A menorah is the heart of Hanukkah, and a paper one gives a child their own to light. Print a menorah with nine candles, color it, cut out the flames, and each night of Hanukkah glue on one more flame and the shamash’s, starting from the candle on the far right, until all nine burn on the eighth night. The template above prints every candle with its night and its date, and a second page of flames.
What you need
- The template, printed at 100 % (actual size) and landscape: the menorah on the first page, the flames on the second.
- Crayons or markers to color the menorah and the candles.
- Scissors and a glue stick, or reusable adhesive for flames that come off again.
- An envelope taped to the back for the flames still to come.
How to make it
- Color the menorah first. The base, the stem and the cups print in gold and the candles in blue and white, or all as outlines to color in. Coloring before anything is cut keeps the page flat.
- Cut out the flames. Twelve flames print on the second page, the shamash’s taller than the rest, each with a grey strip under it. Cut along the outline and keep the strip.
- Hang it up. A window is the traditional place for a menorah, where it can be seen from outside; a door or the fridge works as well.
- The first night: glue the shamash’s flame on the raised candle in the middle, and night 1’s flame on the candle on the far right.
- Each night after: glue one more flame on the next candle to the left. The candle’s night and date are printed under it, so there is no counting.
- The eighth night: all nine burn.
The order of the candles
The candles go into the menorah from right to left, one more each night, and are lit from left to right, so the newest candle is always lit first, by the shamash. On the template the nights are printed in that order: night 1 under the far right candle, night 8 under the far left, the shamash raised in the middle with no number. In 2026 the first and the eighth night both fall on a Friday, when the candles are lit before Shabbat begins.
One for every child
Type each child’s name and every child gets a menorah of their own, with the name in its title and their own flames to keep in their envelope. For the evenings in between, the paper dreidel prints a dreidel for every child with the rules and a gelt score sheet, and the guide How to make a paper dreidel and play the dreidel game folds it step by step.
Questions
Which side does the first Hanukkah candle go on?
On the far right as you face the menorah. Each night one more candle goes in to the left of the last, and the candles are lit from left to right, so the newest candle is lit first. The paper template prints every candle's night number in that order, so a child only has to find tonight's.
What is the shamash?
The helper candle that lights the others. It stands apart from the eight, usually raised in the middle as on the template, and it is lit every night, so on the first night two flames burn: the shamash and the first candle.
How many candles do you need for Hanukkah?
44 for the eight nights: two on the first night (one candle and the shamash), three on the second and so on to nine on the eighth, which adds up to 44. A standard box of Hanukkah candles holds exactly that.
How do I keep the paper flames on?
Each printed flame has a grey strip under it. Fold the strip back and glue it behind the top of the candle, or use a dot of reusable adhesive if you want to take the flames off and start again next year.
When is Hanukkah 2026?
The first candle is lit at sundown on Friday 4 December 2026 and the eighth on Friday 11 December; Hanukkah ends at nightfall on Saturday 12 December. In 2027 it begins at sundown on Friday 24 December. The dates come from Hebcal.