DIY Plastic Dinosaur Menorah Tutorial

(Last Updated On: December 5, 2019)

You know what would make your Hanukkah really rock the ages? A Menorahsaurus Dinosaur Menorah. We’re going to show you how to whip one up. Think of it as an even more ancient twist on an ancient holiday.

I’m always amazed that there aren’t more awesome menorah tutorials out there. If ever there was an object ripe for the crafting, it’s the humble menorah. The menorah is like the Christmas Wreath of the Jewish world.

My kids have made diy menorahs at school every year and I cherish them, I really do. But there’s only so many toilet paper tube menorahs you can get excited about crafting. Metal nuts on an overstock tile? Been there. We can do better, my friends. We can RAWK this menorah thing. We can make our presence known on Pinterest.

Let’s do this. I think the Maccabees would approve of this Jurassic Dinosaur Menorah.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. The price you pay remains the same but this site receives a small portion of the proceeds if you click through to buy these items. Items are the same or similar to the items I used to make this menorah. 

Materials to make a Menorahsaurus T-rex Dinosaur Menorah:

• 9 Plastic Dinosaurs (Would also work with other animals OR try this with one Large Dinosaur)
• 9 Plastic Candle Holders (the kind you stick in a cake – ours hold two sizes of candles, including traditional hanukkah ones)
• Piece of scrap wood or hobby wood for the base
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Silver spray paint
• A drill

How to Prep the Dinos for your Menorahsaurus Dinosaur Menorah

Drill Holes in your dinosaurs so you can stick in the candleholders. This was a job for my husband and his trusty drill press. Is it overkill to use a massive drill press to drill tiny holes in plastic dinosaurs? Possibly. But using his drill press makes my man happy, and who am I to interfere?

Try to keep the holes centered and straight. Crooked candles are a real bummer and make a big mess.

Happy husbands using big powertools to make a Dinosaur Menorah = marital craft harmony

Now it’s time to secure the candle holders. Use a hot glue gun to glue the candle holders into the dinosaurs. You might want to stick a candle in the holder before you shove it in, to ensure it is glued in straight. Be careful with the hot glue! No burns allowed…

Once the candle holders are all glued in, it’s time to give the plastic dinosaurs a fresh coat of paint.

Painting the Dinosaur Menorah Silver

I like the clean modern look of silver paint, but this dinosaur could have been any color.

We created a little spray-tanning dino booth for our little friends from an ikea container on its side. You want to go easy on this step and make sure not to rush the process. Yep, this is a process….

The key is several light coats from multiple angles. Be patient. Don’t forget to paint the wooden base at the same time.

I love how these look all painted up. The paint settles into the crevices and you can see all the detail. Let these dry for at least a day before handling.

The Final Step Before Your T-Rex Menorah Reveal

Get out your glue gun again and glue your Dinos onto your scrap wood. Ta da!  you have yourself a menorah!

A word about USING this lovely Dino Menorah creation:

Technically, the dinosaur menorah isn’t kosher. Not because dinosaurs aren’t kosher (they aren’t…) but because the candles are not all the same height in a straight line. You can decide how important that is to you. There’s nothing wrong with a purely decorative novelty menorah – you just might not choose to say the Hanukkah Blessings over it.

Is this menorah functional? Well sure. But there are a few things to consider before you fire it up. It’s not going to be easy to clean this so if you want it to stay pristine, fashion some kind of protection with aluminum foil. I happen to think it might look even cooler covered with melted wax. Since it cost under ten bucks to make, and took so little time, I might go for it.

Regardless I would not leave it unattended and would blow out the candles before they got down to the end. Why take chances?

Happy Hanukkah and stay tuned for several more Menorahs, including a few crafted from glow sticks so your kids can keep them in their rooms and your house won’t be reduced to ashes.