Watercolor Seder Plate

A Seder plate doesn’t have to be ornate, or an heirloom—or even permanent!—to feel meaningful. I first came up with this watercolor version in 2020, as a way to mark the holiday using what I had on hand in my New York apartment, far from family. But it remains on the blog years later in case it’s helpful to anyone who finds themselves without what they need—away from home, or just wanting to step in and host without the right supplies on hand.

Made from a single sheet of card stock paper, it’s a pretty simple, minimal approach to ritual—equally suited to a kids’ table or a unique grown-up Seder. And! Once the symbolic foods are placed on top, something unexpected happens: the paper almost fades into the background and the plate starts to feel “real.” Maybe because ritual doesn’t need to be precious to be powerful. It just needs to be made.

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1 extra-large sheet of watercolor paper or thick cardstock

Watercolor paint (any color) or a black pen

Paintbrush

Scissors

Kraft paper or a paper bag

Cut the watercolor paper into a large circle. (Tracing a dinner plate works well, but eyeballing is fine.) Lightly plan where the symbolic food areas will go, using small scraps of paper as placeholders if helpful.

Paint simple watercolor circles where each symbol will sit. Let the paint dry completely. If you don’t have a shank bone on hand—as was the case for me when I first made this during the pandemic of 2020—cut a small one from kraft paper or a paper bag.

Arrange the symbolic foods directly on the paper plate.

Optional: For a little height, place the paper plate on top of a cake stand, an inverted dinner plate, or a round serving board.