here it is people...

This is what I made for her:



I had to use:
1) some wire - it's not in the picture.. but was a chain with wire and beads hanging from the zipper
2) 2 circles - the dot on the "i", and in the letter "W"
3) at least 1 safety pin - the zipper tab has a safety pin in, (ie. if the zipper fails, you have a 'safety' pin on hand)
4) some calligraphy - the word "chained water" is stenciled down the side of the skirt
5) a reflection - in the word "water", 'ater' is shown as a reflection
6) some ribbon - is used to attach the zipper tab (holding the safety pin) to the zipper
7) time - this is a mermaid style skirt, used in 1901
8) some glass - the beads stuck on the words are glass beads
9) at least 1 leaf - in the letter "W" there are leave designs
10) some powder - the skirt is made using 'powder green' fabric


This is what Fatima made for me:



She had to use:
1) something from nature - the frog cupcake! (isn't he cute)
2) analogous colours -the frosting used to decorate the cupcakes.. the colour is just gorgeous!
3) tribal motif - on the stand, there is the tribal design drawn on
4) a spice - the frog nose has cinnamon on
5) leather - it's used on the stand as decoration
6) something made in China - every item used to make this was from China
7) a battery - a little battery was used to hold up the sign on top saying Eid Mubarak
8) a pyramid - the masterpiece itself is in the shape of a pyramid
9) death - currents/raisins, used as the frogs eyes (this was such a good idea!!) (ie. they represent death.. as in a grape is alive.. and once 'dead' it's a raisin)
10) glass - the beads used on the stand as decoration

Masha'Allah, it's wonderful.. and her idea still makes me so happy, because I would have never thought of making something edible!

Insha'Allah we have plans for another swap, and will exchange gift on Eid-ul-Adha.

Would you like to join us?? If you are really interested, you need to find someone who lives near you, who is willing to participate as your exchange partner (so..no mailing gifts, because that means you have to take that into consideration).. and then you will have to email me at amtullah79@yahoo.ca with your name and your exchange partners email and name..and I'll email you both with further details.

Labels: art, crafts, swaps

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

It feels like we just celebrated Eid, and here is.. Ramadaan around the corner once again, alhumduliLlah. Last year I had made a Ramadaan Surprise Box for my nephews, which they absolutely loved! I really recommend making something of this nature for your child(ren) or others you may know. This year I decided to make them something similiar.

I love the story of Prophet Nuh (alayhis salaam), and insha'Allah this little ark will be a means for the boys to learn more about him.

Ark Tutorial

A day or two before Ramadaan begins I'll read them the story of Prophet Nuh written by Saniyasnain Khan available at Goodword Books (in this series), and do a little lesson about it.




The box is for two boys, so it's divided in the center. Each side is filled with different little items, like stickers, candy, balloons, a ball, other toys, etc. I found a lot of things at Party Packagers, and the Dollar Store (this is in Canada). Suggestions for places in the States are welcome, for the sake of other readers. On the side of the ark is a little calendar, each day they pull a page off, read the little blurb and each pick out a toy from their ark door. The 'blurb' is a mixture of information about Ramadaan, Eid and Prophet Nuh (alayhis salaam).

The actual constructing of the ark was very easy. The main box that holds the candy/toys is a jumbo cereal box. The 'wood' is drawer liner you can by at any kitchen or dollar store. The animals are finger puppets and the roof/stairs are sticks from my back yard.

For other Ramadaan box ideas, check out Ummlayla's blog. She made a wonderful fabric one last year, and has a different one planned for this year, insha'Allah, which I look forward to reading about.

Labels: crafts, paper, ramadaan

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

This is a little delayed, but I managed to find the picture and thought you could have fun with this. It works well as a craft for children, so those with little ones on summer break here is something to do.

I made this with my Sunday School children (4-7 yrs). I first taught them a lesson on kindness. One way of showing kindness is giving gifts. So the children thought about who they are going to give their magnets to, and then got creating! They had a blast, and did a wonderful job..masha'Allah.


There is a lot you can do with salt dough, but it is not like clay! The texture is different. I prefer clay for may reasons, but they are plus sides to salt dough..like it's cheap.

Over working the dough will make it sticky, so keep extra flour in a shaker close by.

In this dough I added Tempra paint to add colour. It needs a good amount of paint to turn out nice and bright. However, once it dries..it goes a dull colour. So to brighten it up, once they dried I coated them with decoupage (a mixture of white glue and some water should work too) glue. And glue-gunned a magnet at the back. (You can find magnets at a dollar store).

For yourself or older children it might be a better idea not to colour the dough and paint it once it's done.

Makes: a lot!

2 cups (16oz/455g) flour
1 cup (8oz/227g) salt
1/2 cup (4oz/118ml) water - at room tempreture
optional: 1 tblsp cooking oil (to make the dough smoother)

:: Knead together.
:: Divide dough into 3 parts (or as many colours as you want).
:: Add food colouring or paint to each part.

note:
1 tblsp oil - smoothness
1 tblsp vinegar - hardness
1 tblsp wallpaper paste - elasticity

It takes a good week to dry..and longer if the piece is thick. Or you can choose to oven dry it, but I just left them to air dry, to avoid any burning.

You can use cookie cutters to make some nice shapes.

note: they are very prone to cracking if they drop. It's still a craft to have fun with.

Labels: crafts, recipes

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu


Ahh.. it has been a while since I've posted.. sorry. Things this end have been very crazy! Speaking of crazy.. my dear bored cousin, who loves art as much as I do, decided 'we' (me and her) need a challenge. So we each exchanged a list of ten items, and now have to create something and include everything on the list.


I shall post both lists below, if any of you are up for the challenge, pick either List One or List Two and make something! I would definitely love, love, to see what you come up with, and I'm sure she would too. (Email me with pics, amtullah79@yahoo.ca) I'll keep you posted on how our creations go.



I for one, have no idea what I am going to make..hehe, and the fun begins! *suggestions are welcome*



List One:
1) some wire
2) 2 circles
3) at least 1 safety pin
4) some calligraphy
5) a reflection
6) some ribbon
7) time
8) some glass
9) at least 1 leaf
10) some powder


List Two:
1) something from nature
2) analogous colours
3) tribal motif
4) a spice
5) leather
6) something made in China
7) a battery
8) a pyramid
9) death
10) glass

Happy creating Fatima, and to all those who decide to try it!

Labels: crafts

As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu

After bumping into The Egyptian's Wife post on the wonderful Ramadaan Surprise Box she made for her dear children, I decided to try one out for my nephews, Abdullah and Umar.

An excellent tutorial can be found at Islamic Parenting.
A few tips I'd like to share: If you cut the squares out with a utility knife you get a nice clean edge, use double sided tape to make your own stickers to fit your theme if you can't find stickers you like, and to fit my theme I just painted my box instead of using wrapping paper.

Although they are both young, (3 years old and 1.5 years old) I hope it would still be a means of them to learn a little about Ramadaan and make it a special month for them, as it is for us insha'Allah.



I decided to make the box look like a masjid since it is something Abdullah is familiar with and loves. Each box is filled with dates, a written message, and a little something, like lollipops, prayer beads, mini toys, lip balm (they love lip balm), and other things they like. The last two days have balloons and streamers in, which they can decorate the house with, for Eid insha'Allah.

Here are a few of the written messages I used that Abdullah should be able to understand. But you can change them to suit the age.

:: Muslims fast in Ramadaan.
:: After Ramadaan we celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.
:: We should make lots of dua' in Ramadaan.
:: It is good to give money in Ramadaan to the poor people.
:: On Eid day we say, "Eid Mubarak!" to everyone, which means "Have a blessed Eid!"
:: In Ramadaan we should pray "laa'ilaha illallah" a lot.
:: When we break our fast it is called 'Iftar'.
:: When we break our fast we should say "Thank you" to Allah for giving us food to break our fast.
:: Allah gave us the Qur'an in Ramadaan.

If anyone else decides to make one, let me know all about it! I'd love to see pictures of it, and hear any ideas you might have.


While on the topic of Masjids, I am hoping to paint one for my parents, insha'Allah. Help me out here, what painting would be more appealing to you, a Masjid that already exists, or a totally different Masjid? I look forward to any feedback, insha'Allah.

NOTE: above tutorial link no longer works... please visit this page: Ramadaan Surprise Masjid

Labels: crafts, paper, ramadaan