DIY Rhinestone Crystal Menorah for Hanukkah

I’ve been making Bedazzled everything for a little over three years now and they’ve been a HUGE hit! This year I decided to add a little extra sparkle to the festival of lights with a DIY rhinestone crystal menorah for Hanukkah. This year more than ever, we really need some light with all of this darkness. Use them as gifts, home decor or display them proudly in your window.

Either way, you are sure to wow everyone!

If you are planning on making these as part of your handmade Jewish gifts, be sure to get started on these in a timely manner because you’ll need a variety of materials (you never know about shipping options when ordering supplies) and these take a lot of time to make.

Trust me…this is not typically finished in one afternoon. Think of it more like a weekend project. It took me three days working for about an hour or so.

I do not make these to give as gifts, though. My bedazzled Menorah is definitely getting used this year. My kids have retired from the rhinestone rhinoceros menorah photo that you’ve seen all over Pinterest – we have graduated to a more sophisticated look.

I looked into purchasing an Olivia Riegel menorah but then I decided it would be much more fun to make my own. Look for the best deals on menorahs and feel free to use a bigger size. Just know that the larger size menorahs require a lot more labor and rhinestones.

Here’s the craft supplies you’ll need to make your DIY rhinestone menorah*

Affiliate disclaimer: Although I stand by all of the products I use, I can receive a small commission from any products purchased via my affiliate links.

Mini menorah
Glue
Glass Flat Back Rhinestones or Clear European crystals
Rhinestone Tray
Rhinestone Wax Pen
Table Covering
Toothpicks
Alcohol Prep Pad or Rubbing Alcohol (I like to purchase a box of the single use packets in their own individual, original packaging).
Sandpaper

*Look out for supplies that have free shipping – supplies can be expensive!

Here’s how I make my bedazzled rhinestone menorah:

Gently wipe down the menorah. You will want to make sure the menorah is clean and dust free. Some menorahs are made with soft metallics so just be gentle! Do not wipe too hard, just enough to remove the factory finish. If this is your first time bedazzling, do not use a family heirloom. Obviously!
Add your rhinestones onto a tray. Personally, I prefer to only work with one color at a time. I do, however, love mixing up the sizes. I think this adds more interest and sparkle. This is called the scatter method. Give the tray a slight shake to flip all of the rhinestones so that they are laying flat and ready to be picked up.
Using your toothpick, add a small amount of glue and spread it very thin. If your glue is too thick, your rhinestone will get covered in glue and will have a cloudy appearance. To see the best glue options (in case you are not using cardboard), see this post.
Add a thin layer of glue with a toothpick
Using your wax pen, add a rhinestone to the glue. You have about 5 minutes to move your rhinestone around if you want to put it into another spot or move it towards a border. After that, you will need pliers or a dental tool to remove the crystals and this might damage the menorah (trust me, I learned this the hard way)!
Use a wax pencil to press rhinestones onto the glue
You can apply rhinestones in a pattern, change the design’s customization or just do a free for all design. Some people like to add a star of David to their menorah – the world is your oyster!
Apply rhinestones in the pattern you prefer
Complete an entire section before moving to another color. I highly recommend starting your menorah from top to bottom. This takes a lot of time and patience but is a much easier strategy than jumping around and then having to add glue and rhinestones to tight spaces. Keep going until the entire menorah is covered with rhinestones. The menorah will not look great until the glue has dried completely. Once the glue is dry, take a closer look and see if you’ve covered all of your bases. If not, add more rhinestones.
Wait until the glue is dry to decide if you need to add more rhinestones

FAQ’s: Using rhinestones to bedazzle menorahs

Can you use school glue to glue down rhinestones? The short answer is yes. However, do not use school glue if you want this to last forever. School glue is best used on craft projects for kids using a lower quality rhinestone. If you spend a lot of money on rhinestones, you want them to stand the test of time. If you absolutely have to use craft glue, I recommend Aileen’s. Otherwise E6000 or Liquid Fusion is the way to go!

What happens if you get glue on a rhinestone? If the glue is still wet, carefully remove it either using pliers or with your hands. Throw out the rhinestone unless you can get it clean. Personally, I do not think it is worth it to try to salvage a single rhinestone.

How long does the rhinestone glue take to dry? In my experience, most adhesives will adhere in 24-36 hours. But the glue continues to cure over time and harden a little more each day! This does, however, depend upon the climate, the temperature and the humidity.

What other projects can be made using rhinestones? You can literally bling out anything! Check out this tutorial on how to bling crocs.

Now that you’ve mastered bedazzling…go ahead and make a dreidel to go with it! Hey, maybe you even want to make rhinestone dreidel or tzedukah box?! The world is your oyster! Get out there and add a little sparkle to the world! Forget gift cards, handmade gifts are the best!