|
Homemade Lanterns
Luminarias, or candle lanterns, can lend an extra glow to a stargazing party, an outdoor storytelling session or a night hike. To create a classic luminaria, nest a candle in a small brown paper bag, half filled with sand. For a stained-glass effect, glue colored tissue paper over cutouts in the bag. Or make the luminaria pictured here by saving your soda can and following the four steps below.
MATERIALS
1 empty soda can
Marker
Craft knife
Pencil
Votive candle
Small screw-in hook
20-inch wooden dowel
Thin wire for hanging
1. Draw two lines around the can, the first 1 inch down from the top of the can and the second 1 inch up from the bottom of the can. Using the craft knife (an adult's job), make straight cuts between the top and bottom lines 1/2 to 3/4 inches apart.
2. Once you've cut all the way around the can, make a cut across the bottom of two adjacent strips to create an opening for the candle. Wearing gloves, carefully pull the two strips away from the can. Next, use the pencil to bend out the remaining strips, while slightly pressing the top of the can so it has a squatty, Chinese lantern-like shape.
3. Pass the candle through the opening and use a drop of melted wax to attach it to the bottom of the can. Next, bend the two cut strips and tuck them into place inside the can.
4. Screw the hook into one end of the wooden dowel. To hang, loop a length of wire between the hook and the circular opening on the soda can tab.
For more information click here |
