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Hanukkah is a joyous celebration for Jews all over the world. It is a time to remember the past and look into the future. It is a time for family to get together and remember those who have gone before and all that is to come. What better way to recognize a wonderful holiday than with unique and handmade crafts.
The simple crafts which follow all can be made and with little or no extra cost. They can be done prior to the holiday or as one of the Hanukah activities throughout the eight days and nights. Whenever you choose to create, do so and have fun!
If you are having family for the holiday and would like to give your guests something to remember their celebrations but can't afford to purchase gifts for everyone, this is the craft for you. You will need old jewelry boxes or small boxes that can be purchased at novelty or craft stores, paint, glue and holiday magazines. This is a fun craft that is also great for kids. Find pictures throughout magazines that pertain to the Hanukah holiday and that would fit on the top of the box. They should be smaller than the box to decorate or they can cover the box entirely, it is up to you. Once you have the picture, cut it out and glue it to the top of the box. Decorate with cut out stars, paint, or write the year or a name on the box. Make the treat box a reflection of you and the holiday. These boxes are also great for gift bags at birthday parties and can be made for virtually any holiday. When you are done and the boxes are dry, fill with holiday candy, a new Dreidel or some other small token. Now your guests have something special and unique to remember their holiday for this year.
This next craft is one that the children can do and have their craft displayed and used by everyone. The craft is napkin holders and you will need cardstock, glue and ribbon. The great thing about these napkin holders is that you can also use them as place cards. The cardstock can be in any color, but for this craft I would recommend the ring color to match your place setting. Cut a four inch long by one inch wide strip for the ring. Glue the ends together and let set. You may decide to have a smaller ring or you may need a larger ring, that all depends on the napkins. The other cardstock could be yellow if you want to have a Star of David on your holder, blue for a Dreidel, or brown for a menorah. You could also mix and match your tags. You will cut out a shape about one inch or a little more and then either glue this to your ring holder or tie it on with a ribbon. These decorations could be used as name tags if you put your guests name on them. A craft with double duty!
Placemats are another simple and fun craft. These are great for your little guests and for use throughout the winter season at home. You will need cardstock of different colors, glue, pictures from magazines and laminate sheets. Add a truly personal touch to this craft by using pictures from last years holiday! Cut a piece of cardstock that will be your base and upon which you will put all the other pictures and pieces. Select pictures from magazines and cut out and glue down on the base cardstock. Stencil a name, a year or anything you can imagine. When you are done, laminate and you have a reusable, cleanable and personal placemat.
A fun and useful craft that dates back to ancient times is the making of a clay menorah. You will need craft clay that dries in the air or you can make your own with flour, salt and water. You need to decide the size candles you will use for the menorah and form the holders around the base of the candle, be sure they are deep enough for the candle to balance. Form eight bases for the candles. They can be free standing or you can place them on a block of clay. Don't forget to make a ninth candle holder for the Shamash. This one should be taller and thicker than the others. If you decide to make the holders free standing, you would set out only what you need on each night. There are many variations to making a clay menorah, just remember to place the menorah on tinfoil or another fire proof surface.
On the first night of Hanukah, you may have a celebration and a big dinner. Create a toast glass that is unique for each member of your family. You will need inexpensive clear glasses in a style of your choice, blue, white and yellow paint. You can purchase paint that will stay on the glasses at any craft store. Paint the name of your family members and decorate with stars, dreidels, the year or even just small dots or marks. You will give everyone their own holiday glass that can be used throughout the Hanukah celebration.
A unique way to display family pictures throughout the holiday is to create a Menorah Picture Display. You will need a large piece of cardstock and a large black marker. Draw a large menorah on the cardstock making sure to leave at least 4 or 5 inches of space at the top of the highest holder, the Shamash. On each night of Hanukah place a picture of your family on each candle holder. If you have a group family picture, use that for the Shamash and then place individual pictures on each night. It is a fun way to display pictures and includes everyone in the family, even if they are not there to light the candles.
Finally, what Hanukah holiday would be complete without a dreidel made of clay. You will need air dry clay or make your own from flour, salt and water. Shape the dreidel and etch the symbols. You can also use numbers on the side for add one, take one, take all or no play. Don't forget to make the spinning stem. When dry, you can paint the dreidel different colors. They may not spin perfectly, but they are an age old tradition and you can sing the Dreidel song to fill your craft with a true spirit of Hanukah.
Whatever crafts you can create, have fun and remember that the object of the craft project is not only to create, but to enjoy. The holidays are full of joy and that can be reflected in personally created gifts and objects around your home.
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