Homemade Menorah
This simple homemade menorah is a perfect way to include children in the holiday events. Plus, it makes a beautiful decoration for your dining room table or windowsill. Do the cutting yourself, and involve the kids in the rolling of the dough and in its decoration.
What You’ll Need
- Self-hardening clay (approximately 1 ½ lbs.)
- Ruler
- Butter knife
- Hanukkah candles
- Sheet of sturdy cardboard
- Paintbrushes
- Acrylic paint in a variety of colors
Using a clean surface, roll the clay into a long cylinder with a diameter of just over an inch. Measure the cylinder, marking off 10 even lengths of approximately 1 ½ inches each. Cut eight of these lengths, leaving the last two uncut (you will use these later to make the taller shammash). If cylinders flatten when cut, carefully reshape them. Use a Hannukah candle to make a hole in one end of each cylinder, deep enough to hold a lighted candle. Again, carefully reshape as necessary.
Line up the cylinders side by side on the cardboard base, with the one for the shammash in the center. Carefully press the sides of the cylinder together; apply water to make stick. You can decorate your menorah with thin coils of clay entwined along the bottom or sides. You can also add star shapes. To help the decorations adhere to the menorah, brush both surfaces with water prior to attaching. After letting the menorah dry for two to three days, paint using festive colors.
Source: familycrafts.about.com
