How to make ramadan crafts

Ramadan 2016 began in the evening of Sunday, June 5 and ends in the evening of Tuesday, July 5 (depending on the sightings of the moon). For lots of details on who, what, where, and when, plus educational resources, have a look at “Ramadan for Kids” here. Today I am featuring Kay Tarapolsi’s incredible Ramadan crafts for kids. Kay is a Libyan American artist who creates art to promote a positive image of Arab culture. Crafts are a fantastic way to introduce world cultures to young children, and a beautiful symbol of celebrations for those celebrating. I LOVE her work!!! Click on the pictures for full tutorials on the crafts featured!

What is the “Ramadan Crafty Challenge?”

The 30 Day Ramadan Crafty Challenge started as a way to introduce my 3 daughters at a young age to Ramadan in a fun way.  When I started this in 2011, there were no other craft sites devoted to Arab crafts and we would go to the library and bring home stacks of books and adapt the projects to fit into our lesson.   It was a great bonding tradition with my girls since we tend to do the tutorials one on one and I would share stories about my own cultural upbringing.  We would also create some crafts about Arab countries and spend our time researching and learning new things about those countries.  I am an artist and art teacher by trade, so putting the tutorials on a blog seemed like a great way to share these lessons with others who also couldn’t find the resources.

How long have you been running the series on Ramadan crafts?

I started in 2011 and this is my 6th year doing Ramadan crafts. Since 2011, my 3 daughters and I have spent the holy month of Ramadan creating projects and DIY activities to talk about their connection to the 1.75 billion Muslims around the world.   I wanted to show them they were part of a larger Ummah, a word meaning community in Arabic,  أمة‎. As an Arab mother, I wanted to spend time with them individually talking about Islam, Ramadan and my childhood memories of family.

I just launched the page for the 2016 preview and have links on it for the years past. You can find links to all of the years’ Ramadan crafts here.

What are your goals with your web site, “A Crafty Arab?”

My page’s mission is handcrafting a vibrant Arab world.  I hope people learn something new about the Arab world after visiting A Crafty Arab’s blog.  If it’s from craft tutorials, recipes or educational posts, I’d like anyone who stops by to enjoy their visit because we Arabs are known for our hospitably. I want to make sure experiences into my world is positive and everyone feels welcome.

How can we find all of your craft projects and ideas?

Image: Shutterstock

Ramadan is the time to exercise self-control and show compassion towards the less fortunate. But getting the kids excited about Ramadan can be quite challenging, especially when they are not fasting along with the other members of the family. So how can you educate your children about Ramadan and Eid without making it boring for them? By getting them to perform some Ramadan-themed crafts, of course! So, here are ten Eid and Ramadan crafts ideas that will make learning about the importance of this holy month fun and enjoyable for children.

1. Craft Paper Mat:

You Will Need:

• Stickers, sequins, markers.

How To:

1. Tell your kid to punch ten holes at the bottom of the foam sheet. It’s here where kids will attach the yarn tassel.

1. Now tell him/her to make two holes at the top of the foam sheet, about an inch from the sheet.

1. Now allow your kid to decorate the mat anyway he/she likes.

1. Cut 10, 6 to 7-inch strips from the rug tassels and tie at the bottom of the mat.

1. Cut a piece of ribbon or yarn, double the width of the foam sheet. Now tie the yarn or ribbon to the top of the mat. Allow your kid to hang it wherever he desires. This is a kid friendly Ramadan craft.

[ Read: Eid Games For Kids ]

2. Decoupage Jar:

You Will Need:

• Glass or plastic jar with lid.

• Tissue paper in various colors.

How To:

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of glue with two tablespoons of water.

1. Cut out or tear the tissue paper pieces in various colors. The pieces should be a little more 2 to 3 inches in size.

1. Apply a thin coating of glue on the jar using the brush or finger.

1. Now tell your child to stick the torn pieces of tissues onto the glue. Tell him that he has to cover the entire surface with the tissue paper.
2. Again, apply a thin layer of glue and stick the pieces of tissue paper. Repeat the method once again.

1. Lastly, apply a thin layer of glue to seal it. Leave it to dry completely.

1. Once the jars have dried, put a candle or LED light inside the jar and place in the garden. This is the best Eid crafts for kids.

3. Paper Kaaba:

You Will Need:

• Newspaper and Paper Mache Paste.

How To:

1. Apply paper Mache paste on the box and leave it to dry.

1. If you don’t have paper Mache paste, then cut out strips of newspaper. Cover the box with the paper strips.

1. Tell your kid to paint the box with black paint. Apply several coats if required.

1. Now tell your kid to decorate the Kaaba with the golden tape or paint.

4. Crescent Moon Magnet:

You Will Need:

How To:

1. Download and print out the crescent moon and star template from the internet.

1. Pin the template to the green, felt and cut out two pieces of the moon.

1. Pin the star template to the yellow felt and cut out a piece.

1. Stitch the two green crescent moon pieces to each other, leaving one corner.

1. Put the stuffing and the magnet in the middle section of the moon and sew it all the way round.

1. Sew the star to one end of the moon. The magnet is ready.

[ Read: Tin Can Craft Ideas For Kids ]

5. Moon Sighting Binoculars:

You Will Need:

How To:

1. Ask your child to decorate the toilet paper rolls with markers.

1. Now punch holes on both sides of the tube.

1. Stick both the tubes together using hot glue.

1. Thread the string through the holes. It’s ready!

6. Tin Punch Lantern:

You Will Need:

• An Eid or Ramadan design that fits into the tin.

• Paper piercer or push pin.

How To:

1. Cut out the design and tape on the pie tin.

1. Tell your kid to poke holes following the pattern. Make sure he spaces the holes evenly.

1. Make a hole at the top of the pie tin and thread a string or ribbon through it.

1. Affix the battery operated candle to the inside of the pie tin and hang.

[ Read: Camel Crafts For Kids ]

7. Ramadan Advent Calendar:

You Will Need:

How To:

1. Fold the bottom of the doily and shape it into a cone. Tape the edges to secure. Repeat the same method for the other 29 doilies.

1. Cut out the 30 squares from the brown paper and write numbers 1 to 30 on it. Stick the paper squares of the doily cones.

1. Cover the corkboard with fabric and pin the cones on it.

8. Eid Sucker Holders:

You Will Need:

• Yellow and purple cardstock.

• Moon template- https://rplanfamily.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/moon-eid-greeting.pdf.

• Star template- https://rplanfamily.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/stars-sucker-holder1.pdf.

How To:

1. Download and print out the crescent shape.

1. Trace and cut out a 3-inch star from the purple cardstock and 3-inch moon from the yellow cardstock.

1. Put glue in the center of the star legs. Turn over the star and put the glue on the moon’s tips. Stick the moon to the legs of the stars.

1. Make two slits in the center of the star with a knife. You may need to do this part for your kids.

1. Slide the tootsie stick under the slits.

1. Turn over the star and put a piece of tape on the back to secure the Tootsie. This is fun, quick and easy Eid craft you can make with your kid using simple ingredients.

9. Eid Noise Maker:

You Will Need:

• Noisemaker template: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0228/7621/files/SE_NoiseMaker_Template.pdf?5423.

How To:

1. Download the noisemaker template and cut it out.

1. Bend the paper slightly and cut along the traced lines. The opening should be large enough to accommodate the noisemaker.

1. Trace the template on the back of the gift-wrap paper and cut along the dotted line.

1. Slide the noisemaker through the two openings and you are done. This is one of the amazing Ramadan craft ideas for kids.

[ Read: Paper Craft Ideas For Kids ]

10. Decorative Tile:

You Will Need:

How To:

1. Cut out 6 to 8 inches of ribbon and glue on the back of the tile. Leave it aside to dry.

1. Tell the kids to draw the images on the tiles.

1. Once they complete drawing, spray Mod Podge over it. Leave it aside to dry. The decorative tiles are ready to hang.

These ten lovely crafts will help your little one understand tradition, culture, and festivities of Ramadan and Eid in an awesome way. The crafts are simple enough for kids to do on their own or with moderate adult supervision.

How does your little one spend the month of Ramadan? Does he like making crafts during Ramadan? If yes, then please share his work with us by commenting below!

Recommended Articles:

Crafts for me are a way to engage and create all the different skills that children are learning and bring a Ramadan theme to them.

Arabic geometry peel away painting:

For our mini canvases, I based this on an activity we’ve done many times before;
Peel away painting.
(Click here to see the existing activity )
This time, I did it on little canvases and gave the children a little more control with applying the masking tape. The Ramadan twist to this activity was, we used Arabic geometry patterns, and they only chose two colours to paint with.

The best part is, they could get as messy as they wanted too, which they loved. But they loved the peeling off part more, once the painting was dry.

The end result, a pretty and unique geometric painting; these are great to add to existing decor, or better yet a little gift – and a message can be added to the painting itself.

Lanterns:

Mini Lanterns for mini monkeys:
Cut a piece of card, long enough to be wrapped around a small plastic container. Cut out some shapes on the piece of card, and then let your child decorate it.

Once it’s dry add some coloured cellophane/tissue paper to the cut out shapes and wrap it around the container. Add a battery powered tea light to the container, and voila you have a mini lantern.

Hanging lanterns
These are pretty easy to make and can get anyone in the ramadan/Eid mood.

To learn how to make these check out this Youtube tutorial, you could even get the kids to decorate them.

Eid Cards:
Before we head back to the UK, to celebrate Eid with our families. I set the kids up with a little card station to make Eid cards for their relatives. This includes little cut outs of moons and stars, glitter, paint and all things crafty.

‘Sensory’ prayer mats
To make these you need soft foam sheets in 2 different colours, cut shapes out, we cut a mosque dome outline, and little windows. For the door, I made sensory squishy bags (how to make them can be found here). I then stuck both the sheets together.

We then applied a thick layer of glue, one window at a time, and stuck down different types of sensory materials (bumpy card, pom poms, pasta, velcro)

Shaped biscuits:

Baking is a brilliant way to spend time with the kids, especially in Ramadan and for Eid.

I used the ramadan shaped cutters from With a spin – We then baked and decorated the biscuits using this recipe.

These are a great addition for Iftaars, food plates for neighbours, or parties.

Sun catchers:
Sun catchers are a lovely addition to decorate the home. We’ve made Moon & star ones, as well as mosque cut outs. All you require for these are card/paper plate, contact paper and tissue paper/coloured cellophane. 
Click here to find out how we made them.

Eid cards:

My boys love making eid cards for their friends and family. You can use anything for it, I usually cut out shapes for them, and let them decorate them using glue, glitter, paint and crayons.

These are some brilliant websites/Instagram pages  that I like to get inspo from:

Do you have more activities that you’ve done with the kids? Please leave a comment below with your tips.

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Here are 12 Beautiful Ramadan Crafts and Activities for Kids that will make learning about the importance of this holy Muslim month fun and enjoyable!

Wherever you live in the world, it’s quite likely that you’ve heard of Ramadan by now, considering it started over three weeks back. If you’ve been wondering what it’s all about, or if you’d like to join in the celebrations, we’ve got you covered! Today, we’re going to give you a quick introduction to Ramadan and Eid, along with with some fun Ramadan crafts and activities for kids!

“Ramadan is, in its essence, a time of humanist spirituality.”

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan (also called Ramzan) is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims across the world fast from sunrise to sunset. The Islamic calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar since it follows the phases of the moon. Thus, Ramadan may be 29 or 30 days and the dates change every year, moving ahead by approximately 11 days.

Why do Muslims fast all day?

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam, and Muslims who are old enough and healthy enough to fast do so for the entire month. This is also the month of the revelation of the Quran, the holy book of the Muslims, which makes it extra special. The fasting period is from dawn to dusk, during which the fasting person is expected to stay away from food and water.

Along with hunger and thirst, a fasting person should also control his tongue and his emotions. In a nutshell, Ramadan is about self-discipline and piety, and is supposed to be a time of spiritual recharge. As we get through the day without food or water, it reminds us to be grateful for all our blessings. It is also a time for more prayers, introspection, charity and service. As you can see, going hungry or thirsty is just a small part of Ramadan – this month is about a lot more than just food!

What activities are performed during Ramadan?

• sawm (fasting)
• zakat and sadaqah (alms giving)
• taraweeh prayer (Sunni Muslims)
• Commemorating Nights of al-Qadr (Shia and Sunni Muslims)
• reading the Quran.
• abstaining from all bad deeds and staying humble.

Here are  a few common terms used during Ramadan:

• Suhoor/Sehri – An early meal eaten before sunrise, to provide sustenance for a day of fasting
• Iftar – The meal with which the fast is broken at sunset
• Zakat – A certain part of your surplus income which is given out as charity

What is Eid-ul-Fitr?

The start and end of Ramadan are signaled by the arrival of the new moon. Eid-ul-Fitr is the celebration that occurs on the day after Ramadan ends. ‘Eid’ roughly means festival, and there are two in the Islamic Calendar. This one is Eid-ul-Fitr, or the ‘Festival of the Breaking of the Fast’, and the other is Bakrid or Eid-ul-Adha.

Eid celebrations begin the night before and continue for the next few days! People wear new clothes, offer special prayers, distribute gifts and sweets and visit friends and relatives. In many countries, women apply henna on their hands in intricate designs. Of course, there’s also a grand feast involved! Part of the Eid celebrations also involves making sure that no one in the area is hungry, and special efforts are made to collect money or food and distribute them in time.

when is Ramadan and Eid in 2019?

As mentioned earlier, the dates vary every year since the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Gregorian calendar is solar. In 2019, it is expected that Ramadan will begin on the evening of Sunday 5th May, with the first day of fasting on Monday 6th May

But you don’t have to wait for the moon to start enjoying the spirit of Ramadan and Eid! Here are some fun Ramadan crafts and activities for kids, that are great to keep or gift to your friends!

12 Ramadan Crafts and Activities for Kids

1. Moon Sighting Binoculars

Since the beginning of Ramadan and Eid is decided based on moon sightings, why not have some fun and look at how the moon’s phases change every day? These moon sighting binoculars from Hello Holy Days are super cute and perfect for the task!

2. Ramadan Drummer Doll

In the days before smart phones and alarm clocks, many villages had a designated Ramadan drummer. This person would wake up really early and start walking through the streets beating his drum, waking everyone up so they wouldn’t miss their Sehri. Martha Stewart has a lovely drummer doll, along with matching village houses!

3. Origami Star Eid Necklace

If you’d like to give someone a handmade Eid gift, then you can’t go wrong with this Origami star necklace from A Crafty Arab. You need very basic jewelry making supplies for this, and you can make them in different colors to gift all your friends on Eid!

4. Crescent Eid Card

The crescent features prominently in Ramadan and Eid which is why this crescent Eid card would be ideal to give someone! All you need is dark colored card stock and glitter foam, long with a few silver ‘gem’ stickers. We like making multiples of these in mini-versions to hand out on Eid.

5. Henna Ceramic Dish

Around the subcontinent and the Middle East, applying henna is an important part of the eve of Eid festivities. Once all their work is done, women sit together, get out their cones and start drawing some beautiful designs! My Poppet has used similar designs on these pretty Henna hand dishes, which are great for putting in your earrings, cuff links and more!

6. Pipe Cleaner Gift Toppers

Give your Eid gifts a little traditional touch with these pipe cleaner star and moon gift toppers from Hello Holy Days! With a little practice, you can get those shapes perfectly. Use plain wrapping paper with colorful ribbons and these toppers to make them really stand out!

7. It’s Ramadan, Curious George!

The Curious George books are popular among little ones worldwide, and this Ramadan edition is a comparatively new addition to the series. This is a truly adorable story about George helping his friend, Kareem, to keep his fast. The two learn about Ramadan and also figure out ways to get through a fasting day! Lovely book for the young generation.

8. Ramadan Sun Catchers

Give your windows a traditional stained glass appearance with these pretty Ramadan sun catchers from Sweet Fajr. A free printable is available, which makes this craft super easy! Thread them on a string for a beautiful banner that catches the sunlight!

9. Eid Money Envelopes

In many countries across the world, giving kids ‘Eidi’ or gift money is a popular custom on Eid. But of course, we can’t just be crass and hand the money directly, we need pretty envelopes like these from In My Studio. Check out their blog for many more printables like this.

10. Rice Crispies Treats

Who says that the crescent should stay in the sky and not on your table? Little Life of Mine has some cute and scrumptious looking crescent and star shaped rice crispie treats. The recipe is easy enough, all you need are the right cookie cutters and you’re done!

11. Good Deeds Tree

Ramadan is a time for setting good habits and doing as many good deeds as possible. Help kids keep a track of their good deeds with the help of this cute good deeds tree from Little Wings Creative and use it to record everything, like helping the neighbor with her bags or serving iftar at the community center.

12. Moon and Stars Mobile

Nurture Store shows us how to make a beautiful moon and stars mobile, using multiple painting techniques. You can make these in any color you like and hang them all around your home!

Whether you’re looking for some decor, a  handmade gift, card or a fun recipe, you’ll find it among these Ramadan Crafts and Activities for kids! Now hurry up, get out there and start looking for the crescent moon!

Also Check out 

10 DIY Eid Gifts and Cards for Kids to Make

Easy Bakr Id/Eid ul-Adha Craft and Activities for Kids

Pin For later – 

Kenzi Box
Ramadan Moon and Star Mobile

What you need: paper of various colours, scissors, glue and thread.

Step 1: Cut your star and moon shapes: Six small stars, three medium stars, and three big stars. Download a template at www.kenzibox.com.

Step 2: Fold each star in the middle. Glue 3 Stars of the same size together creating the 3D star shown in the photo. Repeat this so that you create a total of two small 3D stars, one medium 3D star and one large 3D star. Glue together the two moon shapes.

Step 3: Make small holes in your stars and moon, tie the thread through. Your Ramadan mobile is ready!

The Happy Box
Ramadan Glitter Moon and Star

What you need: paper, paper plate, scissors, glitter, glue and thread.

Step 1: Apply a layer of glue using your finger to help spread it over the entire surface of one side of the star and moon.

Step 2: Now set them on a plate plate. Gently sprinkle with glitter until well covered. Don’t worry if you spill, the plate will collect the extra glitter.

Step 3: Allow at least 15 minutes to dry and then gently lift them off the plate allowing the extra glitter to fall onto the plate so you can use it when you prepare the other side of the star.Remember this is going to hang up so it needs to look great on both the front and back.

Step 4: When the top is dry turn over both shapes so you can glitter the backs. Don’t rush, you don’t want your shapes sticking to the plate.

Step 5: Thread the string through the holes in each shape attaching the star to the moon and leaving a long string to attach the moon to the suction cup hanger.

Step 6: Using the suction cup display your work in a window, or a mirror or even a special place in your home. www.thehappybox.ae.