(Kind of) Fast Fun Easy Rosh Hashanah Shofar Craft!

Spoiler alert!  If you’re coming here on Friday to do crafts, don’t read on…

I found this craft in the book “It’s Shofar Time” by Latifah Berry Kropf, though the book itself is now missing so I can’t look up exactly how to do it.  I like it because it doesn’t use too much plasticky junk, but there is some.  Just one, actually:  the plastic “blowy” part of a party blower.  So there you go.  I also like it because it is not too tough, but does reinforce a few kid-skills.  I dislike crafts that are all about adult intervention, but this is on the heavy-supervision side, for me….

1. Adult step:  Cut two construction-paper shofar shapes.  (cut one freehand, then trace the other)  Make sure the opening will be big enough to insert the blower.  Choose the same colour or different colours.  I used fancy “ripple” construction paper because it only costs a bit more and I thought the added texture would be interesting.  Punch sewing holes down both sides as shown in illustrations below.
2. Kid step:  decorate the shofar shapes with stickers, colouring, stencil, writing, etc.
3. Adult step:  wrap masking tape around the end of a length of yarn to make a stiff (but safe!) “needle.”  Match up corners of the paper shofars and tie one end of yarn to one corner.
4. Kid step:  Sew around the outside of the two shofars to join them together.  A stitch that goes around the outside is better, but Naomi found that too hard and did this in-and-out one instead.  Continue all around the shofar – just string yarn loosely right across the open end; it won’t interfere.
5. Adult step:  tie yarn firmly at the corner across from where you started.  “Puff up” the shofar body so it’s 3-dimensional, then insert half a toilet-paper tube to hold the large end open.
6. Optional adult step:  “stiffen” the shofar body by inserting a popsicle stick, drinking straw, pen, or something else inside.  I have to work on this, because otherwise, it goes a bit floppy in the middle.
7. Adult step (not shown):  remove the plastic “blower” part of a party blower (8 for $1!) and insert it into the narrow end of the child’s shofar.  Secure with masking tape.
8. Kid step:  blow your heart out!!!