Menorah Backdrop for Hanukkah
If you're Jewish and have a preschoolers, I'll bet your closet contains a felt menorah, wood-plank menorah, tissue box menorah … what I'm saying is you really don't need another handcrafter menorah, no matter how lovingly created. But you little Maccabee to work making a menorah backdrop instead, using foil to create a punched tin effect. I did a similar one as a kid, and my mo still shows it off at each Hanukkah.
You'll need:
- Ruler, pencil
- Havy corrugated cardboard (use old boxes), enough for three squares large enough to stand taller than your menroah candles (we used 12-inch squares).
- Utility knife
- Duct tape, scissors
- Alumninum foil (use 18-inch if your squares are larger than 11 inches)
- Clear tape
Instructions
- Measure and mark the three squares on the cardboard. On two of the squares, draw a line starting halfway up the left edge to the upper right corner to form the side pieces (as seen in picture). Use a utility knife on a safe cutting board to cut out all three pieces.
- Join the cardboard piece together with duct tape on front and back, leaving a ¼-inch space between the pieces so the tape forms a seal that bends.
- Cut a sheet of foil the length of the backdrop plus a few extra inches on each end. Fold foil around the cardboard, shiny side out and tape on the back with clear tape, like you're wrapping a present.
- Use a pencil to poke designs through the foil and cardboard (lift tip straight up to avoid rips). If you want to make a certain shape or write a name, lightly sketch it with a pencil first. Don't poke too close to the edges or the tape seams.
- Set up the backdrop in triptych form so that it stands by itself. When you light the menorah, it will reflect the candle glow. Happy Hanukkah!
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