By Paula Biggs
We like to expose our children to a good variety of cultures to make them more well-rounded. So although our family is not Jewish, we had a little Hanukkah party to explain the Jewish tradition to our world-citizens-in-training. However, in our corner of the country, there was not a menorah to be found. And when we can’t buy, we DIY!
Just as Christmas trees come in a wild array of sizes, shapes, and colors, a menorah can be made from something nontraditional in a nontraditional shape. This DIY menorah was especially perfect for us, because when we were done with it, we just returned the pieces to their original uses – no storage or donation to Goodwill required.
Materials
8 votive candle holders
Taller votive candle holder or miniature bud vase
Ribbon
Tape
Clip art of the Star of David, printed on paper
8 white candles
Colored candle
Sugar or salt
Scrapbook paper
Directions
Step 1: Decorate your votives! A little bling makes everything look better. On each of the 8 votives, wrap a piece of ribbon around the middle and tape it down.
Step 2: On the taller votive holder/miniature bud vase, wrap a ribbon around the center and tape it in place. Add the clip art of the Star of David with double-sided tape. You could add anything to this vase you want in lieu of the paper star to make it a little more fancy; just make sure to size it to fit your taller votive holder/bud vase.
Step 3: Fill each votive 2/3 of the way full with sugar or salt. Place the white candles in the regular votive holders and the colored candle in the taller votive holder/vase.
Step 4: Place a sheet of scrapbook paper cut long and wide enough to hold all of the votives on the surface that you plan to display your menorah.
Step 5: Place the tall votive/vase in the center of the paper. This center candle is called the shamash (or “helper”). Line four votives in a row on either side of the shamash candle to symbolize the eight days of Hanukkah.
Your DIY menorah is now complete and ready to light!
Note: The shamash should be lit first and used to light the other candles. The first night, light the shamash and the candle on the far right only. Each night, light an additional candle, from left to right.
Read more about how to light the menorah.
About the Author:
Paula Biggs is a party-loving mom of two tiny tots living on the sunny beaches of Melbourne, Florida. She is the woman behind the frog at Frog Prince Paperie, a printable party design group and blog dedicated to making parties magical!
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