Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, starts at sundown on Dec. 21, but our colleague Jessica Yadegaran, who writes the Corkheads wine blog, has been on a mission to find new DIY ideas for menorahs. So she went to the queens of DIY and recycled crafts, the editors of Berkeley’s Ready Made magazine – that’s Editor-In-Chief Shoshana Berger above, placing the final candle on a homemade menorah made from a fallen tree branch. Read on for instructions for making your own kid-friendly menorah out of baby food jars (!). There’s more at that link, including menorahs out of wine bottles and the branch pictured above, but first we’re dying to know: have you made your own menorah before? What did you use?

Baby Menorah
What you’ll need:
One small condiment or imported soda bottle
Eight baby food jars
An awl
Cotton wick
Clear lamp oil
Frosted glass spray (optional)

Step by step:
1. Punch a small hole in the center of each lid using a sharp awl. Spray bottles with frosted glass spray to give them a foggy look.

2. Cut a 3- or 4-inch piece of cotton wick and pull it through the hole, leaving about ¼-inch exposed to the air.

3. Pour 1 inch of clear lamp oil into the jar, then fasten the lid tightly.

4. Strike up your little lanterns.