Text and Styling by Esther Ottensoser
Photography by hudi Greenberger

Although the focus of Rosh Hashanah should, of course, be on our tefillos, here are some small touches that can make the Yom Tov meals special for your family. People often share how much these small touches enhance their children’s simchas Yom Tov. Here’s our first opportunity this year to express our excitement for the special days on our calendar.

Tip-the-Scale Flowers

Back in the day, one of my children (among many others) had an obsession with the Lakewood Flea Market on Route 70. One hot Sunday morning, as we browsed the aisles, I spotted an old scale for three dollars. With this inspiration, a floral scale became our Rosh Hashanah centerpiece year after year.

You can purchase a scale on Amazon, or you might be lucky and find one at an antique shop! Interestingly, I found this gorgeous, more modern-looking one at T.J. Maxx a few weeks ago. If you happened to have been in the next aisle and heard someone exclaim, “Hashem loves me,” it was me!

You will need:

• old-style scale
• floral foam
• scissors
• flowers of your choice

Cut the floral foam to fit each side of the scale. Soak it in water. (You may want to use small plastic plates or plastic wrap to line each side of the scale before putting the wet foam down to avoid rust.)

Cut your flowers to size and fill each side of the scale.

Tip: Make sure the foam is nice and wet before Yom Tov.

Quill-Shaped Seating Cards

The words v’kasveinu b’sefer hachaim always remind me of an ink and quill, which is how these seating cards came to be.

You will need:

• any paper (I used scrapbooking paper, but copy paper is also fine)
• scissors
• white floral wire (optional)
• glue or tape
• name tags and string

For each seating card, cut a piece of paper into approximately 5x8 inches. Fold in half the long way.

Draw a flat oval on the paper from top to bottom. Cut out the oval, then cut tiny snips along the curved side, being careful not to cut all the way to the fold.

If desired, glue or tape the wire to the back of the “quill.” Use string to attach a name tag.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 756)