Sep 13

Sep 13 DIY: Sukkah greeters

A special nature craft to welcome guests into your sukkah (or your home)!

During Sukkot, we read in the Torah that we should take the branches of the beautiful trees...celebrate and be happy!

We love the idea of using tree branches and repurposing them into a joyful family craft for Sukkot. Since welcoming guests (Hachnasat Orchim) is one of the special themes of Sukkot, we decided to make sukkah greeters to hang on our front door - or in the doorway of our Sukkah.

To make a sukkah greeter, we first spent some time outside collecting small fallen tree branches and twigs in different sizes.

When we had a nice supply, we dusted them off and brought them inside (working outside is fun too). We set up a work station with googley eyes, pipe cleaners (for arms and for hanging up), bits of fabric and fabric flowers (for clothes), yarn (for hair), pom-poms and gems, and assembled them using scissors and glue. Use the photos below as a guide to create your own sukkah greeter!

The idea of welcoming guests into your sukkah (or your home) during Sukkot is a tale as old as time! In fact, some people set up extra chairs in their sukkah to welcome Ushpezin - the invisible Jewish matriarchs and patriarchs - who some say pay house calls during the holiday!

Whether you invite family over to share a meal in your sukkah, or invite friends over to make an edible sukkah, welcoming guests and being a good host is a wonderful skill for children to learn. You can talk with your children about what it means to be a good host. Maybe it’s greeting guests at the door, inviting them inside, being cheerful, sharing toys and a snack – or maybe it is making a craft together - like sukkah greeters!

Tell us some ways you welcome guests during Sukkot in the comments below (and let us know if you have a visit by an Ushpezin)!

Looking for more ways to celebrate Sukkot? We share some wonderful family activities, including: