10 Hanukkah Crafts for Kids

As the holiday season quickly approaches, you may be searching for ideas to ring in the cheerful season with your family. Crafting is a fun and easy way to celebrate Hanukkah with your kids and loved ones.

These cute craft ideas—from dreidel garlands to paper menorahs, and even a wall hanging for presents—will surely get your kids excited about the festival of lights. You pick eight activities to celebrate each of Hanukkah's eight nights or spend an evening crafting your favorite. Either way, your family will love getting their creativity on and making wonderful memories together.

We've rounded up some fun and festive crafts the whole family can create to help get everyone in the holiday spirit!

Hanukkah Pocket Countdown Hanging

This adorable wall craft, designed by the Crafted Content Team at Joann, is an interactive hanging that you can reuse year after year. Your kids will look forward to opening a different pocket each night and discovering a new Hanukkah gift, just for them! While it looks complex, it's surprisingly simple to put together.

Directions

For Sewing the Hanging:

1. Cut one 40-inch by 26-inch rectangle from the duck cloth. Finish the two long edges and one short edge by folding a half-inch under, then another half-inch under, and stitching in place. Along the unfinished edge, fold under a one-half inch and then two inches, and stitch it close to the first fold edge to create a dowel rod pocket.
2. Attach large pom-pom trim four inches below the stitched line of dowel rod pocket, and another row of pom-pom trim an inch and a half above the bottom hemline.
3. You'll need rectangles of different sizes: two seven inches by eight inches; one nine inches by 12 inches; two 11 inches by seven inches; two nine inches by seven inches; and one 14 inches by seven inches. Cut these out of the fat quarters. Then, fuse the lightweight interfacing to the wrong side of all pockets.
4. Finish the top edge of all pockets by folding under a quarter inch then another quarter inch and stitching in place. For the other three sides, fold under a quarter-inch then a quarter-inch again, and press those sides. Pin the pockets to duck cloth, laying them out so they don't overlap. (You can find a spacing template on Joann.com.) There should be one-inch spacing around each pocket.
5. Cut out two of each pocket flap—one regular and one reversed. (Templates can be found on Joann.com.) Fuse lightweight interfacing to the wrong side of one of each type of pocket flap. With right sides together, sew around the bottom edges of each pocket flap, leaving the upper edge open. Turn the pocket flap right side out and press. You can attach a small pom-pom trim around the bottom edge of the flap on one pocket.
6. Pin each pocket flap above the corresponding pocket. Tuck the unfinished edge of the pocket flaps one-quarter inch below the finished edge of pockets, centering from left to right. Pocket flaps should be in the open position. Fold back the pocket front and sew the flap in place across the unfinished edge.
7. Unfold the pocket front to cover the edge of the pocket flap just sewn in place. Topstitch three sides of each pocket in place, one-eight of an inch away from the folded edge. Fold the pocket flap down and press in place.
8. Make closures for the pockets out of ribbons and buttons. Take a four-inch piece of ribbon, fold it in half, and tack it in place to the bottom point of the flap. Attach a button to where the flap folds down to meet.
   

To Make the Numbers:

1. If you have a Cricut, Go into Design Space and create your family name in three and a half-inch tall in blue iron-on vinyl.
2. Select a script for "The" and "Family." Select a bold typeface for the family name.
3. Create the numbers to be two and a half inches tall in white. Select a readable typeface.
4. Use your easy press to iron the name and letters onto the calendar countdown.
5. If you do not have a Cricut, you can cut numbers and letters out of white felt, and glue them on!
   

Marbled Paper Menorah

This stunning marbled menorah is made almost entirely out of paper! Just picture this beauty (designed by the Crafted Content Team at Joann) sitting atop your mantle—it'll add a special, homemade touch to your decorations. Plus, you'll have just as much fun making it as you will admiring it all holiday long.

Directions

For the Marbled Paper:

1. Spread about one inch of shaving cream on the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Add drops of food coloring around the shaving cream. The more drops added, the darker the color will be, so experiment with how many drops you use to get the color you want. Swirl the food coloring into the shaving cream with a popsicle stick, pencil, or the end of a utensil.
3. Lay the card stock flat onto the design and press lightly with your hand, running it across the paper to make sure it is all covered evenly.
4. Gently lift the card stock from the tray and place it on a cookie sheet. Scrap off the excess shaving cream with a spatula to reveal the marble design. Set aside to dry.
5. Repeat with the remaining cardstock. Note: You can reuse the shaving cream multiple times! Add the scraped-off cream back into the dish to use again. If the color gets too saturated, you can add more shaving cream to dilute it.

For the Candles:

1. Place the marbled pieces of card stock face down on your cutting mat. With a pencil, mark every half inch across the eight and a half-inch end of the paper until you get to six and a half inches. You should have a total of 13 marks. Repeat at the other side of the paper.
2. Place your ruler between each set of marks, connecting them. Flip your X-Acto blade upside down, and run the blunt side between the two lines, using the ruler as a guide, to create a score line. Note: You do not want to use the sharp side of the blade!
3. Once you have the first 12 lines scored, flip your X-Acto blade over to the sharp side, and cut the last line to remove the excess two inches of paper. This will leave you with a piece of card stock six and a half by 11 inches, with scored lines every half inch.
4. Cut the card stock in half lengthwise so you have two pieces, each six and a half inches by five and a half inches. Each of these pieces will make your candle! You will need eight total, so repeat steps 1 through 4 four more times. For the ninth candle (which will sit in the center), instead of cutting your card stock in half in step 4, cut it to be six and a half inches by six and a half inches.
5. Fold the card stock along the scores folding back and forth to create pleats. Form the candle into a Star of David overlapping the last flap.
6. Apply a line of double-sided tape or line of glue down the edge of the last fold to secure it in place. Repeat for all nine candles.
7. With the excess two-inch strips that were cut away when making the candles, draw on a Star of David. Cut out and glue it to the end of the candle to help hold its shape. Repeat for all 9 candles, set the candles aside to dry.
8. Cut out flame shapes from gold paper. Mix up the shape and size for interest. You will need two flame shapes per candle, for a total of 18. Cut nine pieces of four-inch-long gold chenille stem. Glue two flame pieces (wrong ends together) with a chenille stem end between them. Repeat for each flame. These will be placed into the hole on top of the candle when each candle needs to be lit.

For the Menorah:

1. Cut a piece of foam core four inches wide by 28 inches long. Cover the foam core with silver paper or silver paint.
2. Cut out nine strips of silver paper to an inch and a half wide and eight inches long. Connect both ends of the strips to make a circle.
3. Using hot glue, secure the nine paper circles along the piece of foam core, spacing them evenly.
4. Add each candle into the cups. Light each candle by placing the flame into the hole at the top of each candle.
   

3D Perler Bead Driedel

Impress your Hanukkah guests with this handmade dreidel. You will need a hot glue gun and some Perler beads to create this unique craft, designed by the Crafted Content Team at Joann. You can even play a game of dreidel with it when you're done!

Directions

1. To find the downloadable patterns and additional instructions click on the "GET PATTERNS" tab on JOANN Crafts website. You can also look at photos of a dreidel and estimate the shape, yourself!
2. Place the Perler beads on the pegboard following the instructions on the packaging. To make the square sides, create four 13 by 13 Perler bead squares for the nun, gimmel, hay, and shin sides. Remember, these patterns are reversed. The triangle base requires four 13-row Perler bead triangles. Finally, the top piece is one 15 by 15 Perler bead square for the top. Leave the center hole of the top piece empty. After ironing this panel, gently side a blue colored pencil through the center opening while the panel is still slightly warm. The pencil is the handle to spin your dreidel.
3. As you make each panel, you will need to iron them. Follow the instructions on the packaging of the Perler bead pegboards—including use of the ironing paper, length of time ironing, and safety. First, iron the reverse side. After each panel is well ironed on one side, turn it over, remove the pegboard, and briefly iron the other side. As you complete each panel, set it aside and place a book on top. This prevents warping as it cools.
4. Using a glue gun, assemble the nine Perler bead panels—starting first with the square sides, secondly, the four triangle pieces which form the spinning base, and lastly, the top 15 by 15 panel. Add an extra bead of glue to the inside seams to reinforce them before attaching the top piece.
   

Hanukkah Garland

This gorgeous garland is a beginner-level craft, so anyone can do it! Grab some blue and white fabric, pom-poms, and stars of David to put together this decorative Hanukkah craft, designed by the Crafted Content Team at Joann.

Directions

For the Garland Strand:

1. Cut or tear fabric into long two-inch-wide strips.
2. Use the binder clip to hold the ends of three fabric strips together, then start braiding. Make sure the braid is very tight.
3. When a fabric strip is within seven inches of the end, tuck a new fabric strip under the one ending and continue braiding tightly. Continue adding fabric and braid until you have seven feet of braided rope.
4. Knot the braid at the ends, and trim fabric ends to the same length.

For the Fabric Tassels:

1. Cut or tear the fabric into nine-inch wide by 18 inch long strips.
2. Fold rectangle in half to make a nine-inch by nine-inch square. Arrange the square so that the folded edge is on top.
3. Using scissors and a ruler, cut half-inch fringe across the square, stopping about three inches from the folded top edge.
4. On the final cut, cut all the way through the fold to make a half-inch by 18-inch rectangle.
5. Unfold the fabric.
6. With the wrong side up, roll the fabric up along the long edge.
7. Use the half-inch by 18-inch strip to tightly wrap the center section that is not fringed. Save a bit at the end to make a loop. Tuck or glue the fabric loop in place.

For the Pom-Poms:

1. Hold multiple colors of yarn together at once and use the pom-pom maker to make various sized pom-poms. If you do not have a pom-pom maker, you can cut short pieces of yarn, and wind around another piece of yarn to make a puffball. Fluff the cut pieces of yarn into a ball shape.
2. Leave strings from tying the center of the pom long to attach to the braided base.

For the Star of David Charms:

1. Roll out clay to be a quarter-inch thick. Use a plastic knife to cut around out Star of David patterns.
2. Roll out "snakes" of clay to use as embellishments onto solid stars, or trace the outline of a Star of David pattern with the "snakes" to create open stars. You can try twisting snakes of clay together for a braided effect or flattening them with a rolling pin.
3. Poke a hole through the top of the stars prior to baking.
4. Bake following the directions on the packaging.
5. Thread a piece of embroidery thread through each star, top with pony beads, and tie the thread in a loop.

For the Grand Assembly:

1. Slide on tassels, star charms, and pom-poms. If needed, add a dot of glue to keep elements in place.

Paper Star of David Garland

Another beginner-level craft, this garland, designed by the Crafted Content Team at Joann, brings the holiday cheer to your living room. Kids will love stringing little Stars of David onto spools of string and hanging them proudly for all to see. Grab some card stock and clear string and get crafting!

Directions

1. Find a star in a cut-out and solid shape and upload them into your Design Space.
2. Make different sizes of each star in your working file, ranging in size from one inch to four inches.
3. If you don't have a Cricut machine, you can simply cut out Star of David shapes in different cardstock using scissors. Be sure to vary the size!
4. Lay the stars face down on a table and place small dabs of glue on each star. Then, apply the clear string to the back of the star.
5. Place the stars about two to four inches apart on the clear string.
6. Make each garland strand as long as you desire.
7. Finish each strand with a star at the bottom!

Handprint Menorah

Even your very little ones will be able to join in on this craft from crafter and blogger Dmitry Mintz. Each child can make their own handprint menorah to add a personal touch to your family's Hanukkah celebrations.

Directions

1. Using a pencil, trace your child’s hands onto the blue paper with their thumbs overlapping.
2. Cut out the menorah shape made by their hands.
3. Glue the paper hands onto the middle or bottom of the white paper background.
4. Dip your child’s fingertip in orange paint, then have them dab it on the blue fingertips to make the candlelight at the top of each candle.

Paper Dreidel

Crafting has never been easier with this paper dreidel, created by Dmitry Mintz. All you need is Mr. Mintz's free dreidel template, some scissors, and glue! Each family member can choose from four bright colors to create a beautiful Chanukah dreidel all their own.

Directions

1. Download Mr. Mintz's free template.
2. Cut out the dreidel along the outside edge.
3. Poke a toothpick (or pencil) through the dotted circle to make a hole. Then remove it for now.
4. Fold along all the dotted lines.
5. Glue or tape the flaps down.
6. Push the toothpick back through the hole until the point sticks out on the bottom.

Paper Dreidel Garland

If you're looking for a quick and simple craft that doesn't require a ton of work, this dreidel garland is the one for you. Created by crafter and blogger Dmitry Mintz, all you need are some markers, string, and Mr. Mintz's free garland template. Let your creative flag fly by adding glitter, stickers and rhinestones to your dreidels, or keep it simple white classic blue and white markers.

Directions

1. Download and print out the template by Mr. Mintz. You can print as many dreidel templates as you want to make your garland longer.
2. Color and cut out all the dreidels.
3. Punch a hole in the top part of each dreidel.
4. Insert string into each hole to create a garland.
5. Hang your garland onto the wall and get ready to celebrate Hanukkah!