print add to favorites

by Julie Williams
Topics: Passover, Second Grade, Arts and Crafts
Share Photos to Win

If you’re preparing a Passover Seder this year, you’ve probably got lots on your mind, between shopping for ingredients, getting the house ready, and cooking up the meal. In all the hullabaloo, kids may seem like quite the distraction.  Here’s a way to help them get involved in the celebration and in learning—and help you create a lovely table decoration while they’re at it!

You Will Need:

  • Blue Pipe cleaners—one per setting
  • Purple and lavendar “pony” beads
  • Silk grape leaves (about 1” across) with wire stems (available at craft stores—check the wedding section!)
  • White wired ribbon, ½” wide


What to Do:

  1. You will create napkin rings decorated with a cluster of bead “grapes” that symbolize the festive Seder wine that will be poured as guests celebrate the triumph of the ancient Israelites.  The grapes will be attached to a blue pipe cleaner and tied with white ribbon, colors of the modern Israeli flag carried by the descendants of those original brave folks.
  2. Start by placing one purple bead in the middle of a pipe cleaner, like this:
  3. Have your child wrap the pipe cleaner twice, to create two loops, and slip each end of the pipe cleaner back through the bead, like this:
  4. Now you’re ready to create the “grapes.”  Pull out one of your silk grape leaves (note: if you have trouble finding a grape leaf, it’s OK to buy a regular flat leaf, and then cut notches in it to resemble a broad, flat grape leaf!) Have your child slide approximately 6-7 beads onto the wire stem, leaving about 1/2” of wire at the end, like this:
  5. Twist the wire back to the base of the leaf to create a bunch of “grapes,” and then attach them to the pipe cleaner right next to the first purple grape, like this:
  6. Cut a length of white wired ribbon, about 10”, and tie it to the pipe cleaner loop just above the grape cluster.  Adjust the ribbon to make a bow in a nice, puffy shape that sets off your grapes. 
  7. Repeat until you have as many rings as you need.
  8. Slide a napkin through each ring—and let the celebrations start!