Feb 7

Feb 7 DIY: Puffy Hamantaschen necklace

Celebrate Purim with littles with a sweet Hamantaschen necklace

We’re getting ready to celebrate Purim - the happiest Jewish holiday of the year! We have a project that’s sure to make everyone extra happy - a joyful puffy Hamantaschen necklace! We eat yummy Hamantaschen on Purim, sweet triangle shaped pastries stuffed with wonderful fillings! The shape is known for its three-corners, which resemble the hat of Haman, the villain of the Purim story.

For families raising Jewish children, One, Two Three Purim! and other Jewish children’s books, can be mailed to your children each month for free by PJ Library! Click the link to learn more! — For families raising Jewish children, *One, Two Three Purim!* and other Jewish children’s books, can be mailed to your children each month for free by PJ Library! Click the link to learn more!

Puffy Hamantaschen necklaces are sure to get you and your littles in the joyful spirit of Purim. You only need a few supplies. So let’s go make one!

Puffy Hamantaschen Necklace

Here’s what you’ll need for each necklace:

1 small circle of felt, ours was 3.5” in diameter
1 small circle of fet in a second color, ours was 2” in diameter
Small rectangles of felt in black (eyes and smile) and pink (cheeks)
Sewing needle
Embroidery floss
Necklace cording (about 30”)
2 Cotton balls
3 straight pins
Pony beads
Scissors
Craft glue

Here’s how to make this sweetie pie!

1. Cut your shapes as pictured below.

2. Unroll the cotton balls and place them in a triangle in the center of the larger circle.

3. Place your second, smaller circle on top of the cotton and tuck the round of the smaller circle edges under the cotton.

4. Fold up the edges of the larger circle inward to make a triangle and secure the edges with straight pins.

5. Thread a sewing needle with embroidery floss and sew a running stitch around the inner edges of the top point of the triangle.

6. Now let’s add the necklace cording. Thread your cording with the needle and poke it through each side of the the top of the triangle.

7. Tie the cording into a little knot above the triangle to make it nice and secure.

8. Glue on the eyes and cheeks. This is the best step - when your triangle becomes a little hamantaschen with a sweet happy personality!

9. Grab some pony and paper beads, and invite your little to string them onto the necklace!

And that’s it! When the necklace is done, your little can put it on and act out a very cute action rhyme! It goes like this:

When you’re rolling out the dough (pretend to roll dough)

Just make sure you roll it slow. (roll slow)

If you roll the dough to quick (roll quickly!)

The Hamantaschen will surely stick (pretend to have sticky fingers)

When you put the filling in (pretend to spoon filling, one hand to another)

Just make sure you wear a grin. (point to your big smile)

When you smile when you bake,

Hamantaschen turn out great! (Yay! Jump up and down and celebrate!)

You can extend the fun of “baking” hamantaschen and celebrating with littles by reading Purim storybooks like PJ Library's One, Two, Three Purim! by Naomi Shulman!

If you get hungry while reading books, you can make an easy "no bake” hamentashen lunch too - These yummy sandwiches are festive for packing in lunch boxes too!

Learn how to make “no bake Hamantaschen!” They’re as easy as making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

We have more fun ways to celebrate Purim with littles - including DIY mini royal crowns, DIY groggers (noise makers), bake real delicious hamantaschen, bake gluten-free double orange hamantaschen, pack a Purim themed lunchbox with “No Bake” Hamantaschen and play dress-up and make costumes for your own DIY Purim clothespin dolls!

How does your family celebrate Purim? Let us know in the comments below, and let us know if you make a puffy Hamantaschen necklace or any of these other fun family activities too! We wish you a very joyful Purim!

Chag sameach! Happy Purim!

~ Jennifer