18 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 

I

f you are a parent of a pre-
schooler and possess an 
ample supply of last year’s 
coveted rolls of toilet tissue and 
paper towels, hang onto that 
cardboard center. According to 
Arielle Endelman, creator of the 
recently launched Instagram 
crafting site @itsmarthajewart, 
the humble cardboard roll can 
be used for countless projects 
to keep preschoolers occupied 
during these long pandemic 
months. 
When Endelman, of West 
Bloomfield, is not working from 
home at her job as director of 
admissions for Frankel Jewish 
Academy, she is keeping her 
3-year-old son Blake entertained 
though the joy of arts and crafts. 
Endelman and Blake began 
their foray into craftiness at the 
beginning of the pandemic by 
collecting those toilet paper 
rolls and turning two into a 
pair of make-believe binoculars 
that kept him entertained and 
exploring through the spring 
and summer. 
As the seasons changed and 
fall set in, Endelman and Blake 
created collages of Thanksgiving 
turkeys made with feathers and 

stray buttons. It was at this point 
that she and Blake had amassed 
quite the crafting portfolio. Her 
husband and sister suggested 
she photograph the creations 
and upload them to a dedicated 
Instagram account to share ideas 
with other families. 
“My husband and sister have 
called me ‘Martha Jewart’ as a 
joke, and the name stuck,
” said 
Endelman. “So, when I saw that 
name was available, I used it for 
a new Instagram account.
” 
Now, @itsmarthajewart has 
about 250 followers. The posts 
are photos of mainly collage-like 
projects pasted to construction 
paper: an airplane with paper 
clips for wings flying through 
a blue sky dotted with cotton 
puff clouds; dinosaur silhouettes 
painted and cut out and glued 
on shimmery paper, and a “snow 
globe” with a snowman made of 
white paper circle cutouts with 
pipe cleaners for arms and a thin 
piece of yarn for a scarf. 
In addition to secular craft 
ideas, @itsmarthajewart also 
includes projects for Jewish hol-
idays. 
For Chanukah, Endelman 
and Blake created a latke frying 

pan by covering a paper plate 
with aluminum foil and formed 
“latkes” with torn bits of brown 
construction paper. Endelman 
also posted about simple science 
experiments that involved mix-
ing water with oil.
“Craft projects can also lead 
the way into simple science 
experiments with things most 
everyone has in their pantry, 
including food coloring and veg-
etable oil.
”
For a more kinetic craft to 
create a firework display to cele-
brate New Year’s, Endelman cut 
the end of some toilet paper rolls 
into fringes. Blake dunked the 
fringed ends into colored paint 
and then slammed them onto 
construction paper.
Endelman said all these crafts 
are simple and can be done 
quickly, which makes them ideal 
for parents trying to juggle child-
care while working from home.
“Kids having lots of screen 
time has become unavoidable,
” 
Edelman admits. “But if you 
have a small space or box dedi-
cated to crafts stocked with sup-
plies like crayons, paper plates 
and pipe cleaners, you your and 
kids can take half-hour breaks 
away from the screen and create 
something that is fun and expe-
riential.
”
 Endelman said that she is 
amazed at the “genuine feeling 
of community” the Instagram 
account is creating across par-
ents from a wide range of back-
grounds and geographic areas.
“I have moms from all 
over the country and also 

Switzerland, Sweden and 
Israel,
” Endelman said. 
“I may not have many follow-
ers yet, but what I have found 
is that we are building a com-
munity about coming up with 
how to engage small children in 
something creative during this 
pandemic.
”

TU B’SHEVAT IDEAS
As Tu b’Shevat (Jan. 27) 
approaches, Endelman suggested 
the following crafting or science 
experiment ideas to introduce 
preschoolers to the New Year of 
the Trees: 
• Go on a nature walk, collect 
twigs and use them as paint 
brushes. 
• Create a tree: Dip feet in 
brown paint and step on con-
struction paper. Make branches 
with handprints and leaves and 
fruit with fingerprints. 
• Dye a bag of rice green with 
vinegar and food coloring. Print 
or draw the outlines of a tree 
trunk and leaves. Cover the tree 
shape with glue and then with 
the green rice. Shake off excess 
rice to create tree with textured 
green leaves.
• Once again, put those toilet 
paper rolls to use. Print out or 
draw a tree trunk. Then, pinch 
the toilet paper roll end into a 
leaf shape and dip in various 
color paints to make leaves.
“It’s all about those toilet paper 
rolls,
” Endelman reminded. “For 
preschool crafts, they are like 
gold.
” 

Got Kiddos 
 at Home?

IN 
THED
JEWS

FAR LEFT: Blake 

Endelman, 3, uses a 

pair of make-believe 

binoculars he made 

with toilet paper rolls.

Keep them busy 
with ideas from 
‘Martha Jewart.’

STACY GITTLEMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARIELLE ENDELMAN

