MINI TORAH SCROLL WITH WASHI TAPE

Inspiration for this craft came from one of my favorite sources for beautiful Jewish craft ideas: Creative Jewish Mom. What I love most about Mini Torah Scrolls (other than the obvious — they’re super adorable!) is the act of rolling the paper. Kiddos will get a great sense of the scroll format of the Torah through this process, AND it’s a sneak preview of the scroll rolling that is central to the Simchat Torah celebration. These Mini Torah Scrolls will help you and your family celebrate Simchat Torah in a big way — be sure to make lots of them in a rainbow of colors!

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

-Mini craft sticks or dowels (I used 2.5” craft sticks)
-Regular weight paper (cardstock is too challenging to roll) in whatever colors you like
-Scotch tape
-Scissors
-Washi tape
-Optional, but helpful: a ruler to measure your paper before cutting it

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

(1) Measure and cut a strip of paper that is 1.75” x 11” (this measurement is based on using 2.5” craft sticks — if you use a different size, just make sure the paper height is a bit smaller than the craft sticks so that a bit of the craft sticks hangs out of the top and bottom). (2) Situate your paper strip so that the 11” side is horizonal. (3) Tape a craft stick to each end of the paper strip (make sure you tape it on both edges of the craft stick so that it’s secure and doesn’t flop around when you roll it). (4) Fold the paper strip in half by matching the craft sticks together, and make the tiniest crease at the fold (which is the halfway mark) — this will help you roll each side evenly. (5) Starting with either craft stick, roll it toward the center of the paper strip, stopping at the crease. (6) Using a finger, hold that side that you just rolled in place, then roll the other craft stick to the center of the paper strip, stopping when it meets the first rolled side. (7) Holding both sides in place, put a piece of tape in the middle of the two rolled sides to secure them together (it helps to get that piece of tape ready before you start rolling). (8) Flip the mini torah over and then cut a small piece of washi tape (about 2.5”) and put it in the middle of the mini torah and wrap it around — this is the belt for the mini torah. (9) Repeat steps 1-8 as many times as you like and make mini torahs in lots of different colors!