One of the great beauties of Hanukkah is how little the holiday has changed since its inception. Often referred to as the Festival of lights, it's a celebration rich in tradition, occurring every year at any time between late November to late December.
This year, get creative with a few of our easy Hanukkah crafts. Affordable, festive and simple enough even the kids can help make them, they'll add a touch of the holiday to every one of those eight days of celebrating!
From upcycled menorahs and Hanukkah luminaries to edible dreidels and party poppers, we've got five Hanukkah crafts to enhance your fun this holiday season!
Upcycled Glass Menorah Hanukkah Craft
Hanukkah, oftehn called the"Festival of Lights" is rich in symbolism and tradition, and has remained generally unchanged since its origins. For centuries the menorah, an nine-candle candelabra of sorts, has been the centerpiece of the Hanukkah table, representing the eight days of the holiday, as well as the shamash or center candle used to light the other eight candles.
Over the course of time the shapes and sizes of the menorah have changed to suit pretty much any price point or setting, from the very ornate to the traditional menorahs more commonly found in temples. Making a menorah is another option that can be both fun and educational for young children, as well as great way to create a centerpiece that fits your holiday table.
This upcycled menorah is made from old glass bottles that have been spruced up with a little bit of paint and a lot of light. Before the holiday season hits, rummage through your pantry for interesting bottles or scour the local flea market for anything that might be transformed into candle holder. Select bottles of similar shapes and sizes, or go for an eclectic look by mix matching, either way the outcome is sure to be stunning.
Supplies:
9 glass bottles (mouths should be just big enough to fit a candlestick)
9 candlesticks
White acrylic interior paint
Blue acrylic paint (or color of choice)
Newspaper
Directions:
Step 1: Start by mixing your paint. Interior paint works well as a base since it is thinner than most craft paint and comes in larger quantities.
Step 2: Over a drop cloth pour mixed paint into a glass bottle, using just enough to coat the entire inside in a nice even layer.
Step 3: Once coated, allow bottle to sit upside down on a few sheets of newspaper to let excess paint to drain. Let sit for a few hours or so.
Step 4: To dry, turn bottle right-side-up and leave overnight. Repeat with remaining bottles and insert candlesticks. Light candles and enjoy your own private festival of lights!
Tin Can Luminaries
The secret to a fabulous Hanukkah may be hiding at the bottom of your recycling bin. These gorgeous luminaries celebrate the Festival of Lights without breaking the bank, and can be customized to suit your holiday style. Hammered tin cans create a rustic, and eye-catching light display, perfect for just about any nighttime celebration. Kids can get in on the holiday fun as well with a little bit of adult guidance, and will enjoy making their very own personalized candle holder to celebrate the Hanukkah season.
Chances are you already have most of the supplies for this festive craft at home, but if not, your local hardware store is sure to provide! Feel free to get as creative as you’d like when planning out the designs for your Hanukkah luminaries—Hebrew characters are great place to start, or tap guests names into the cans for instant glowing placeholders. No matter what deigns you chose, your party table is sure to be ablaze with holiday spirit and handmade charm.
To add color to your crafts, check out this luminary tutorial and pay close attention to the spray paint how-to piece!
Supplies:
Tin cans, labels removed and washed
Nail
Hammer
Paper and pencil, to plan design
Tape
Votive candles
Directions:
Step 1: Once you have settled on a design, draw it onto a small sheet of paper. Fit the paper to your can and secure with tape.
Step 2: Using your drawing as a guide, begin tapping holes into the can using the hammer and a nail. For thinner cans you may be able to drag the nail once you have hammered it in to create a more carved look that lets a lot of light through.
Step 3: For thicker cans, or a more traditional luminary look, follow along the lines of the drawing with evenly spaced holes. The effect is stunning and will create dazzling patterns on ceilings, walls and floors!
Edible Dreidels for Hanukkah
Forget the delicious food and eight days of gift-giving, ask any Jewish child their favorite part of Hanukkah, they’re like to say playing dreidel. The dreidel game has withstood many generations, and continues to be popular among children of all ages, who love the friendly competition the game stirs up, as well as the chance to win milk chocolate coins known as gelt.
This clever food craft transforms the dreidel—a traditional top—into an edible treat, that just might be more tempting to participants than the prizes themselves! An irresistible combo of peanut butter, pretzels and marshmallow, these delicious dreidels might not make it through a full game before they are devoured by a hungry player!
Supplies:
Pretzel sticks
Marshmallows
Large chocolate morsels
Peanut butter
Directions:
To assemble the dreidels pierce a marshmallow with one pretzel stick taking care so not to push it all the way through. Next, spread a small amount of peanut butter on the flat side of an unwrapped chocolate morsel and stick to the bottom of the marshmallow (opposite the pretzel stick).
Note: If you plan to actually play with these dreidels you’ll have to draw the proper Hebrew characters on four sides of the marshmallow. You can do this using gel icing or edible ink markers, both available at your local baking supply store.
Festive Party Poppers
Hanukkah is a holiday of small gifts—candy, toys and trinkets, and what better way to present tiny treasures to your loved ones than in a handmade party poppers? These paper poppers deliver each and every gift with a festive bang, making opening them just as fun as the loot hidden inside.
Party poppers are a fun and inexpensive way to wrap small gifts and candy, these Hanukkah poppers cost next to nothing to make yet add a bit of extra fun to the holiday season. Made from recycled cardboard tubes and a few odds and ends, chances are you already have the supplies needed to make this clever and festive gift wrap.
Supplies:
Cardboard rolls (we used toilet paper, but you can cut a paper towel roll in half)
Double-sided tape
White and blue crepe paper
Ribbon
Scissors
Confetti (optional)
Candy or small toys
Directions:
Step 1: Cut a length of crepe paper long enough to cover the entire cardboard roll with an extra bit of paper on either end for decoration. Roll your paper tube in the crepe paper and place a piece of double-sided tape just before the end to seal.
Step 2: Next, twist the excess paper at one side and secure with a small length of ribbon tied into a bow.
Step 3: Load candy and gifts into tube on the open end and once filled, close by repeating step 2 on the other side of the tube.
Step 4: To open your Hanukkah party popper, have two guests stand opposite from one another, each holding an end of the popper, and on the count of three have them pull as hard as they can until the popper breaks, revealing the treasures inside!
Dreidel in a Jar Hanukkah Party Idea
This season glass jars are all the rage; from cocktails to impromptu vases, it seems there isn’t an entertaining dilemma the mason jar can’t get us out of!
This clever Hanukkah craft turns ordinary baby food jars into perfect partyfavors for hosts and hostesses on a tight budget. Spruced up with a touch of paint and ribbon, these festive jars are ideal for stashing small gifts or dreidel kits—no wrapping required!
Opting for handmade gifts and favors enables you to customize each jar for your guests, and adds a touch of charm to your party table. Use these easy to make jar gifts as fun and festive place settings or hand them out as prizes for any Hanukkah games you may have in store for your guests.
Supplies:
Baby food jars, rinsed and dried with labels removed
Gold paint
Ribbon
Cardstock in blue or white
Glue
Gold marker or pen
Small gifts such as dreidels, gelt or other toys
Confetti (optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Begin by removing the jar lids and laying them out on a few sheets of newspaper or a drop cloth. Using spray paint or acrylic paint, apply a few coats and allow to dry for an hour or two.
Step 2: Next cut a circle out of cardstock big enough to cover the top of the jar’s lid. Write a guest’s name or a festive message on the circle using a gold pen or maker, and glue to the lid once your paint has dried.
Step 3: Fill each jar with candy or toys, and a little bit of festive confetti for an extra touch of flare. Replace jar lids and tie a small length of ribbon; using sharp scissors, carefully curl the ends of the ribbon to your liking.
From Celebrations.com/ Contributor Emily DiRienzo/ Posted by Mags
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