Kids' craft: Dreidel origami

During the eight-day-long Hanukkah celebration, Jewish children like to play a game with a spinning top, called a dreidel. Its four sides are decorated with Hebrew letters.

You can make origami dreidel decorations from paper squares. They can be hung around the home or school, or made into gifts of necklaces for members of your family and friends.

You need:

A paper square

Instructions:

For diagrams click here.

Note: If paper is colored on only one side, begin with the white side facing up.

1a. Fold the square in half
1b. Unfold it.

2. Fold two corners to the crease you just made.

3. Fold both sides to the middle crease.

4. Fold the top edge to the bottom corner.

5. Fold the paper up again, making a pleat.

6a. Fold the corners in, as shown.
6b. Unfold them.

7. Fold the outside edges to the middle. As you do this, let the small triangles spread open on the creases made in Step 6. See the next drawing. Sharpen all creases.

8. Turn the paper over.

9. Completed Dreidel

The Hebrew Letters

The four Hebrew letters shown on the four dreidels in the garland are: nun, gimmel, heh, and shin. They represent the words nes godal haya sham, which translates into “A great miracle happened there." This refers to the story of the Maccabees, which is celebrated on Hanukkah.