by Tasha Raymond

Created on: November 18, 2009

Each holiday that comes up is a great time to get kids doing something with their hands. Hanukkah is a holiday that lends itself well to crafting. A lot of decorations can be made by the kids to use in the festivities. Not to mention that they can make their own gifts to give to friends and family during the eight night celebration. Crafts also open up a time in which you can talk to your child about the importance of the holiday without being intrusive. So, while pondering the importance of the holiday together, have fun creating some of these marvelous pieces of work!

Hanging Stars of David (Decoration)

Materials Needed
- Plastic table cover or newspaper
- 6 large craft sticks per star
- Wood glue
- Light blue acrylic paint
- Paint brush
- Glitter glue
- Sequins
- Ribbon

Directions
1. Cover work area with the plastic table cover or with newspaper. While both the glue and the paint are water soluble, it saves a lot of time doing prep work.

2. Paint one side of the craft sticks and allow them to dry. (Drying time will vary depending on paint and how much is used, but will normally take 15 minutes.) Paint the other side and allow those to dry as well.

3. Glue three craft sticks together to make a wooden triangle. Repeat this for each set of three sticks you have.

4. Place triangles on top of one another with one point up and one point down. The piece of bottom of one triangle should be crossing the other one about half way on the triangle. Glue these two triangles together.

5. Decorate with Star of David with glitter and sequins to help catch and reflect the light. Tie a piece of ribbon on one of the triangle points and hang your star in the window for all to see.




Edible Dreidel (Crafty Treat)

Materials Needed
- Hershey Kisses
- Large marshmallows
- Pretzels
- Peanut butter

Directions
1. Spread a little peanut butter on the top of the marshmallow and on the bottom of the unwrapped Hershey kiss.

2. Take a pretzel stick and push it through the marshmallow until it hits the kiss. You now have an edible dreidel!




Hanukkah Mobile (Decoration)

Materials Needed
- Cardboard or construction paper
- Crayons, markers, color pencils
- Coat hanger
- String
- Hole punch

Directions
1. Have kids draw and cut out things that are associated with the holiday. These can be picture of gelt (money), menorahs, the Star of David, pictures fo the family together, their favorite food...anything that reminds them of the holiday.

2. Using the hole punch, punch a hole in the top if each picture. Use string to tie the picture to the coat hanger. Feel free to play with lengths and colors. Make sure to hang your Hanukkah mobile where everyone can see!




Sweet Edible Menorahs (Crafty Treat)

Materials Needed
- Hershey chocolate bars
- Frosting or peanut butter
- Tootsie rolls or mini-marshmallows
- Candy corn

Directions
1. On an unwrapped Hershey bar, place nine dabs of frosting or peanut butter.

2. On each dab, place an unwrapped tootsie roll or two mini-marshmallows (mini-marshmallows may need to be held together with a little frosting or peanut butter. Make sure the middle one (eight in from the right and eight in from the left) is either two tootsie rolls high or three mini-marshmallows high as this would be your shamash (servant candle).

3. On top of each tootsie roll or mini-marshmallows tower, use the frosting or peanut butter to adhere a candy corn pointing up. This is the flame of the candle.

4. Enjoy!

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