Upcycled Hannukah Craft: Tin Can Luminaries

The secret to a fabulous Hanukkah may be hiding at the bottom of your recycling bin. These gorgeous luminaries celebrate the Festival of Lights without breaking the bank, and can be customized to suit your holiday style. Hammered tin cans create a rustic, and eye-catching light display, perfect for just about any nighttime celebration. Kids can get in on the holiday fun as well with a little bit of adult guidance, and will enjoy making their very own personalized candle holder to celebrate the Hanukkah season.

Chances are you already have most of the supplies for this festive craft at home, but if not, your local hardware store is sure to provide! Feel free to get as creative as you’d like when planning out the designs for your Hanukkah luminaries—Hebrew characters are great place to start, or tap guests names into the cans for instant glowing placeholders. No matter what deigns you chose, your party table is sure to be ablaze with holiday spirit and handmade charm.

To add color to your crafts, check out this luminary tutorial and pay close attention to the spray paint how-to piece!

Supplies:

Tin cans, labels removed and washed

Nail

Hammer

Paper and pencil, to plan design

Tape

Votive candles

Directions:

Step 1: Once you have settled on a design, draw it onto a small sheet of paper. Fit the paper to your can and secure with tape.

Step 2: Using your drawing as a guide, begin tapping holes into the can using the hammer and a nail. For thinner cans you may be able to drag the nail once you have hammered it in to create a more carved look that lets a lot of light through. 

Step 3: For thicker cans, or a more traditional luminary look, follow along the lines of the drawing with evenly spaced holes. The effect is stunning and will create dazzling patterns on ceilings, walls and floors!