Sukkah Decorations and Crafts: Making It Your Own

The Most Creative Week of the Jewish Year

If Sukkot had a tagline, it might be: “Come outside and make something beautiful.”

For seven days (eight outside Israel), Jewish families eat, entertain, and sometimes sleep in a temporary structure — the sukkah — that they have built and decorated themselves. It is part construction project, part art installation, and part theological statement. And the decorating is where families let their creativity run wild.

There are no rules about aesthetics (though there are rules about the structure itself). Your sukkah can look like a gallery in Tel Aviv or a kindergarten craft fair. It can feature museum-quality art or finger-painted masterpieces by three-year-olds. What matters is that it is yours, that it is made with love, and that it transforms a simple structure into a space of beauty and holiness.

Start with the Classics

Certain sukkah decorations have been used for generations, and they endure because they work:

Fruit chains. String dried fruit — apricots, apple rings, cranberries — on fishing line or strong thread and hang them from the walls or ceiling. The fruit connects the sukkah to the harvest theme of Sukkot and looks beautiful as it catches the light. Some families add fresh fruit later in the week and eat it on the last day.

Paper chains. The simplest craft, perfect for young children. Cut colored paper into strips, loop them into chains, and drape them across the sukkah. The imperfections are the point — they show that a child’s hands made this space.

Fabric and tapestries. Hang colorful fabric from the walls — scarves, tablecloths, or dedicated tapestries with Jewish themes. This softens the structure’s raw appearance and adds warmth. Some families use fabric from Israel, carrying the textures of the Holy Land into the sukkah.

Pictures of Jerusalem. It is traditional to hang images of the Holy City — the Western Wall, the Old City, the Temple Mount — connecting the temporary dwelling to the eternal home of the Jewish spirit.

The Seven Species. Display the seven crops for which the Land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8). These can be real, dried, or artistically rendered.

Ushpizin Signs: Welcoming Heavenly Guests

One of the most meaningful sukkah projects is creating ushpizin signs. The mystical tradition (originating from the Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah) teaches that each night of Sukkot, a different biblical figure visits the sukkah as a spiritual guest:

Night	Male Ushpiz	Female Ushpiz
1	Abraham	Sarah
2	Isaac	Rebecca
3	Jacob	Rachel
4	Moses	Leah
5	Aaron	Miriam
6	Joseph	Deborah
7	David	Ruth

Making a sign for each guest is a wonderful family project. Children can illustrate scenes from each figure’s life, write a brief description, or create a decorative name plate. Each night, the relevant sign is highlighted — placed in a prominent position, illuminated, or simply announced.

Some families extend the ushpizin concept by also inviting a living guest each night — fulfilling the mitzvah of hospitality (hachnasat orchim) alongside the mystical tradition.

Kids’ Craft Projects

Sukkot is one of the best holidays for engaging children, and craft projects double as both decorations and educational activities:

Lulav and etrog paintings. Paint or stamp the shapes of the four species (lulav, etrog, hadas, aravah) onto paper and hang them as art. This helps children learn to identify each species.

Handprint trees. Trace children’s handprints on green paper, cut them out, and arrange them into a tree shape — representing the natural world that Sukkot celebrates.

Welcome signs. Create a “Welcome to Our Sukkah” sign with the names of family members, decorated with stickers, glitter, and drawings.

Gratitude chains. Like paper chains, but each link contains something the family is grateful for. Add new links each day of Sukkot, building a visual representation of abundance.

Star of David garlands. Fold and cut paper into Star of David shapes, string them together, and hang as a garland.

Israeli-Style Decorations

In Israel, where Sukkot is one of the most widely celebrated holidays (even among secular families), sukkah decorating has become an art form:

Poster art. Israeli craft stores sell decorative Sukkot posters featuring Jerusalem, the four species, biblical scenes, and Israeli landscapes. These are practical and colorful.

Nature elements. Many Israeli sukkahs incorporate branches, flowers, and greenery from the surrounding landscape — eucalyptus branches, bougainvillea, palm fronds — creating a fragrant, natural atmosphere.

Recycled materials. The Israeli environmental movement has influenced sukkah decorating, with many families using recycled materials — bottle caps turned into mosaic art, old CDs that catch and reflect light, fabric scraps woven into wall hangings.

Lights: Setting the Mood

Lighting transforms a daytime structure into an evening sanctuary. Options include:

• String lights — the most popular choice, creating a warm glow. Solar-powered strings work well and avoid electrical concerns during holidays.
• Lanterns — paper lanterns or small hanging lanterns add elegance.
• LED candles — safer than real candles and permissible on Shabbat since they require no fire.
• Mason jar lights — fill jars with fairy lights for a rustic, handmade look.
• Stargazing. Remember that the schach (roof covering) must be sparse enough to see the stars through it. Dim your artificial lights occasionally and look up — the night sky is the sukkah’s most spectacular decoration.

Making It Personal

The best sukkah decorations are the ones that tell your family’s story. Some ideas:

• Family photos from past Sukkot celebrations, creating a visual history
• Travel souvenirs — items from Israel, or from wherever your family’s Jewish journey has taken you
• Children’s artwork accumulated over the years — watching the art mature as the children grow
• Recipe cards for the meals you will cook during the week
• A “gratitude wall” where family and guests write what they are thankful for

The sukkah is, by design, temporary and fragile. That is its theology — reminding us that security comes not from walls but from faith. But within that fragility, we create beauty. And the decorations we make together — imperfect, handmade, personal — become some of the most cherished objects in Jewish family life.

“The sukkah teaches that the most beautiful room is the one you build together.” — Contemporary teaching

So grab the scissors, the string, the colored paper, and the fruit. The sukkah is waiting to be made yours.