Print our free paper dreidel template, cut it out, fold it into a cube and glue the tabs. Then push a short pencil through the two marked dots so the point sticks out the bottom. It takes about 15 minutes, and it actually spins.
Free printable template
The PDF has two pages: a standard dreidel with Shin and an Israeli one with Peh. It prints on regular US Letter or A4 paper.
What you need
- The printed template, on cardstock if you have it
- Scissors
- A glue stick or clear tape
- A short pencil, like a golf pencil, or a wooden skewer cut to about 4 inches
- A ruler and a pen for scoring the folds (optional, but it helps a lot)
No cardstock? Print on regular paper and glue it onto a cereal box before you cut.
Step by step
- Cut it out. Cut along the solid outer lines, tabs included.
- Score the folds. Lay a ruler along each dotted line and run a pen over it with some pressure. This makes clean, sharp folds.
- Poke the holes. The top and bottom squares each have a dot in the center. Poke a hole through each one with the pencil point. Grown-ups should handle this step for little kids, especially with a skewer.
- Fold it up. Fold along every dotted line so the letters face out.
- Glue the tabs. Glue each tab to the inside of the side next to it, one at a time, and close the top square last.
- Add the pencil. Push the pencil down through the top hole and out the bottom hole, so about 3/4 inch (2 cm) of the point sticks out underneath. The point is the tip, the eraser end is the handle.
- Lock it in. A dab of glue or a wrap of tape where the pencil meets the paper keeps it from sliding.
Spin it on a hard table and play a real game with it. The rules are here.
Tips for a better paper dreidel
- Keep the tip short. The less pencil sticking out the bottom, the steadier the spin.
- Center the holes. An off-center pencil makes a wobbly dreidel.
- Sharpen the pencil. A fine point spins longer than a dull one.
More ways to make a dreidel
The toothpick spinner. The fastest dreidel you can make. Cut a 3-inch square from a cereal box, write one letter near the middle of each edge, and poke a toothpick through the exact center. Spin it like a top. When it stops, it tips onto one edge, and the letter on the edge touching the table is your result. This is basically how the old English teetotum worked. See our history page.
Clay. Air-dry clay works. Shape a cube around a short dowel or pencil so it sticks out the top and bottom, flatten the sides, and carve the letters in with a toothpick. Let it dry and paint it. Fair warning: clay dreidels are heavy and don't spin as well as wood or plastic. Making one is still a lot of fun, just like the song says.
LEGO. Build a small square body out of bricks, add a round piece on top for a handle and a cone-shaped piece on the bottom for the tip. Tape paper letters on the four sides.
Decorate a blank. Craft stores sell plain unfinished wooden dreidels. Paint them, add the letters, and you've got a gift.
Updated October 2026