DIY Pumpkin Candleholders for Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles Sukkah Decoration Craft)

Here's an easy craft to make to decorate for the Feast of Tabernacles or to spread Sukkot joy to a loved one...DIY pumpkin candleholders! They make for great sukkah decorations, or decor for your home, and they can also be a simple hostess gift during the fall Biblical holiday season.

They are easy to make, and kids can help to decorate them however they'd like. I wrote a simple 'Happy Sukkot' on the one in the picture, but of course you could use other Feast of Tabernacles greetings or Bible verses. You could also paint the pumpkins or decorate them with stickers if you're inclined. Here's how to make them. They really are very simple and can be done quickly!

You will need:
Mini pumpkin
Tea candle
Pen
Knife
Spoon
Marker

Break off as much of the stem as you can. This will make it easier to trace. Place a tea candle on top of the pumpkin, roughly in the middle. Trace around this with your pen (it doesn't have to be exact - but it will give you an idea of where to cut). Then carefully cut around this circle, and remove the pumpkin skin so that you're left with a small crater. Clean any seeds or debris out with the spoon. See if the tea candle fits inside. If it doesn't, use the spoon (or knife, if necessary) to scrape out more pumpkin until the cavity can hold the tea candle.

Insert the candle into the pumpkin. I take the candles out of the thin tin cups they come in and insert just the wax part into the pumpkin. That way it can simply be tossed into a fire or compost bin after being lit and used up.

Discard or compost the stem and any scrapings of pumpkin innards.

Use markers to write, "Happy Sukkot," or similar festive greetings, on the outside of the pumpkin. Other ideas you could write include:

Happy Tabernacles!
He is with us.
Welcome to our sukkah.
Sukkot: it's in tents.
I am coming to dwell among you. -Zechariah 2:10

These will keep for a few days in cooler weather. If it's warm in your area, you can also store them in the fridge before use to extend their shelf life a bit. They are a simple decoration for the Feast of Tabernacles and also make a nice gift for friends celebrating the Biblical holidays. If the cutting is done ahead of time, you can have kids add the candles and decorate the pumpkins as a craft for Bible school or as part of a Sukkot gathering activity.

I made these for Tabernacles but they can also be used to decorate for the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Kippur!

More posts like this:
Everything You Should Know about the Feast of Tabernacles
Eight Day of Activities for the Feast of Tabernacles
Sukkot Scavenger Hunt Game!