Forget drive-in movies, the 2020 holiday season is bringing us drive-in shul services! Synagogues across the globe are coming up with creative tactics to safely engage their congregations during the pandemic. Even so, many who have spent their entire lives having Sukkot meals at shul or with friends and family may find it impossible this year and for the first time, are taking the plunge and building their own sukkah.
A number of websites – like sukkah360.com – sell sturdy, easy-to-assemble metal frames as well as printed fabrics with various Israeli landscape images. They can even craft your family photos into a collage and print it to decorate your walls, making for an easy solution for those short on time.
For those looking to flex their creative skills and take the paper garlands we all made as children up a notch, we reached out to experts and asked them to share some of their favorite family-friendly Sukkot decorating ideas.
PAINTED SUKKAH WALL
“My main focus when decorating our family sukkah is to keep things easy, weather-resident, and inviting for the kids. For the back wall of our sukkah I used a purple and gold tapestry that looks like a galaxy. Wall tapestries come in all different sizes and styles and can add color and interest to your space. I cut holes along the top and sides of the tapestry and attached it to my sukkah using zip-ties,” says Marti Kerner, founder of the Everyday Jewish Mom website, which also features various Sukkot printables for anyone who wants to say the blessings.
“Another one of our walls is a project that we started last year. I bought a canvas drop cloth from a home improvement store. We invited friends over and all painted in our own spot on the canvas. In order to keep this homemade touch from making my sukkah look messy, we only used acrylic paint in colors that matched the other decorations I was using in the sukkah. That way the kids could use whatever paint they wanted and it still would look like it was meant to be there. We left room on the canvas so that we can add to it year after year,” says Kerner.
FABRIC GARLAND
“This year we created a fabric garland for our sukkah. I love that this craft involves reusing materials you have around the house or scraps of fabric that would have otherwise been tossed in the trash. For this all you need is some rope and strips of fabric. I used some clothing that the kids had grown out of, extra fabric from a mermaid costume I’d made, and strips of scrap fabric that I’d purchased from an online retailer. To put it together, make a loop with your piece of fabric, wrap it around the rope, and pull the ends through the loop. I stuck to colors that coordinate with my sukkah design. You could put them on in a pattern, but I like the random homemade vibe,” says Kerner.
HARVEST DECOR
“I like to decorate the sukkah with an autumn theme and harvest decor. Autumn decor is out in full force, so decorations are easy to find at your local craft store. Decorating the walls and the roof adds to the ambiance. Sukkot is a harvest holiday, so I am mindful to include fall fruit like pumpkins and pomegranates. I also get pinecones and tie them around the walls of the sukkah with floral wire. String lights enhance the sukkah and bring a sense of calm to nighttime dining. The table should reflect nature. I use pumpkin-colored napkins with olive branch napkin rings and wood slice serving platters. For those who don’t have a sukkah, I recommend decorating the interior of the house with fall fruit or anything that ushers in the autumn season. Mini pumpkins, pomegranates, apples, mixed nuts in shells, and fall leaves – anything that brings nature’s harvest indoors,” says Ilana Shapiro, president of Temple Sinai Las Vegas.
STAINED GLASS VASES/CANDLEHOLDERS
“I love this project because it’s a colorful addition to your Sukkot table,” says Amy Kritzer Becker, owner of Jewish gift and Judaica e-commerce site ModernTribe.
What you need:
• Various sized glass vases or mason jars
• Colorful tissue paper cut into squares
• Paintbrush
• Mod Podge
1. Cut out the tissue paper into small squares. Use colors to match your theme.
2. Cover the outside of the jar or vase except for the rim/top with Mod Podge.
3. Place squares carefully onto the jar. A random pattern makes it look more like stained glass, or you can create a pattern. Make sure to cover all of the glass. It’s okay if some of the tissue is not touching the glass, we will secure it in the next step. Cover the rim with Mod Podge and tissue paper last.
4. Apply another coat of Mod Podge over the whole vase and let dry.
5. Use as a vase with flowers or greenery or fill with battery-powered tea lights for a colorful glow.
GIANT TASSELS
“I made quite a few of these, and together with some decorative red apples on vines, they ended up decorating an entire wall! Of course, that wall is also covered with some very ethnic Moroccan metal frames, and the tassels fit right in,” says Sara Rivka Dahan, founder of the website Creative Jewish Mom What you need:
•Yarn, thick or thin, whatever you happen to have
•Large coffee table-sized book
•Scissor
1. Wrap yarn around the height of a large coffee table book until it is about 2.5 cm. wide and about 1.5 cm. high.
2. Slip a piece of yarn under the middle of the clump and tie a double knot before removing hank from book.
3. Remove hank from book, fold in half (so that the piece you used to tie the hank becomes the hanger for the tassel)
4. Now tie a piece of yarn in a contrasting color around the neck of the tassel and wind it around at least four or more times. Tie off. A tassel is born!
PLASTIC BOTTLE APPLE
This simple project from Creative Jewish Mom is great for all of the fall holidays to decorate, give as a gift, or to place inside your sukkah on the table. You can fill the apples with anything you like – Klik chocolate snacks fit particularly well.
What you need:
•Plastic soda bottles with bottoms that look like apples, mine are seltzer bottles
•Pieces of real sticks
•Red fabric or red tissue paper
•Green felt in two shades of green
•Ribbon
•A hole puncher
•A hot glue gun
1. Cut the bottoms off of two plastic bottles using a sharp knife to make the first cut and then scissors. Trim bottles to desired height.
2. Cut a piece of stick to about 4 cm., and using hot glue affix to top of apple
3. Using a heavy-duty hole punch, punch corresponding holes in both top and bottom at the front and back of apple. The back set of holes will be used to make a hinge, while the front set of holes is tied with a bow for opening the apple. You can choose to make your closures with either four holes or two holes.
4. Wrap your gift or treats in fabric or paper, and place inside, or alternatively, glue fabric loosely to the inside of your apple, and insert gift, which will result in a more re-usable container!
5. Tie apple closed with ribbon, and make leaves from felt and glue to stem with a hot glue gun.
STYROFOAM APPLES DECOUPAGED WITH FABRIC STRIPES
“Choose a selection of lightweight quilting fabrics that you love and have fun bringing colors and patterns that you wouldn’t dare use on something more permanent,” says Dahan.
What you need:
• Quilting fabric, or any very lightweight cotton fabric
• Fabric stiffener
• Styrofoam apples
• Sticks to make the stems
1. Cut fabric into 1.5 cm. strips that are long enough to go around the entire vertical circumference of the apple. Dip fabric into fabric stiffener, run the strips between pointer and thumb to remove as much of the stiffener as possible and apply to apple by starting at the underside of the apple, and running the strip up the side of the apple, over the top, and down the other side. One can do this with shorter strips, but you’ll get a much cleaner look by hiding the ends on the underside. Continue to apply strips until apple is covered, and set aside to dry.
2. Once apple is dry, make a hole in the top for the stem. Dip end of stem into some glue, and insert into hole.
3. Enjoy displaying your apples in the sukkah or make a bunch as place card holders/party favors!
THE EDIBLE SUKKAH
“As easy as it is delicious! All you’ll need is some graham crackers for walls, pretzel sticks for the roof, your favorite colorful cereal for decoration and some icing to stick it all together! A sweet, hands-on yummy project for all ages,” says Rebecca Schoffer, 92Y Director of Family Engagement.
PEST-DETERRING CENTERPIECES
“A great idea for functional decor is creating pest-deterring centerpieces. Lemongrass and citronella are known to be disliked by mosquitoes. Place some leaves in a glass jar, fill with water and a floating candle and you have yourself a beautiful and functional centerpiece! There are also beautiful citronella candles available for purchase. Be sure that all flammable decorations are secured and at a safe distance from the candles,” says interior designer Tamar Harow. Sukkot goes glitzy
Experts share their fave family projects for fun DIY decorating
• SHARON FEIEREISEN
Forget drive-in movies, the 2020 holiday season is bringing us drive-in shul services! Synagogues across the globe are coming up with creative tactics to safely engage their congregations during the pandemic. Even so, many who have spent their entire lives having Sukkot meals at shul or with friends and family may find it impossible this year and for the first time, are taking the plunge and building their own sukkah.
A number of websites – like sukkah360.com – sell sturdy, easy-to-assemble metal frames as well as printed fabrics with various Israeli landscape images. They can even craft your family photos into a collage and print it to decorate your walls, making for an easy solution for those short on time.
For those looking to flex their creative skills and take the paper garlands we all made as children up a notch, we reached out to experts and asked them to share some of their favorite family-friendly Sukkot decorating ideas.
PAINTED SUKKAH WALL
“My main focus when decorating our family sukkah is to keep things easy, weather-resident, and inviting for the kids. For the back wall of our sukkah I used a purple and gold tapestry that looks like a galaxy. Wall tapestries come in all different sizes and styles and can add color and interest to your space. I cut holes along the top and sides of the tapestry and attached it to my sukkah using zip-ties,” says Marti Kerner, founder of the Everyday Jewish Mom website, which also features various Sukkot printables for anyone who wants to say the blessings.
“Another one of our walls is a project that we started last year. I bought a canvas drop cloth from a home improvement store. We invited friends over and all painted in our own spot on the canvas. In order to keep this homemade touch from making my sukkah look messy, we only used acrylic paint in colors that matched the other decorations I was using in the sukkah. That way the kids could use whatever paint they wanted and it still would look like it was meant to be there. We left room on the canvas so that we can add to it year after year,” says Kerner.
FABRIC GARLAND
“This year we created a fabric garland for our sukkah. I love that this craft involves reusing materials you have around the house or scraps of fabric that would have otherwise been tossed in the trash. For this all you need is some rope and strips of fabric. I used some clothing that the kids had grown out of, extra fabric from a mermaid costume I’d made, and strips of scrap fabric that I’d purchased from an online retailer. To put it together, make a loop with your piece of fabric, wrap it around the rope, and pull the ends through the loop. I stuck to colors that coordinate with my sukkah design. You could put them on in a pattern, but I like the random homemade vibe,” says Kerner.
HARVEST DECOR
“I like to decorate the sukkah with an autumn theme and harvest decor. Autumn decor is out in full force, so decorations are easy to find at your local craft store. Decorating the walls and the roof adds to the ambiance. Sukkot is a harvest holiday, so I am mindful to include fall fruit like pumpkins and pomegranates. I also get pinecones and tie them around the walls of the sukkah with floral wire. String lights enhance the sukkah and bring a sense of calm to nighttime dining. The table should reflect nature. I use pumpkin-colored napkins with olive branch napkin rings and wood slice serving platters. For those who don’t have a sukkah, I recommend decorating the interior of the house with fall fruit or anything that ushers in the autumn season. Mini pumpkins, pomegranates, apples, mixed nuts in shells, and fall leaves – anything that brings nature’s harvest indoors,” says Ilana Shapiro, president of Temple Sinai Las Vegas.
STAINED GLASS VASES/CANDLEHOLDERS
“I love this project because it’s a colorful addition to your Sukkot table,” says Amy Kritzer Becker, owner of Jewish gift and Judaica e-commerce site ModernTribe.
What you need:
• Various sized glass vases or mason jars
• Colorful tissue paper cut into squares
• Paintbrush
• Mod Podge
1. Cut out the tissue paper into small squares. Use colors to match your theme.
2. Cover the outside of the jar or vase except for the rim/top with Mod Podge.
3. Place squares carefully onto the jar. A random pattern makes it look more like stained glass, or you can create a pattern. Make sure to cover all of the glass. It’s okay if some of the tissue is not touching the glass, we will secure it in the next step. Cover the rim with Mod Podge and tissue paper last.
4. Apply another coat of Mod Podge over the whole vase and let dry.
5. Use as a vase with flowers or greenery or fill with battery-powered tea lights for a colorful glow.
GIANT TASSELS
“I made quite a few of these, and together with some decorative red apples on vines, they ended up decorating an entire wall! Of course, that wall is also covered with some very ethnic Moroccan metal frames, and the tassels fit right in,” says Sara Rivka Dahan, founder of the website Creative Jewish Mom What you need:
•Yarn, thick or thin, whatever you happen to have
•Large coffee table-sized book
•Scissor
1. Wrap yarn around the height of a large coffee table book until it is about 2.5 cm. wide and about 1.5 cm. high.
2. Slip a piece of yarn under the middle of the clump and tie a double knot before removing hank from book.
3. Remove hank from book, fold in half (so that the piece you used to tie the hank becomes the hanger for the tassel)
4. Now tie a piece of yarn in a contrasting color around the neck of the tassel and wind it around at least four or more times. Tie off. A tassel is born!
PLASTIC BOTTLE APPLE
This simple project from Creative Jewish Mom is great for all of the fall holidays to decorate, give as a gift, or to place inside your sukkah on the table. You can fill the apples with anything you like – Klik chocolate snacks fit particularly well.
What you need:
•Plastic soda bottles with bottoms that look like apples, mine are seltzer bottles
•Pieces of real sticks
•Red fabric or red tissue paper
•Green felt in two shades of green
•Ribbon
•A hole puncher
•A hot glue gun
1. Cut the bottoms off of two plastic bottles using a sharp knife to make the first cut and then scissors. Trim bottles to desired height.
2. Cut a piece of stick to about 4 cm., and using hot glue affix to top of apple
3. Using a heavy-duty hole punch, punch corresponding holes in both top and bottom at the front and back of apple. The back set of holes will be used to make a hinge, while the front set of holes is tied with a bow for opening the apple. You can choose to make your closures with either four holes or two holes.
4. Wrap your gift or treats in fabric or paper, and place inside, or alternatively, glue fabric loosely to the inside of your apple, and insert gift, which will result in a more re-usable container!
5. Tie apple closed with ribbon, and make leaves from felt and glue to stem with a hot glue gun.
STYROFOAM APPLES DECOUPAGED WITH FABRIC STRIPES
“Choose a selection of lightweight quilting fabrics that you love and have fun bringing colors and patterns that you wouldn’t dare use on something more permanent,” says Dahan.
What you need:
• Quilting fabric, or any very lightweight cotton fabric
• Fabric stiffener
• Styrofoam apples
• Sticks to make the stems
1. Cut fabric into 1.5 cm. strips that are long enough to go around the entire vertical circumference of the apple. Dip fabric into fabric stiffener, run the strips between pointer and thumb to remove as much of the stiffener as possible and apply to apple by starting at the underside of the apple, and running the strip up the side of the apple, over the top, and down the other side. One can do this with shorter strips, but you’ll get a much cleaner look by hiding the ends on the underside. Continue to apply strips until apple is covered, and set aside to dry.
2. Once apple is dry, make a hole in the top for the stem. Dip end of stem into some glue, and insert into hole.
3. Enjoy displaying your apples in the sukkah or make a bunch as place card holders/party favors!
THE EDIBLE SUKKAH
“As easy as it is delicious! All you’ll need is some graham crackers for walls, pretzel sticks for the roof, your favorite colorful cereal for decoration and some icing to stick it all together! A sweet, hands-on yummy project for all ages,” says Rebecca Schoffer, 92Y Director of Family Engagement.
PEST-DETERRING CENTERPIECES
“A great idea for functional decor is creating pest-deterring centerpieces. Lemongrass and citronella are known to be disliked by mosquitoes. Place some leaves in a glass jar, fill with water and a floating candle and you have yourself a beautiful and functional centerpiece! There are also beautiful citronella candles available for purchase. Be sure that all flammable decorations are secured and at a safe distance from the candles,” says interior designer Tamar Harow.