Create Glass Lanterns for the Backyard

Add pizzazz to a summer patio with hanging lanterns. Suspended from shepherd's hooks, these easy, inexpensive candleholders will add sparkle to the garden by day and illuminate a pathway by night.
Mason Jar Lantern

Create Glass Lanterns for the Backyard

Add pizzazz to a summer patio with hanging lanterns. Suspended from shepherd's hooks, these easy, inexpensive candleholders will add sparkle to the garden by day and illuminate a pathway by night.

Materials Needed:

  • wide-mouth jars, Mason or other
  • 18-gauge wire
  • scissors
  • sea glass or small stones
  • LED flickering tea light candle
  • small glass votive holder
  • pencil

Step 1: Place Votive Holder in Jar

Insert a small glass votive holder into the center of a wide-mouth jar. (When choosing jars, make sure they all have wide enough mouths to fit most of your hand down into.)

Candle Holder inside Mason Jar Lantern

Place Votive Holder in Jar

Insert a small glass votive holder into the center of a wide-mouth jar. (When choosing jars, make sure they all have wide enough mouths to fit most of your hand down into.)

Step 2: Add Sea Glass or Colorful Stones

Gently place sea glass or stones around the glass votive holder. Make sure the votive holder stays in the center of the jar.

Glass Beads in Lantern Bottom

Add Sea Glass or Colorful Stones

Gently place sea glass or stones around the glass votive holder. Make sure the votive holder stays in the center of the jar.

Step 3: Add a Tea Light

Place a flickering LED light into the glass votive holder. To conserve battery power, tea lights can be turned off when they're not in use.

LED Tea Light in Homemade Lantern

Add a Tea Light to a Mason Jar Lantern

Place a flickering LED light into the glass votive holder. To conserve battery power, tea lights can be turned off when they're not in use.

Step 4: Wrap the Wire

Wrap 18-gauge wire around the top of the jar, just under the bottom lip, twice. About 18 inches of wire should do the trick, depending on the size of the jar.

Wrapping wire around mason jar

Wrap the Wire

Wrap 18-gauge wire around the top of the jar, just under the bottom lip, twice. About 18 inches of wire should do the trick, depending on the size of the jar.

Step 5: Make a Knot

Take the shorter, loose end of the wire and tie a knot on the right side of the jar. Leave about 3 inches of wire hanging freely out to the side.

Wrap Lantern Wire Securely

Make a Knot

Take the shorter, loose end of the wire and tie a knot on the right side of the jar. Leave about 3 inches of wire hanging freely out to the side.

Step 6: Wind the Short End of Wire

Wrap the shorter, loose end of the wire around the long end several times.

Attach Wire to Hanging Lantern

Wind the Short End of Wire

Wrap the shorter, loose end of the wire around the long end several times.

Step 7: Create Handle

Take the long end of the wire and wrap it under both wires on the left side of the jar.

Use wire to create a handle

Create Handle

Take the long end of the wire and wrap it under both wires on the left side of the jar.

Step 8: Wind the Wire

Repeat the process described in step 7 on the left side of the jar, leaving about 3 inches of wire hanging out to the side. Use scissors to cut the wire if it's too long.

Wire Wrapped around Mason Jar Lip

Wind the Wire

Repeat the process described in step 7 on the left side of the jar, leaving about 3 inches of wire hanging out to the side. Use scissors to cut the wire if it's too long.

Step 9: Curl the Ends

Using a pencil, wrap the straight, loose ends of the handle to create a curlicue on each side of the jar.

Decorative wire finish

Twist Lantern Wire around Pencil

Using a pencil, wrap the straight, loose ends of the handle to create a curlicue on each side of the jar.

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