Kaaba Painted Bookbag {Tutorial}

July 29, 2019July 30, 2019 | acraftyarab

Eid Al Adha will occur on August 10 , 2019 and this Kaaba inspired bookbag is the perfect gift to give anyone celebrating.

{This blog post is part of a Hajj for Kids blog hop being organized by Multicultural Kid Blogs, so be sure to visit the other blogs, listed at the end of this tutorial, for other educational posts about this special holiday.}

Eid Al Adha is a festival celebrated by Muslims to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) to follow Allah’s command to sacrifice his son. Ibrahim (Arabic: إبراهيم) is known as Abraham in the Christian and Jewish religious traditions.

In the lunar month of Dhu al-Hijjah, which means The Month of the Pilgrimage, when Eid Al Adha occurs, Muslims often make an extra effort to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj (Arabic for pilgrimage) around the Kaaba. Partaking in this trip is one of the five pillars of Islam.

The Kaaba holds Islam’s most important mosque, The Great Mosque of Mecca (Arabic: أَلمَسْجِد أَلحَرَام‎, The Sacred Mosque). Muslims around the world pray towards it’s direction five times a day.

My youngest daughter and I used the Kaaba as inspiration for this book bag to give to a friend who often makes this an annual trip, saving up all year for this unique event. We used fabric paint and a paintbrush that I received as a Plaid Ambassador.

Supplies

The first step in getting our bag started was to tape off a straight line across the top and a door. The door on the Kaaba is actually on the side, but we didn’t want ours to look exactly like the real thing, so we placed ours in the middle.

My daughter ran her fingertips along the tape edges to make sure it was very secure before she started painting inside the blue tape lines. If you don’t do this, the tape might be a little loose & paint can slip under.

My daughter added a few more layers of paint and let it dry overnight. She then gently removed the tape.

Now her bookbag is ready to give as a gift. Or maybe we’ll keep this one since it’s so cute & make another? It was so easy and took no time at all.

Please be sure to visit other Kaaba inspired craft tutorials to make with kids while talking about this holiday:

Kaaba Candy Party Treat {Tutorial}

Kaaba Paper Clip Bookmark {Tutorial}

Stop by ACraftyArab on Pinterest to see more tutorials that teach about the Arab world and Muslim culture.

xxx

Welcome to our second Hajj for Kids blog hop! Hajj is the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that takes place in the last month of the Muslim calendar, and that all Muslims are expected to make at least once during their lifetime. This blog hop is intended to share ideas to teach children about this special time. Be sure to check out our last Hajj for Kids series, plus you can find more resources on our Hajj for Kids Pinterest board:

Participating Blogs

Alizeh My Soul on Multicultural Kid Blogs: Facts About Eid ul-Adha and Hajj

A Crafty Arab: Kaaba Painted Bookbag Tutorial

The Multilingual Home: Hajj Inspired Art Projects

Jeddah Mom: Let’s Go for Hajj Activity Pack for Children

Bismillah Round Placemat {Tutorial}

May 24, 2019May 28, 2019 | acraftyarab

Day 19 of our Ramadan craft challenge has my daughter and I making a Bismillah Round Placemat while guest hosting at Muslimah Bloggers.

Last year I made them a Ramadan Lenticular Artwork and the year before I created some Eid Gift Card Printables.

I was so excited to see they are once again doing their 30 day Ramadan series as well. Make sure you follow along by stopping by and checking out the Bismillah Round Placemat we created for them.

Visit A Crafty Arab on Pinterest to see more fun Ramadan crafts.

Gallery Glass Zakat Minaret {Tutorial}

May 17, 2019May 28, 2019 | acraftyarab

We love to make a new zakat collection container every year for one of our Ramadan crafts.

Zakat means “that which purifies” and in Arabic it is pronounced as زكاة‎ or zakāh. It is one of the 5 Pillars of Islam and required of all Muslims who are able to participate. Some view it like a self-imposed religious tax.

In the past, we have made our zakat boxes out of ice cream containers, wood boxes, picture frames, food containers and even a wicker basket. This year I found this container that reminded me of the minarets in Morocco, which all had flat tops.

I brought it home and used Gallery Glass paint to turn it into a minaret with a door and two windows. The only other supply I needed was stickers to spell out the word zakat, so my family knows what to put into the container. At the end of the month, we will donate the money to a local charity.

Supplies

Gallery Glass in green, blue & pink
Black lead paint
Letter stickers
Porceline container

I made sure my container was clean before I got started. I first placed the stickers on the side and then added the doors and windows with the black liquid leading. I also added an outline around the top lip.