Craft Corner: Create A Kid-Friendly Menorah Window Cling

For kids young and old, there’s something magical about lighting the menorah. Everybody wants to participate, but an open flame and active preschoolers aren’t always the best combination.

If you want to minimize the possibility of a three-year-old tantrum, consider making a window cling menorah. With supplies that you likely have at home, young kids can “light” their own menorah every night when the grownups do, and really feel like they’re playing an active role in the fun.

The process is simple. Gather up a bottle of white glue, dish soap, food coloring (gel or liquid), a plastic paper protector, paint brushes, and a menorah printout from the web.

If you’re feeling super crafty, you can freehand an original menorah. We opted to go with this one.

Mix together 2 tablespoons of glue, a few drops of dish soap (eyeball it), and your food coloring.

Place the menorah print inside a paper protector, and then with a craft brush, paint the image on the plastic. Be sure to use a generous amount of the glue mixture – at least two or three coats. If the dried image is too thin, it will break when you’re lifting it off the plastic (we speak from experience).

The menorah and candles should dry as one piece, so if you decide to go with multiple colors, be sure the glue mixtures overlap. The flames, on the other hand, should not touch the candles. We want these pieces to come off individually so that kids can light their menorah candles each night.

Let your kid-friendly menorah dry overnight, and then carefully peel the image off the plastic. If the cling comes out a little dry (which one of ours did), just spritz a bit of water on the back, and you’ll be good to go.

That’s all there is to it. Wishing our city kids (and their families) a happy and festive Hanukkah!

Have a fun and easy craft project to share? Email editor@bklyner.com with the details.