Just Us Crafting

Bahá’i inspired Journal

Love journaling but can’t seem to find a great Baha’i Journal? We are developing a Baha’i Inspired Journal just for you!

Yep! Here is how it happened: a few of us on a Facebook group page got talking about the lack of a good Bahá’i journal and Lo and Behold a collaboration was born! We were looking to release it at Naw-Rúz but there was so much more planning and organizing to do than we thought, so we have only March and April done! Yeah for us!

For sure Ridván will see it available for download or print.

We think that this will make a great gift ideas for those who love to journal. If you need additional ideas for Holy day gifts, check out the easy pendant idea!

What does it look like?

At first we were playing around with each month having different colours but now we are thinking to just keep it simple.

Here is how we planned the layout:

The cover is a mandala with ta 9 pointed star.
The inside cover has a quote

Next pages are the yearly Bad’i Calendar and the page opposite are the important Baha’i dates
Each month starts with a mandala to colour
Then there is a monthly calendar with all the important events happening like feasts and holy days

Each month will have a place to set goals for the month and the action steps for each.

Then we saw a beautiful info-graph on what is needed to lead a Baha’i life and we turned this into a habit tracker for each month

We all need to remember the things that made us smile along the way and keep track of the random idea and thoughts. We gave these a page for themselves in a very free form manner.

Things that make me smile
Thinking about

I am always trying to remember a book I wanted to read or did read.
A piece of music or a podcast I want to remember
An event to attend
A service project I am involved in or would like to do: this page is a visual representative of that.

Weekly view:

For the weekly view we have each week of the month at a glance.
A planner for meal plans and exercise

Daily View Records :

The day, the Baha’i month and if there is a feast or holy day.
There is a quote inserted in the banner section not shown here
Quotes you love of want to remember
Appointments
Tracking a habit
Tasks
Meals
Who you are praying for
Space to record personal, work and home
A space to reflect

April Daily Page

Then it is a repeat of these pages for each month.

We would love any feedback on this journal.

Download your free March / April and if you want to sign up for notice when the journal is complete then please do so here.

Carolyn

DIY easy craft in 10 minutes: Kids can help!

I am always on the look out for an easy craft that kids can help with. I like crafts that kids, can do that are not just paper plates, tissue paper etc. Those types of crafts are nice but sometimes I want an extra wow factor. This year I was looking for a Naw-Rúz gift.

For those who have never heard of Naw-Rúz it is the Baha’i New Year, which falls in March, sometimes it is on the 20^th and sometimes on the 21^st. Many other people around the world celebrate this time of year also.

This year Naw-Rúz on the 21st March and it marks the Vernal Equinox in the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere and the Autumnal Equinox in the South—that day when the sun’s light strikes the Equator directly and illuminates every continent equally.

Shopping for Naw-Rúz is like shopping for any major holiday where gifts are exchanges. The shopping experience can be frustrating, fun, overwhelming, happy, sad… you name the emotion we most likely experience it. Like everyone during a festive season, we went looking for the perfect gifts. Although we did get great gifts, it felt like they did not reflect the holiday in a special way. For those of you with young kids, well I think online shopping looks very appealing right now and you are thinking there is no time to make anything personalized. Well read on and I promise this is a 10 minute easy mini craft for you and the kids.

My 6 easy steps to making a personalized pendant

So, here is what I decided to do in a few really easy DIY steps that even if you have newborn triples it will be finished in under 10 minutes, I promise (not including the purchase of course!) .

It took me less than 10 minutes to do 6!

Step One

I went to Michaels and found theses very cute pendants: 2 in a pack for about $14. The pendants are in the jewlery making section and I am sure any craft store will have something that you can use that is similar. Michaels always has a coupon so make sure and use it. This time it was 40% off

Package of 2 pendants: one round one square

Step 2

Next I printed a photo of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Son of the Baha’i Faiths founder Baha’u’llah) and printed it on white regular cardstock. You can of course use any photo or symbol.

I choose the photo and not just crystals or little heart charms because I remembered my two friends discussing the best gift they received as children. I am sure the gifts my friends discussed was not a photo in a costume jewelry pendant like mine, but they loved this gift from their mum! I think it was because it was so small and wearable and different from the other gifts they had received.

The photos of Abdu’l-Baha needed to be small enough to fit the frames.

If you buy the same frames, the size for the square frame is 2/8 inch and the round is 3/8^th diameter.

Here is a link to my file for you to download and print. Or you can find a photo you like better by searching Google make sure that the usage rights allow for reuse.

Step 3

I cut the photos by hand. There is no need to be exact as they are so small little imperfections really do not show.

TIP: for cutting anything round, move the paper not the scissors, it is much easier that way.

Step 5

The next step is to remove the little mockup photo that came with the frame. I used this weeding hook I had with a piece of sticky tape, this grabs the insert really easily and pulls it out. You can also use a straight pin to push the photo out from the bottom of the frame

Step 6

The final step, put the images into the pendant. The square image inserts on the top. The round pendant opens on the side with a magnetic closure. The round pendant is also glass on two sides so the back of the photo shows. I decided to put a Baha’i symbol so the pendant can be worn either way. I have included it in my file for download. Cut the photo of `Abdu’l-Bahá and The Greatest Name and stick back to back then insert into the round frame

Round Pendant without a photo
Round Pendant with photo
close up of Round Pendant with photo
square pendant with photo

You are done!

You can stop here. What do you think? pretty easy DIY project right? I think it turned out beautiful.

I went and did a few extra steps.

Optional

I have some blank little bags that I will put the pendant in and so I will decorate them.

You can find little bags in the dollar store if you want to venture out or use my little rectangle box template: It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to print, cut and glue it together.

I have a few heart shaped boxes in red that I painted white with dollar store craft paint. I am still deciding if I like this container for this special gift.