Up-Cycled Menorah With the Kids

 
This year I decided to broaden my children's holiday horizons. They only know about Santa, stockings and trees. I thought a little chat about a Menorah this year was in order. Better yet, this is the kind of Menorah your kids can help make. Since this was a very special Hanukkah landing on Thanksgiving it seemed like the perfect turkey day craft.

12 Days of Gift Card Holders: Hanukkah Traditions

Hanukkah Traditions

Designed by Cheryl Ball

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with a commemorative Star of David gift card holder. Create the symbolic hexagram with colorful felt, Aleene’s Fabric Fusion® and Tulip® 3D Fashion Paint™.

Materials List

• Aleene's® Fabric Fusion® Permanent Dry Cleanable Fabric Adhesive
  
  
• Tulip® 3D Fashion Paint™
  
  

  65407 Silver Metallics

• Miscellaneous

  •   Felt Squares – white, light blue, navy
  •   Sewing pins
  •   Sewing machine with matching thread
  •   White chalk sharpened to a point
  •   Needle and thread
  •   Paper towels
  •   Scissors

• Patterns

  • pattern 1 

  Instructions

  1. Cut white felt.  Layer white felt together then sew either horizontally or vertically. Sew on three sides to create pocket.

  2. Sew a ¼” seam then trim to a scant 1/8”

  3. Cut out dip in top layer if desired when finished.

  4. Pin and cut triangle patterns from felt.  White chalk can be used to draw patterns onto felt if needed. Brush off excess chalk after glue is thoroughly dry.

  5. Interlock designs as shown then glue in place.

  6. Test flow of 3D Fashion Paint on paper towel using an even pressure on bottle for a smooth line. Detail with Silver Metallic paint.  Let thoroughly dry.

  7. Keep tip of paint bottle wiped with paper towels for clean lines.

FREE SHIPPING through December 13, 2010. Craft on! Click here for today's daily giveaway!

Kid Friendly, Hardware Store Menorah

Growing up in Southern California then working in Hollywood, made having friends who went to temple almost as common as those who went to mass. When I moved to Austin however, I was surprised not only by the fact that there were so few Jewish people but also, by the lack of awareness about holidays like Hanukkah. I was thrilled years ago though when my youngest son came home from a Mother's Day Out program with a paint stirrer Menorah that he'd made in class. He loved it and the tiny dreidel he received on the same day (both thanks to a fellow student's mother) so much! I thought it was such a cool (yet really inexpensive) way to teach children about a tradition that may not be their own or if it is, then to celebrate it even further.

This week on I Love to Create, I revive that pre-school project--my version of course, with a little added, razzle dazzle.

Here's how you and your kidlets can make a Hardware Store Menorah this Hanukkah season!

Materials

Wooden Paint Stirrer

11 Nuts (Sized to fit candles)

9 Candles (I just used the cheapie, birthday type.)

Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue

Blue, Crafty Chica Craft Paint (From the same pack you may have bought for last week's Knit-Print Wrapping Paper!)

Crafty Chica Glitter in Color: Nova

Sponge Brush

How-To

• Paint both sides of stirrer. Apply a 2nd coat.
• Before 2nd coat dries, cover top of stirrer with glitter. Once dried, shake excess glitter off.
• Adhere nuts to stirrer with Tacky Glue so that there's a center pyramid stack with 4 individuals on each side. Let dry.
• Insert candles in each of the nuts. If necessary, add a dab of Tacky Glue to the bottom of all candles EXCEPT for the center one; that one's used for lighting.

The Basics of Practicing the Festival of Lights

Each of the 8 side candles represents a day of Hanukkah; the center candle is called, the "Shamash". After nightfall of each day of Hanukkah, use the Shamash to light the candles (lighting an additional one as each day passes.)

This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 11th. To read more about the symbolism and traditions surrounding the Menorah, check out this website.

(Holiday)Craft.Rock.Love,

Vickie