Lisa Pierce of Maine’s The Vanilla Studio has taken the centuries old tradition of the Chanukah Menorah and added a touch of even OLDER history to the candelabra by creating them from Jurassic Era creatures.
Dinosaur Menorahs
It’s no easy feat to keep the kids and other family members excited about lighting the Menorah and reciting the Hebrew prayer 8 nights in a row each year. Just try to tear them away from their video games or snapchat to spend 10 minutes with family as you all hastily recite the prayer in amateur Hebrew.
But this Chanukah, I bet having a Menorah shaped like a menacing Tyrannosaurus Rex or an agile Velociraptor will keep the whole family in rapt attention.
Dinosaur Menorahs (Menorasaurs)
Menorasaurs:
Handcrafted in Maine, The Vanilla Studio repurposes plastic toys, attaches metal candle cups with clay and paints them in silver or gold to make the fully functional “Menosaurs”; T.Rex, Velociraptors, Triceratops and Apatosaurus Menorahs.
All of the menorahs take standard size Chanukah candles.
Menorasaurus Rex:
Gold:
Silver:
Menorasaur: Triceratops Menorah:
Gold:
Silver:
Menociraptor: Velociraptor Menorah:
Gold:
Silver:
Menorasaur: Apatosaurus Menorah:
Gold:
Silver:
Menelephants, Menurtles, Menoppopotamus and Menobsters!
In addition to the Jurassic-era menorahs, Lisa also makes and sells Elephant, Hippo, Turtle and Lobster menorahs:
Menoppopotamus Hippo Menorah:
Menurtle Turtle Menorah:
Menobster Lobster Menorah:
Menorasaurus Rex and Other Jewish Toys (in Lisa’s own words):
“Dinosaur menorahs to me are about more than just the terrible puns, they are about the crazy notion that people can have fun and be Jewish at the same time. Besides the sheer giddiness of getting to play with toys all day, what works for me about these particular pieces is the idea of creating Jewish objects that are accessible and unusual. For me, it’s about putting the playfulness of celebration into celebrating. It’s about naming these rituals and calling them our own, no matter how we celebrate. I love getting notes from happy customers and seeing photos of these pieces in action with kids, cats, smiles, and parties of all kinds. You all are incredible.
We created the Vanilla Studio as part of our home years ago, as a container to hold our creative dreams and endeavors. It’s currently a home for this menagerie, an abundance of other re-purposed toys and projects in progress – and shared with my husband, Russ, who paints and draws his own gorgeous things and makes me laugh every day. Stay tuned to see what else we put in the box!” – Lisa Pierce, The Vanilla Studio
The Gold T-Rex Menorah can be purchased here.
Shop The Menorahs (and other Judaica) here at The Vanilla Studio on Etsy.
Lisa’s menorahs can also be found at The Jewish Museum Shop here
Shop all things Menorasaurus here
