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Collage cards
If you’re hoping to involve your kids in helping to create Hanukkah gifts for family and friends, consider making these cool collage menorah cards featured on Dim Sum, Bagels and Crawfish. Simply made using decorative paper or colorful magazine pages, these sweet cards are easy for small hands to assemble, with only a bit of cutting and pasting required. And, really, nothing beats a homemade gift for the holidays!
Up next: DIY Kids Hanukkah Menorah
DIY Kids Hanukkah Menorah
Kids will love making this colorful menorah. You will only need a few simple things for this project: clothes pins, paint, construction paper and cardboard. After making this project, set it up and you can add a new “candle” each night. Head to the Michael’s website for details.
Up next: Hanukkah Kindness Activities
Hanukkah Kindness Activities
This simple activity is quick to make but will provide activities each day of Hanukkah. Each section of this paperchain contains a kindness activity for the whole family. Nicole at Coffee and Carpool has printable kindness activities, or feel free to come up with your own.
Up next: Paper candles
Paper candles
Take a note from Joyful Jewish and add a little bit of color to this year’s celebration! A fantastic Hanukkah craft for preschoolers and younger kids, this gorgeous and festive project can be easily made with leftover toilet paper tubes, gold paper (for the candle flames), popsicle sticks and paint. This is one fun craft that gives younger tots the chance to safely “light” their candles each evening and the opportunity to play a role in your family’s holiday traditions.
Up next: Star lanterns
Star lanterns
Offering up a creative way to light up the evening this holiday season, these Hanukkah luminaries featured on Make and Takes are a neat alternative or additional idea to brighten up your family’s traditions this year. To make your own, you’ll want to have white paper lunch sacks, a triangle cookie cutter or stamp, blue and gold paint, a paper plate painting palette, scissors and flameless/LED candles. Check out the full post for the complete tutorial — what a pretty way to let your holiday spirit shine!
Up next: Foil cards
Foil cards
We love these DIY tinfoil Hanukkah cards featured on Scrumdilly-Do! Another inexpensive and gorgeous way to create heartfelt homemade gifts for family and friends this season, these cool cards are a fun craft for kids of all ages. We love that each and every one is completely unique. To get started on your own, you’ll need aluminum foil, white glue, cardboard (Mom Jessica used a cereal box), crepe paper streamers or construction paper, yarn or thread, and bedazzling bits such as glitter or sequins. Get the full scoop by checking out the rest of the post — we can’t get enough of the sparkle factor!
Up next: Dreidel mobile
Dreidel mobile
We adore these spinning dreidel mobiles featured on Joyful Jewish! Though these sweet paper cutouts were purchased on Etsy, we think that you could also make your own by taking a large piece of poster board or construction paper to trace and cut out the various sizes. Once your dreidel outlines are cut out, put your kiddos to work on bedazzling them with markers, stickers and glitter, and then hang them on string to watch them twirl throughout the holiday. If you’re worried about getting your various sizes correct, never fear — work with what you have to create your own take on this cool idea.
Up next: Construction paper menorah
Construction paper menorah
Another fun way to share your holiday spirit with neighbors, friends and family, this stained-glass menorah featured on Upper West Side Mom is sure to brighten up your family’s holiday season with plenty of beautiful hues! Easily made using construction paper, colorful tissue paper and glue, this is an easy project for craft-lovin’ kiddos and one that’s sure to be enjoyed by all throughout the holiday season.
Up next: A sweet game
A sweet game
Mom Jessica of Scrumdilly-Do! offers up this homemade edible memory game for kids… And we have a feeling that this neat activity is sure to become a new family favorite! Made using stickers, decorative paper, glue and flat-bottomed candies such as Hershey’s Kisses, mint patties or Hanukkah chocolate coins, this cool matching game is easy to create and a great boredom buster for foul-weather holiday afternoons. Check out the rest of Jessica’s post for a link to free printables and more details on getting started.
Up next: Party favors
Party favors
Creative Jewish Mom Sara shares these fun DIY holiday party favors, and what an excellent pick for gifts that your kids can make! Sara notes that this project is perfect for young reluctant crafters as sweets are involved. She also adds that the colorful tubes can be collected and used again in the future once the treats have been handed out. To make your own, you’ll need leftover toilet paper tubes, acrylic craft paint, glitter glue or “tulip” fabric paint, tissue paper and silver ribbon to tie up the end of the favors. After your favors are colored and bedazzled, simply fill them up with tasty treats and goodies and you’re all set for this year’s holiday bash!
Up next: Recycled menorah
Recycled menorah
Mama Lucia of Dim Sum, Bagels and Crawfish shows off this fantastic recycled-materials menorah that she and her young kids made when they were spending Hanukkah away from home one year — how cool is that?! By using toilet paper rolls, one paper towel roll, a large box, magazines, construction paper, paint and blue masking tape, this creative clan proves that the options are truly endless when it comes to the imaginative ways that families can celebrate the holiday.
Up next: Handmade decorations
Handmade decorations
In need of some quick and easy handmade decorations for this year’s holiday entertaining? Pretty Prudent shares this gorgeous Stars of David garland that’s not only incredibly simple to make, but sure to brighten up your home this season with its beautiful colors! Originally featured on the Swedish site Ennui, these sweet stars are easily made using string, colorful paper and cookie cutters. Be sure to check out the rest of the post for more info and a link to the translated tutorial.
Up next: Popsicle sticks
Popsicle sticks
Creative Jewish Mom Sara is at it again with her clever and oh-so-cute Hanukkah ideas — these DIY popsicle stick decorations are the perfect find for adding a little bit of extra color to this year’s celebration. To make your own, simply collect some colorful popsicle sticks (or color your own with markers, dye or stickers) and get to work on gluing together your pieces for fun Hanukkah imagery, big and small. Check out the rest of Sara’s post for more fun photos of her family’s finished decorations!
Editor’s note: This article was originally published several years ago, and updated in 2023.
