upcycled scrap hanukkiyah
Scraptastic or simply crap?
Here’s why I vote for the former:
Orange juice lids are the exactly perfect right size for tealight candles. I dare you to not enjoy slipping a candle into the inner ring of an upturned Tropicana lid. Irresistible. Kids love it. (Teach them the word “frisson” while you’re at it.)
I also couldn’t resist adding to the scrap-art inventory of Hanukkah menorahs made from free materials. Crafters and teachers are always looking for ways students can make menorahs that
1) actually work
2) are easy for a child to make
3) don’t cost much
4) aren’t hideous
5) offer reasonable odds of not catching the house on fire
This one has the added advantage of being equally at home with wax candles (for places that allow flame) and battery LED candles (for dorms, hospitals and retirement facilities).
from trash to pretty trash
DIY DETAILS
Lid: Orange Tropicana bottle lids and green Simply Juice lids are identical on the inside, and nearly identical on the outside.
Paint: I used spray paint, which may not be at the top of your list of materials to use with preschoolers, but brush-on acrylic is fine with a topcoat of sealer.
Base: Use candleholders without a base for a freeform menorah, or glue the lids to something at least as wide as themselves. A 1×3 board or a length of brick mold is just right.
_ _ _ _
MY OTHER DIY MENORAHS at BibleBeltBalabusta made of scrap or otherwise interesting materials:
Meatloaf menorah
Swim Noodle
Dinosaur figurine
Altoids tin
Altoids Smalls tin
Easter eggs and a ruler
PVC fittings
PVC pipe
Sockets (hardware)
Marmite jars
V-8 engine distributor cap
Turkey figurine
Solar turkey toy
Papier-mache roast turkey
LEGO minifigs (as flames)
LEGO for human-size celebrants
LEGO for minifigure-size celebrants
Oil menorahs
Bible Belt Balabusta 
Heck, it’s downright elegant!
Thanks, Joanna
Read the entire post. Great idea….makes me want to buy Tropicana. And I will. Thanks.
I love the little pattern on the lids. It reminds me of gothic arches. Especially with the way you’ve painted in that elegant silver.
My marmite hanukkiyah is almost ready. It just needs all the components gluing down securely. You will see that there is a slight variation on your own idea. That’s simply because firstly, I wanted to do my own thing rather than copy someone else’s idea. Secondly, I wanted to upcycle as many materials as possible rather than sending them to landfill. I’ll post a pic to you when it is ready along with my beer/wine bottle hanukkiyah. xx
Thanks, Nicola! Nice to hear from you, Marmite buddy. So looking forward to seeing your Marmite menorah, and your bottle version, too. You can post to the facebook page or email me. Best, Joanna.
Love it!!!
Thanks to you now I know why I collected those lids. 🙂 I’ve been collecting them for a few years now but it never occurred to me to check if the tealight candle fits into the lid’s opening. Genius!
Thank you for such a great idea. Will definitely make one!
Happy Hanukkah!!!
Tanya
You knew they’d come in handy, didn’t you? I’m glad you can justify the hoard now. Send a pic if you make a menorah!
Best,
Joanna
won’t the plastic melt if you use real candles?
With the wax tealight candles I’ve used, the wick stays put in the middle and the little foil container—the actual cup of the tealight— doesn’t seem to get hot enough to put the plastic holders in danger. (I wouldn’t use the plastic lids with naked candles, which would melt and spread.)