Artsy Ummi blogs

Summer’s over and we’re all heading back to school this month! This year, the excitement of starting school in a fresh, new class may actually be overshadowed by the anxious wait of Eid that is just around the corner. We may hardly get into the right spirit of school until we actually finish with our full blown Eid celebrations!

All over the country, Islamic school teachers are busy decorating their classrooms to fit the theme,  and create a sense of excitement for this special month that is about to end.

Here’s a Ramadan Bulletin Board I created for this very occasion. To print the borders you need about 3-4 pages or more if you’re planning on doing up a bigger bulletin board. DOWNLOAD HERE- Ramadan Border . The instructions for the rest is in the printable itself.

Happy decorating your classroom or homeschool walls!

Artsy Ummi blogs

.

Artsy Ummi blogs

Islamic geometric patterns are so much fun to color. You can download them and have your children color them in all different patterns.

Islamic Geometric Patterns 1 DOWNLOAD HERE

Islamic Geometric Patterns 2 DOWNLOAD HERE

I have started the kids early this year- our big project is to create as many repeated patterns so we can paste them on card stock and create Eid cards for all of our friends and family. I figured any art work can be converted to a card, and I’ll have enough for everyone we know and just in time for Ramadan too!

Artsy Ummi blogs

I thought it would be fun to have a family art gallery in our hallway celebrating Islamic Art. My children have became interested in the idea of repeated pattern since I have introduced it to them. They even came up with some neat ideas of their own!

It was pretty simple to create the pattern templates and we began tessellating…the hard part was cutting them out! Here’s a link we used:

http://mathforum.org/sum95/suzanne/cwtess.html

1. To make a square template open a cereal box and lay it flat. Cut squares 3X3.

2. Inside the square, draw shapes on two sides of the square, free-form or trace a shape. The shape needs to be a closed form.

3. Place the template on magazine picture or wrapping paper. Trace around the template and cut out template shapes. It would be best if you have 2 contrasting shapes.

4. Place the pattern shapes and glue them into place and……voila!!!!

Artsy Ummi blogs

For centuries Muslim artists have been using tessellations to create beautiful art designs. Geometric patterns have always been dominant in Islamic design. The use of shapes rather than real life images allows the artist to conform to the religion without stepping out of its boundaries.

A tessellation is a mathematical design sequence that covers a plane surface with geometric shapes in a symmetrical way, without overlapping or leaving gaps. The result is a gorgeous geometric pattern such as this one found on a structure in Morocco…

The best way to introduce tessellations to your child is to make a connection to nature or find patterns around your house…

Then try making some patterns yourself with this free online tool called the Tessellation Creator. Click here.

Another site that my child adores is this one. It is something I can leave her on when I have to get things done around my house, and she can sit there for hours playing with the snowflake maker or the Kaleidodraw!

You need to purchase the full software to be able to get more options like print….but there’s still a lot you can do without having do so!

Artsy Ummi blogs

Do you know what sets ancient Islamic art apart from any other type?  Well here’s a clue …. You will not find the artist’s name signed upon the art. In the Islamic view, God is the Ultimate Reality. The early Muslim artists experimented with the intricate systems of interconnected geometric forms, and connected its patterns to Allah’s cosmos. Unlike ‘impressionists’ who show the world their vision through their eyes, the Muslim artist only seeks to please Allah by creating flawless art.  To destroy ones ego with the aim of pleasing Allah is often the goal.  When you enter the mosque, you are humbled by its simplicity of the interior with nothing but a clean open area rug with no furniture. No figurines, portraits, or human faces to worship. All of that is insignificant compared to the beautification of the place of worship.

What you will see is a lot of geometric shapes, weaving in and out of each other as they create mesmerizing patterns.  Complex structures that seem simple till you start to follow them with your finger.  Whether etched in rock on a building, or painted with finesse on pottery, on carpets, coins and yellowing manuscripts …. Islamic art has left an impression on the ancient world that still echoes till today. From the Omayyad’s in Spain with their Splendid architecture to the Fatimid’s in North Africa with their cutting edge ceramic techniques , Lush Ottoman carpets from Turkey to the intricate blue handicrafts of Persia, each depicts the science and advancement brought about by Islamic thought and remembrance of Allah (SWT) Almighty.

Next time you see a work of beauty remember it took a process to get there and that the artist made sacrifices to create something sublime to please The One he loves.

Artsy Ummi blogs

I have designed some Eid cards for easy printing…download, print and place in an envelope! Let me know if there are any particular templates you all are looking for by leaving me a comment- give me specifics and I won’t mind making them for you! I will email you the template when I’m done Inshallah! Eid Mubarak everyone!

1 Eid Card DOWNLOAD HERE

2 Eid Card DOWNLOAD HERE

3 Eid Card Blue DOWNLOAD HERE

3 Eid Card Purple DOWNLOAD

4 Eid Card DOWNLOAD HERE

5 Eid Card DOWNLOAD HERE

Jannahsteps has a template ready for creative mothers who would like to add a personal touch this Eid.  An envelope made with love and filled with best wishes and duas.  

Artsy Ummi blogs

Many moms like me like to buy gifts for their little ones as they have no value or understanding of money, but since my child turned 6, I’ve been educating her about cash flow. I’d like her to be dollar smart and learn to make right decisions when it comes to buying and saving. So in Ramadan when she asked me what she was getting for Eid, I explained to her that she would be receiving her first Eidee. “What’s that?” she asked. She was really excited to learn that Mom was going to trust her with some money! As the days went by, her list grew longer and longer with how she would spend that cash! Finally, when Eid ul Fitr came, and she happily received the “golden” note in her hands, much to my astonishment, she gladly placed it in the zakah box instead!!! What happened to that long list? Alhamdulillah- she felt that she had everything she needed and wanted someone else to have a gift instead!! SubhanAllah, my plan had been to educate her to be $ smart….I didn’t know I would be this successful in my first try!!!

Eidee is common practice in some cultures and most often presented to the youngsters by aunts, uncles, grandparents and close relatives. It’s easy and convenient to just hand the children some money on Eid, but with a little forethought, these special moments can be made much more memorable.  How about adding a little sparkle to the festive season by making an attractive envelope?

Jannahsteps has a template ready for creative mothers who would like to add a personal touch this Eid.  An envelope made with love and filled with best wishes and duas.   Tall Envelope Template DOWNLOAD HERE. If you would like to download labels for your envelope, then go here. You can print them on beige paper like I did here, or on any color paper to suit your envelope style!

There are endless designs of scrapbooking paper, gift wrap or even color paper and stickers- use whatever you have at home. I made these with some colorful sheets of scrapbook paper! I love how they turned out! PS: Download each template under their respective photograph.

Fancy Envelope Template DOWNLOAD HERE

Scalloped Envelope Template DOWNLOAD HERE

I used a single hole punch to create the scallop holes. If I’m making a lot of envelopes I would just skip this step!

I also made a little pocket inside to insert the currency, and you could also scribble in a personal hand written note!

Artsy Ummi blogs

Here’s my Eid gift to you! I created these labels and gift card tags for all the Eid gifts I was wrapping for my family and friends. I thought I’d share.

Download #1: Gift Tags and Labels for Eid- DOWNLOAD HERE

Download #2: Gift Tags and Labels for Eid Gifts DOWNLOAD HERE

Download #3: Gift Tags and Labels for Eid Mini Version DOWNLOAD HERE

I made some goodie bags for my daughter’s classmates for Eid. I used the gift card tags to label all the boxes with her classmates’ names.

Happy downloading