Egg Carton Menorah

What You Need:

• Egg carton (for a dozen eggs)
• Scissors
• Paint (blue, silver or white)
• Play dough or other tacky substance
• Nine small (preferrably blue) light bulbs

What You Do:

1. Cut the egg carton lengthwise in half.
2. Staple the two pieces together so that it forms one long line of twelve, with the cups facing down.
3. Cut off three of the egg cups, leaving nine. This is now the base of your menorah.
4. Using the play dough, adhere one of the discarded egg cups upside down on the middle cup, forming a U-shape in the center. This will be for your shamash.
5. Paint the base any color you wish, but keep in mind the traditional colors of Hanukkah – blue, white and silver. Be creative – use glitter, stickers or any other shiny craft supplies you have in the house to brighten the base of your menorah.
6. When the paint dries, carefully place a light bulb on each egg carton cup, using the play dough, so that the light bulbs resemble a candle. If they are wobbling, or your egg carton isn’t exactly flat on the bottom, have a grown-up try pushing the tapered part of the light bulb through the egg carton with some play dough to help stabilize it.
7. Be sure to place your menorah under a light so that it is illuminated.

Other ideas to use as “candles” are cotton swabs dipped in yellow paint and then pressed through the egg carton to look like candles. Popscicle sticks, painted or colored to look like candles, with tissue paper flames glued to the top. Or, you can even use real birthday candles, as long as a grown-up supervises and you use a strong adhesive to keep them in place on the carton.