Bedazzle Your Booth: The Ultimate Guide to Sukkah Decorations (With Halacha, Glitter & Googly Eyes)

Sukkot: the one Jewish holiday where your mitzvah game involves camping out in a sparkly hut, dodging decorative fruit, and arguing over whether glitter chains are “elegant” or “a cry for help.” Whether you’re the Pinterest-perfect decorator or just hoping to keep the kids from stapling a papier-mâché lulav to the Schach, this guide is for you.

We’ve rounded up DIY decoration ideas for toddlers through adults, peppered them with actual halachic insights (because nothing says “chag sameach” like a 4-tefach rule), and wrapped it all up with enough sparkle to make your Sukkah the talk of the block.

Let’s hang some joy – carefully, within halachic guidelines, of course.

Tiny Hands, Big Art: Kid-Friendly DIY Sukkah Crafts

Remember those elementary school art projects that somehow became heirlooms? The crinkled paper chain from 2003? The macaroni-and-glitter pomegranate that still smells like Elmer’s glue? Yep – those count.

Here are a few fun ideas to keep little hands busy (and hopefully off your actual walls):

Paper Chain Gallery on a Beaded Clothesline

Use a simple wooden bead garland and clothespins to showcase kids’ Sukkah art. It’s the Pinterest version of a fridge door – and bonus: the kids can clip and unclip their own masterpieces.

Halacha Check: If this is going up before the chag, consider making a tnai (verbal declaration) that the decorations shouldn’t be muktzeh. That way, if you need to adjust mid-Yom Tov, you’re halachically covered. Because untangling a 17-foot paper chain during Chol HaMoed shouldn’t be a spiritual crisis.

Upcycled CD Designs with Wikki Stix

Grab those old AOL CDs (we know you still have them) and let the kids design away. The waxy Wikki Stix make them tactile and mess-free. They’re also waterproof-ish – great for outdoor Sukkah life.

‘Stained Glass’ Pomegranates

Using printable templates and acetate (read: plastic) instead of glass, you can create stained-glass effects without risking shards in your cholent.

Sophisticated Sukkah Flair: Grown-Up Crafts

Why should the kids have all the fun? Adults, teens, and overly ambitious tweens can get in on the action too:

Resin Etrog Suncatchers

Save your dried etrog slices and immortalize them in resin. It’s part sentimental, part stylish, and entirely waterproof. Just, y’know, read the safety instructions first.

Shivat Haminim Garland

Make a lush paper garland inspired by the seven species of Israel. Laminate it to keep it rain-proof and add a touch of spiritual agriculture to your walls.

Yarn Tassel Garland

Soft, cozy, and surprisingly rain-resistant if you use synthetic yarn. It gives your Sukkah a hygge vibe – and no one will guess it came from your leftover knitting stash.

Glitter Leaf Garland from Old Books

Combine upcycled book pages with glitter for a vintage-yet-glam look. Just laminate those leaves if you want them to survive more than one meal.

Printable Magic: Grab-and-Go Decor

No time? No problem. Here are a few printables that only require a printer, a few crayons, and either a laminator or a strong sense of hope.

• Pomegranate Coloring Pages – Intricate enough to keep teens and adults quiet for hours.
  
  

• Ushpizin Posters – Available in color-your-own or pre-colored. Perfect for welcoming Abraham and crew to your meal.
  
  

• Kiddush Posters – Let’s talk about this one...
  
  

Halachic Spotlight: Reading Kiddush Off the Wall – Yay or Nay?

So, your Sukkah wall has Kiddush printed on it. Can you read directly from it?

Drumroll, please... yes! In most cases, this is actually ideal. Making Kiddush in the Sukkah is part of the mitzvah. So reading the text from the wall isn’t “benefiting” from the Sukkah in a problematic way – it’s just part of the mitzvah vibe.

Caveat: The wall technically becomes part of the Sukkah structure. Unless you made a tnai before the holiday, it’s muktzeh. But many halachic authorities are lenient if it's clear you’re not exploiting the wall for unrelated use. Bottom line: Read the Kiddush, just don’t lean your cholent bowl against it.

Halachic Hits: Don’t Let Your Decor Derail the Mitzvah

The 4-Tefachim Rule (a.k.a. “Measure Twice, Hang Once”)

Your decorations must hang within four tefachim (approx. 12–16 inches) of the Schach to be halachically safe. Anything lower than that might be its own halachic “roof” – and that’s a no-go.

Tinsel? Kosher.

Mosquito net? Depends on intent. If it’s decorative, you’re golden. If it’s purely practical, it may invalidate the area underneath.

IKEA canopy? If it’s blocking the rain, skip it. If it’s just there to look pretty and doesn’t span too wide, you're (probably) fine.

Lighting the Way – String Lights & Halacha

Can you hang lights? Absolutely – just mind the fire safety rules (especially if you're still using candles… why??). The Mishnah Berurah permits lamps for safety purposes, and today’s LEDs fall into that same safe category.

Muktzeh Mishaps: Plan Ahead with a Tnai

Did your foam chain fall into the brisket? Want to move a decoration that blocks the entrance? Unless you made a tnai before Yom Tov saying “These decorations are NOT muktzeh,” you’re technically not allowed to move them.

Solution: Always declare your muktzeh intentions in advance. A simple, “I’m hanging these up, but I may move them if needed” is enough. Just say it before candle-lighting.

Final Tips: How to Avoid Sukkah Sabotage

• Use zip ties. Seriously. Tape gives up in the first drizzle. Or better yet, grab a ready-made Sukkah tapestry with built-in grommets and ties like these ones to save yourself the frustration (and the duct tape).
  
  

• Laminators are worth their weight in gold.
  
  

• Avoid hanging heavy fruit unless you enjoy random produce drops mid-kiddush.
  
  

• Keep decorations away from swinging elbows and excitable toddlers.
  
  

• And maybe skip the floor-length velvet curtain unless you’re throwing a medieval wedding in there.

Wrapping Up (Your Sukkah, Not Your Lulav)

Sukkah decorating is a rare combo of halacha, creativity, and the occasional minor engineering mishap. It’s your chance to turn a simple hut into a haven of joy, sparkle, and mitzvot.

Whether you're stringing up toddler art or resin pomegranate mobiles, just remember: a little halachic mindfulness goes a long way. So make your tnai, measure your tefachim, and then go wild – with sequins, lights, and enough paper chains to confuse your neighbors.

Chag Sameach, and may your Sukkah be beautiful, kosher, and only slightly glitter-stained by the end of the week.