Craft No. 05

Learning in a Cave Diorama Hanukkah Craft Project

Recreate the miracle of Hanukkah with a model scene of boys learning Torah in a cave while Greek soldiers search for them!

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Let’s make one!

What you need

Nine things to build a cave, a hillside and the children inside.

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Thin sheets of Baltic birch plywood in a pack of six

Plywood Base

Thin birch plywood sheets; one makes the flat base the whole diorama is built on.

Paper Bowl Cave

Large paper bowls; one upside down is the frame of the cave, with an entrance cut in its side.

Plaster Cloth

White plaster gauze strips; dampened and laid over the bowl, they dry hard like cave rock.

Bags of fine static grass powder in several greens

Turf Grass Powder

Fine grass powder in several greens, sprinkled over wet glue to cover the ground.

Mini Bushes

Tiny model shrubs that glue around the cave to fill out the scene.

Rocks

A rock mold for casting small stones to place around the cave.

Mini Trees

Thirty-six miniature trees to plant around the cave.

Greek Soldier

A small soldier figure to stand guard outside the cave.

Six-pack of LEGO collectible minifigures

Lego Boys

LEGO minifigures; seat a few inside the cave as the children learning Torah.

Plywood Base

The base

Paper Bowl Cave

The cave frame

Plaster Cloth

Cave rock

Turf Grass Powder

The ground

Mini Bushes

Bushes

Rocks

Small rocks

Mini Trees

Trees

Greek Soldier

The soldier

Lego Boys

The children

Instructions

Twelve steps, from a paper bowl to a hidden classroom.

Build and paint the cave first, cover the base with grass, then glue the scene together and seat the children and the soldier last.

Cut out an opening on one side of the paper bowl. This will be the cave entrance.

Dampen the plaster sheets lightly in a bowl

Spread them over the paper bowl to mimic the shape of a cave. Make sure to leave the entrance uncovered. You can put some crunched up paper or napkins at the top of the bowl to make the top more rounded.

Let the plaster dry.

Paint the cave grey

Brush a thin layer of glue over the entire plywood base

Sprinkle turf grass powder over the glue. Use 2-3 colors to create a realistic shaded scene.

Let rest a few minutes, then shake off excess powder.

Glue the cave to the back center of the base.

Glue trees, bushes and rocks around the cave as desired.

Glue several lego boys seated inside the cave

Glue Greek soldier outside the cave

How to make it

Cut out an opening on one side of the paper bowl. This will be the cave entrance.

Dampen the plaster sheets lightly in a bowl

Let the plaster dry.

Paint the cave grey

Brush a thin layer of glue over the entire plywood base

Sprinkle turf grass powder over the glue. Use 2-3 colors to create a realistic shaded scene.

Let rest a few minutes, then shake off excess powder.

Glue the cave to the back center of the base.

Glue trees, bushes and rocks around the cave as desired.

Glue several lego boys seated inside the cave

Glue Greek soldier outside the cave

Grown-up guide

The practical bits

Why is the soldier outside the cave?

The story says the Greeks forbade Torah study, so children learned in secret in caves while soldiers searched for them. The soldier stands outside and the children sit safely inside.

Ages

6‑10

Kids can shape the cave, spread the grass and place the figures; a grown-up can cut the bowl opening.

Time

An afternoon

The plaster needs time to dry before the cave can be painted, so plan the build in two sittings.

Can we play with it afterwards?

Yes, it makes a small stage for retelling the story. Let the glue and paint dry fully first, and keep the small figures away from little ones who still mouth toys.

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A hidden classroom, built with your own hands, and the story of the children who kept learning.

More crafts→

✦

A hidden classroom, built with your own hands, and the story of the children who kept learning.

More crafts

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