Salaam Aleikum,
I’m so happy to share this template with you for Ramadan crafts, with or without kiddos ;). Cut out the shape with scissors or x-acto knife (use the knife for the “windows”, it is really hard to cut out a nice shape using the scissor). Cover the windows with tissue paper (if you want) and hang in the window. I hang mine with fishing thread (I don’t want the thread to show).
Salaam Aleikum my dear friends,
They blessed days of Ramadan are passing by, one by one. One week left until we all get to celebrate and feel joy during Eid alhamdulillah. I have made some decorations for you to put up in your home, creating that special feeling for Eid. Filling those bonbons with candy and giving them as gifts to your children. You know, these things are really really hard to think about today. Some of us are spening our Eid in peace and happiness while some of my other sisters and brothers are spending their Eid in terror and grief. So, so many children are spending their first Eid without their mother and father, maybe even all alone subhanallah. So, Happy Eid right?
These printable templates were at firts going to be for free, like many other templates I’ve shared with you this month. But this one I simply can’t. Putting these up in your home, preparing gifts to your children when YOU KNOW there are thousands of Muslim children who on Eid might get nothing but bullets or bombs as gifts. La ilaha illallah!
I would like to feel some happiness on Eid and I can’t have that unless I know I have at lest tried a little bit to give happiness to the children in Gaza and Syria. These Eid templates are now available in my “Instant download” category in the shop. The package consists of 4 different buntings, and Eid Floral Garland, Eid Tags (Swedish, English and Arabic), “Bonbon” Candybox template, an Eid Card and 5 new designs for the pop-up mosque.
And the price? It’s 100 Swedish kronor which is the equivalent for buying an Eid gift to an orphan child (through the charity organisation SolidaritetsCenter in their current “Ramadan Campaign”).
All the money will be donated for this cause, so your 100 kr is in fact 100 % sadaqah for you inshallah. Let’s see how many Eid Gifts we can raise!
Buy the “Eid Decoration Package” here.
I ask you during this blessed days to please support this project of mine and share it.
May Allah bless and reward you all <3
// Umm Jabir
Salaam Aleikum,
The first activity card in our Ramadan Calendar had the task “build a papier mache mosque” but we were busy that day so on the second day of Ramadan we started this project and now 2 weeks later we are finally finished with it alhamdulillah : ) It wasn’t planed to make it this big or that it would take this long time. But alhamdulillah now when it’s finished I really like the size of it, the kids use it as a dollhouse.
It is really easy to make this and it doesn’t need to cost much either but it takes time, waiting for the papier maché glue to dry and also the paint. When that is all finished it is so fun to decorate it and paint the little Muslim wood dolls.
1. First thing to do is finding a box. Big or small it is up to you.
2. Cut out windows, doors and tape/glue on the minaret. Build that second floor for the sisters (if you want). I used a paper rolls as pillars for support and the top from a shoe box as the actual floor.
3. Cut a magazine/newspaper in small pieces.
4. Make papier maché glue (kids safe!):
4 dl water
½ dl sugar
1 ½ tsb potato starch (potatismjöl)
Mix 2 dl of water with the potato starch until even. Boil the other 2 dl with the sugar. Remove the pan with water and sugar of the heat. Now pour in the water+potato starch. Stir constantly! Allow the mixture to heat up again but do not let it boil! Now you just have to wait until it cools.
5. Cover the whole mosque and the parts you’ve built inside (for example if you’ve built an balcony) with the papier maché. Take a little bit of glue and smear it in the piece of newspaper and lay it on the mosque. Use a round bowl (or something similar) to make the dome, if you want one. I covered my bowl with plastic foil before covering it with papier maché. It can be very hard to get it of otherwise. The more layers of paper the stronger it will get.
I have many many layers of paper on the dome. Now it is so strong that my 4 year old can sit on it without breaking.
6. Once the papier maché is dry it is time to paint the mosque. Depending on how much glue you have used and how many layers of paper this step (waiting for it to dry) might take 2 or more days. Choose a nice color and start painting!
7. Gather what ever you want or need to decorate the mosque. I used my prayer mat as a carpet for the mosque. Found an old glass lantern which I re-designed a bit to fit in the mosque, looks almost like a real chandelier. I have printed images with bookshelves and glued them on the walls.
Made a small minbar and a place for wudoo (also with papier maché). This mosque is inspired by the mosque Hassan II in Morocco. I especially like the way the minaret is built. I found pictures on google with the mosaic and tiles from that mosque which I printed and used as decorations on the minaret and the place for wudoo. Decorated the walls inside with mini mirrors I had saved.
The dome and some parts of the minaret are painted with Martha Stewart Pearl Paint, fantastic color! It really shimmers so beautiful. Covered up the ugly bottom with fabric lace tape. The staircase to the second floor is made from a kitchen roll, cardboard pieces (as steps) and gold glitter paper.
I used a white glitter shimmering wallpaper to cover the inside of the doors to the mosque, the edge of the second floor and the pillars. The front of the mosque is decorated with small gems. I also used gold and silver glitter glue here and there ; )
8. Now the mosque is done! alhamdulillah
9. Paint some wood dolls to be little mini Muslims who can visit the mosque, pray there, make wudoo, etc. The dolls are painted with acrylic paint.
Salaam Aleikum my dear friends,
Ramadan is soon here alhamdulillah! This blessed month we wait for all year long. I noticed during my years as a Muslim (soon 8 years alhamdulillah) when you become a parent you long for Ramadan also because it gives you a kick to start all those Islamic activities you been wanting to do with your children. This Ramadan my children have reached an age when they can understand some parts of it. And even if they can’t understand everything I feel it’s important to give them a special and warm feeling for this month. A month full with Qur’an, activities, ibadah, crafts and family time.
I love my Ramadan calendar mashallah. The reason is that it works as a tool for me to plan ahead and also getting the kids ready for an activity. I will put 30 little tags with different pictures on and on every tag I will write an activity. Some pockets will have a little present or candy (candy on Fridays). The kids will have to wait for the present, until Dhohr or Asr, teaching them patience just like we are taught it. Older kids, who might also be fasting, could perhaps wait until Maghrib to open the present. Anyway, I have thought of some activities to do with your children during Ramadan. You might have to adjust some of them to fit your own child’s interest’s and age. I’ve organized them under different themes, here they are:
1. Mosque
Visit a mosque, or several mosques or a new one (you haven’t visited)
Talk about how to behave in the mosque
Donate dates to your lokal mosque
Break the fast in the mosque
Mosque history (find information about the first mosques in Islam)
Read, paint and talk about famous mosques from around the world (I love this page! Beautiful pictures and it is easy to search for mosques in a specific county or city: www.beautifulmosque.com)
2. Prayer
Go to your local mosque for a prayer
Make a prayerbook with your own pictures!
Go to jumuah
Pray all 5 prayers in the mosque
Talk about different prayers
Try to offer them (night prayer, duha, if it rains, itikhara etc)
Talk about the history of prayer/praying
The Isra and Mi’raj
Go to the mosque for taraweeh or night prayer
3. Neighbours
Visit a neighbor
Give your neighbor a gift
Invite your neighbor/s to iftar (talk about reward for offering someone iftar)
Talk about the rights of your neighbors
4. Family
Write a letter to a family member (small children can send a painting or a picture)
Talk about behavior towards family members (rights of the parent, the children and relatives)
Talk about each and everyone’s’ role in a Muslim family
Make something or perhaps do something nice to someone in your family
Buy eid gifts to family members and wrap them up real pretty 🙂
5. Zakah and Sadaqah
Make a jar for sadaqah
Pick out a charity organization and make a donation as a family
Make a garage sale / flea market and donate the money to charity
Talk about why we give sadaqah (reward and solidarity)
Zakat, why we give it, how much and when (make a role play of it with younger kids)
6. Friends (brother & sisterhood in Islam)
Visit a friend or invite a friend over
Talk about the history of brotherhood in Islam (Ansar & Muhajirun)
Make a role-play or theater of the relationship between Ansar and Muhajirun
Talk about / read about a sahabi or sahabiyat
7. Cleaning and household tasks
Help mom / dad with….
Cleaning tasks (perhaps on Thursdays to have a clean home on Fridays)
Talk about reward for helping others
Help prepare food for iftar and/or suhoor
8. Baking
Bake something sweet to iftar
Bake something for neighbors
Bake something to a friend / family member / relative
Make Eid cookies
9. Iftar
Prepare dates for iftar (maybe the younger kids can have their own “mini iftar”, a little earlier during the day. Make it really cozy and beautiful, light candels, set the table and let them break fast with their own dates, have a beautiful dinner served by their parents) 😉
Make different tasty fillings for dates (there is many to try! Just google it and you will see what I mean)
Place dates in a box, wrap it yourself and give away as a gift to someone
Plan an iftar meny for the whole family
10. General Ramadan crafts
Make a mosque in papier mache
Make a mosque out of a box and toilettrolls, cover with paper (glue it on). This craft is less messy than the one above.
Make a landscape in papier mache (what are your kids interested in? Last year I did a mini model of the land and environment of Saudi Arabia and placed a mini kaba in the middle and laid out some animals who live/exist in Saudi. But perhaps your child is very interested in a specifik event, like Badr, then make it. Study togheter in books or online, search for pictures and then make a model of it)
Watch an Islamic movie / cartoon togheter
Sing Islamic nasheeds
Lay a puzzle (I recommend the puzzles from Learing Roots, very affordable and so beautifully made)
Make a mosque in a shoebox (like the picture above)
Make a du’aa jar (decorate a jar, fill it with notes of your du’aas)
Buy an Islamic game and play it together!
If your children are younger, play any game they like. The purpose is to do the activity together.
Good deed tree (paint a tree or make one with styrofoam ball, add a flower to it when your child does a good deed. Remember, a good deed could be just a smile 🙂 Talk about what is a good deed and what is a bad deed. Use pictures with younger children)
Search Google and Pinterest for many great ideas of Ramadan crafts!
11. Islam / History
Ramadan and it’s history
Islams five pillars (Lots of craft ideas here)
Talk about great battles in Islam (make a collage about it)
Allahs Names and Attributes (make your own tree in paper, create leaves with Allahs Name on each. Put one up after you talked about it and so on)
Famous buildings or universities
Allahs creations (go out in the nature, see the beauty and perfection of everything Allah created. Make a collage about it. Or bring something of it home like flowers, stones, pine cones and make a craft with them.
Talk about a male or female role modell (from the prophets (and theirs wives), other “famous” belivers, Prophet Muhammad, who is our best role model)
Read about the person you are named after (if your child is named after a specific person in Islams history)
Draw your own map over different locations (Mekkah, Medinah, the route of Prophets hijrah to Medinah etc)
Read a surah your child has memorized and talk about what the surah is about when it was revealed.
Listen to different reciters of the Quran (different ways it is recited in or reciters from different countries)
12. Eid and crafts
Make a Eid garland with letters
Make a gingerbread mosque
Make Eid cards to friends, family and neighbors
Take an Eid picture and send it to relatives
Make Eid cookies or cake
Make Eid decorations (Click here for some ideas)
Talk about rules regarding Eid (make them in pictures for younger children)
If you have any suggestions or an activity you did with your children, please share with us and I will put it up in the list inshallah 🙂
So they are finally here! Just as Ramadan is soon here, may Allah let us experience this years Ramadan. This Ramadan Calendar-project started already in November by preparing fabrics, cutting and ironing all those pockets. This year the calendars are more exclusive than last years, more details and some changes in the design how to hang it. The price also went up to 1000 Swedish kronor. It might sound much, but I ask you to keep in mind that every single penny of these money is going to be sadaqah for you. All the money will be donated to an charity organisation which helps families and children in Syria.
Some information for those of you interested in buying a calendar:
Detta år kommer jag sälja 9 st kalendrar online här på Sweet Fajr. Det kommer auktioneras ut ytterligare 3 st kalendrar om du nu skulle missa att köpa en här (auktionen kommer enbart att vara för personer i Sverige). Allt ni köper i affären är fraktfritt UTOM kalendrarna, var god välj “frakt inom Sverige” vid kassan. Om ni har några frågor ang kalendrarna är ni välkomna att kommentera här eller skicka mig ett mejl sweetfajr@hotmail.com
___
This year I will be selling 9 calendars here in Sweet Fajr shop. I ask you to please choose in the “kassa” (chekout) if the calendar is shipped within Sweden, EU or elsewhere. Since the shop is in Swedish please email me if you don’t understand something or have any problems with your order. You can also comment or email me if you have any question about the calendars at sweetfajr@hotmail.com
Salaam Aleikum
Some of you asked about the purpose of a Ramadan calendar. The first one I made for Ramadan 2012 for my own children. As a mother I felt a bit lost how to make Ramadan feel special for the children. I wanted to have some kind of daily islamic activity for them but I found it hard to how and when (finding a good time) to begin the activity. So the idea of a calendar came up. These are some ideas how to use it:
Prepare 30 notes with 30 different subjects or activity themes for the children and put one not in every pocket. A subject could be for example the word “mosque” and then it is up to you as a parent to make a plan what to do. You could visit a mosque, paint a mosque at home, build a mosque with papier maché, read about mosques and so on. Of course you choose the activity which suits the age and interests of your child/children.
On special days, like Fridays, you can put some special things in the pocket: dates, candy, raisins, a small toy or whatever your child likes.
Choose a time to start and stick to that time as much as you can. I recommend to choose a time close to a prayer time, for example after dhohr prayer you and the children gather around the calendar to see whats inside the pocket. If you have sweets in the calendar, don’t let the children open the pocket in the morning. Ramadan is the month of fasting and patience. Learn your kids to have patience and let them wait, maybe until ‘asr or maghrib prayer, before you let them open the pocket and see what’s inside. This teaches them to have patience and wait for the sweets, just like us adults who fasts.
If you want to have the calendar for yourself you can put cards with different hadith, ayaat, reminders or some special task to do (example read one page of Quran, memorize one hadith and so on). Last year I also made a card template with ayaat from Quran and some hadith.
Suggestions for different themes and what to talk about them or have an activity:
Neighbors: How to treat you neighbors, go and visit a neighbor or give a gift to a neighbor.
Adhan: When do you call the adhan, what do you say when you make adhan, listen to adhan from different countries, go to the mosque and litsen live.
Paradise: How does it look in Paradise, what things are there, what do you wish for to have in Paradise, which people will come to Paradise.
—-
Förra året gjorde jag aktivitetskort med olika rubriker/teman till Ramadan kalendern. Korten var tänkta att fungera som ett hjälpmedel till dig som förälder att börja prata och utföra aktiviteter som anknyter till Islam tillsammans med ert barn.
Varje rubrik kan både vara ett ämne du och ditt barn pratar om eller att ni gör någonting praktiskt som anknyter till rubriken. Du som förälder avgör vad exakt ni ska göra eller prata om i enlighet med barnens förståelse, ålder och intresse.
Lite tips och inspiration:
Tungan – Varför man ska tänka på vad man säger och varför man ska säga goda saker, öva på att bara säga snälla och goda saker.
Grannar – Hur behandlar man sina grannar, hälsa på din granne, ge en gåva till en granne.
Adhan – När ropar man adhan, vad säger man exakt, lyssna på adhan från olika länder, prova själv att säga adhan, åk till mosken och lyssna live.
Paradiset – Hur ser det ut i paradiset, vad är det som finns där, vad önskar du dig i paradiset, vilka är det som finns där.
Profeter – Hur blir man en profet, läs och prata om en profet, bygg eller rita staden som en profet kom till.
This is a really sweet reminder about teaching ours souls to be more generous. And as you will see, the Prophet sallallahu ‘aleihi wa sallam was generous in several ways. Subhanallah it is so easy to believe that it is enough to be generous with things we own or our money. How about being generous with our precious time, maybe spend some time talking in the phone or visiting a sister? Or being generous to our own children by giving them more time, more attention and more love! Reading reminders like this one, I always feel a bit moved and I a part of my heart cries of happiness. It is because subhanallah it so hard not to get affected by this great mans personality. A man who lived his life to please Allah and to be the best example for us to follow alhamdulillah. Please read this this short text about our dear Prophet Muhammads generosity May Allahs peace and blessings be upon him.
“…The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) was the most generous person in giving away what he owned, and he would never look at something as being either too big or too insignificant to give up for the sake of Allah.
Nobody would ask him for anything except that he gave it to them, regardless of how big or small it was. He gave things away in a way that made it seem that he never feared poverty, and generosity and charity were the most beloved things to him. His happiness and joy in giving something away was more than that felt by those who would accept his gifts. He was the most generous person, and his generosity was like the blowing wind.
If a person in need would approach him, he would always prefer that person to himself. This was sometimes in the form of food, and was sometimes in the form of clothing.
He would have variety in terms of how he would give things away:
– Sometimes, he would give it as a small gift, sometimes as charity, and sometimes as a large gift.
– He would sometimes buy something from someone then give him back the product itself that he had just paid for, such as what he did with the camel he bought from Jabir.
– Sometimes, he would take a loan and then pay back more than he borrowed, or would give back something better or more plentiful than he borrowed.
– Sometimes, he would buy something and pay more than its value for it.
– He would accept a gift and then repay it with a gift many times more valuable.
This was all done out of his generosity and desire to practice as many types of charity and good as possible.
His charity was in what he possessed, his personality, and his words. He would give whatever he had and command others to give charity and encourage them in this and call to it through his actions and words.
If he saw a stingy person, his mere personality would force that person into being generous and charitable. Whoever interacted with him and accompanied him and observed his lifestyle had no choice but to also be generous and freely giving.
His lifestyle was one of kindness, charity, and goodness. This is why he was the most relaxed of people and the purest and softest of them in heart. Charity and kindness have an amazing effect in bringing about relaxation.
…Kindness to people and helping them through your money, influence, physical help, and other types of kindness is a means of relaxation. The generous and kind person is much more relaxed and purer and softer in heart, while the stingy person who displays no kindness has the tightest chest, the most depressed life, and the most worries and stress.
And the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) gave an example in the‘Sahih’ regarding the generous and stingy. He likened them to two men wearing metal armor. Whenever the generous person intends to give something in charity, his armor widens and relaxes until it drags and covers his feet. Whenever the stingy person intends to give charity, every ring of his armor stays in place and doesn’t widen or relax at all. So, this is like the relaxation that the charitable believer feels compared to the tightness that the stingy person feels…”
[‘Zad al-Ma’ad’; 2/22-26]
*** This text is written by Ibn al-Qayyim and translated by Iskandrani (may Allah hasten his release)
Ramadan suncatchers – Free download!
Ramadan Moroccan Lanterns <3
Ramadan crafts with kids – DIY papier maché Mosque!
DIY Paper mosque lantern – Free printable!
Ramadan crafts! Free printable Ramadan Mubarak Garlands
Sweet Fajr Mosque City – Free template!
Preparing some crafts, gifts or cakes for Eid? Free printable Eid gift tags and cake toppers <3
Eid crafts! DIY Eid Mubarak Ribbon Banner – Free Printable!
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