During Chanukah, we light up a candleholder with nine candles, a chanukiyah, lighting the helper candle first, then adding a light every night of the eight-day festival. Most Jewish households have at least one chanukiyah that they use every year but, this year, why not add a new one – one you’ve made yourself!
Chanukiyot (the plural of chanukiyah) can be various shapes. This holiday, Curly Orli and I offer our young friends a chanukiyah they can create for their family – a special chanukiyah in the shape of a train. For this project, you may use Plasticine, Play-Doh or, even better, make your own playdough at home. Pick your favorite colors to make your chanukiyah, as a colorful train will look very festive.
For this art project, you will also need a toothpick or a small plastic knife. Now that you’re ready, just follow the instructions below.
1. If you look closely, you will notice that many objects around us have geometrical shapes: squares, circles, triangles, etc. These shapes will all be used to make our train!
2-3. First, let’s make the locomotive. We will make it from orange Plasticine in the shape of a square. Then we will make additional pieces and attach them to the locomotive.
4. Now we will make three colorful train carts: one that’s narrow and blue; two that are wider, one yellow and one green. (Of course, you can make them any color you want!) Then we add colorful roofs to each of our carts. Once this is finished, we connect the carts using strips of black Plasticine.
5-6. What kind of train does not have wheels? For our train, we will make six colorful ones out of circles with a black line around each. The wheels for the locomotive will be the biggest.
7. Now, let’s add windows to every cart.
8. On the roof of the train, we will add small yellow candleholders.
9.Then we will roll Plasticine in our hands, make and attach nine colorful candles. If you want, you may add small pieces of yellow Plasticine for the “flames.” And, instead of putting all the candles and flames in at once, you can set them aside, adding one for each night of Chanukah!
10. Now we just need to put our wonderful train on the tracks.
Happy Chanukah to all our readers! We wish you happiness and new Plasticine adventures.
*Special for Jewish Independent.
