Hanukkah Crafts for Kids: Tree Branch Menorah

A tree branch menorah provides a fantastic example of Hanukkah crafts for kids of all ages. The level of detail and sophistication for the tree branch menorah will depend on the ages of the children who are involved in Hanukkah crafts in your household.

Tree Branch Menorah: Choosing the Branch

Hanukkah ree branch menorah construction may prove to be so simple, we may find that the majority of our invested time is in selecting and preparing the tree branch.

One Hanukkah crafts option is so select a fairly thick (1 to 2 inches) tree branch for our menorah, and then place the nine candle holders and candles all along the trunk. Another option for our tree branch menorah is to find a branch that is home to several limbs, and then to place the candle holders and the candles along the limbs. We need not feel concerned with duplicating the look of a gold or brass candelabrum, but we still should incorporate one larger candle as the highlight "Shamash" candle that is used to light the remaining eight Hanukkah candles.

We can keep the tree branch in a round shape, and find a pair of holders for end-to-end placement of our round log. Or, we can get out our saws and flatten one side or both sides, so that our Hanukkah tree branch menorah will hold its own on a flat surface. A third choice is to find a tree branch that slopes slightly upward (toward the heavens), and then use finishing nails with wide heads for stability.

Perhaps we perceive at first that keeping the bark will provide a more natural looking tree branch menorah. The problem is that with time, the bark may dry and detach itself from the wood. Therefore, our best course is to remove the bark and to sand the wood surface. Spray painting is an option, with silver as the most popular color choice.

Tree Branch Menorah: Placing the Candle Holders

One method of creating candle holders for our Hanukkah tree branch menorah is to pound nails into the bottom and up through the branch, and then to simply shove our wax candles onto the tips of the nails.

Another method is for an adult to drill holes that are precise sizes to hold the candles.

A third approach is to simply go to the store and purchase nine candle clips, and nine appropriate size candles.

Tree Branch Menorah: Highlighter

Placement of tin foil or aluminum foil behind our Hanukkah tree branch menorah will cause a highlighter effect while our candles are burning. The easiest method is to tape the foil to a piece of foil, or to a thin gift box.

SOURCES

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/hanukkahmenorah/a/menorahbranch.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_5545932_make-unique-hanukkah-crafts.html

http://www.minnmoms.com/crafts/ci_11270639