Make a Recycled Cardboard Menorah this Hanukkah!

Cardboard is one of my favorite craft materials, especially in the form of a tube! I came up with the idea for this menorah as a kid, I thought it would be fun to have something to put our gifts around. A few years ago I (finally) made it, for our book, Paper Goods Projects! A sturdy tube like the kind found inside a roll of aluminum foil or wrapping paper is ideal for this project, though a paper towel tube works fine too! ps- I have a new e-book dedicated to tube crafts, Toilet Tube Treasury!

SUPPLIES
- pencil
- 1 skinny cardboard tube (see above), about 12" long
- ruler
- craft knife
- 1 toilet tune or paper towel tube cut down to 4"
- scissors
- 5 straws
- white glue
- one corrugated cardboard scrap cut into a 3” circle
- silver paint
- paintbrush
- 9 yellow spice drops (or yellow tissue or construction paper)

1. Mark the center dot on the long cardboard tube. Measure and mark four evenly spaced dots on either side of the center (they should be around 1¼" apart).

2. Carefully poke the tip of the craft knife into the tube at one of the dots, and cut out a small starter hole, spinning the knife around to enlarge the hole. Put a straw into the hole to see if the size is right. The fit should be a bit snug. Repeat with the remaining dots.

3. Hold one end of the long tube to the top side of the 4" tube, and trace a semicircle to make a spot where the long tube can rest. Cut out the semicircle, and use the scrap as a template to mark and cut a semicircle directly on the other side. To make “flames,” poke the straws into the flat bottom of yellow spice drops (or glue cut paper flames to the tops).

4. Glue the uncut side of the short tube to the center of the cardboard disc to make the base. Let dry.

5. Glue the long tube onto the base, centered. Let dry.

6. Paint the menorah silver.

7. Cut 4 straws in half and one down to 6" to make “candles.”

8. Have your child add a straw candle each night of Hanukkah.

Happy Hanukkah! x