JOYFUL scribblings

DIY Halloween Lantern

by

#Halloween tablescape

I am blessed to have some very creative friends.  My good friends Anne and Julie have a Halloween party every year much to my husband’s dismay.  It’s not that he doesn’t like parties, he just doesn’t like Halloween parties. However, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  I wrote about why I’m passionate about Halloween in a post last year.   This year their Halloween party theme centers around the Salem Witch Trials.  I have been to Salem, Massachusetts and it’s actually a quaint little town.  They dressed up like pallbearers and mourners  and hand delivered these unique hand-made invitations.


I wanted to share the invitation with you because I thought it would also make a cute Halloween decoration.  Julie shared the instructions with me which she thought up as she was making the lanterns.

#DIY Halloween lantern

Halloween tablescape

Supplies:

Quart jars (Wal-Mart Mainstays brand better than Kerr or Ball because there is no embossing on the glass)
Thin parchment or plain white paper, depending on your taste. Parchment makes an eerie glow but the white gives off more light)
Brown paper spray from Michael’s to age the edge of the image.
Glue stick to adhere image, just the top so it looks like it is floating in the jar
Black paint with brush around the inside of the jar.  Make sure it doesn’t ooze down into the art or get on the back of the paper.
(You can also use black spray paint but the fumes are terrible and it takes a long time before you can put a candle in there.  I almost blew up my kitchen!)
The wire is a thin gage that I just looped around the neck of the jar to form a handle.
She also dipped the top of the mason jar in red apple scented melted wax.  It’s little details like this that add that special touch.
She printed an invitation on parchment paper, but you could use any Halloween image inside the jar.  She also had a tea light candle inside the lantern.  Mine got knocked a little and some wax spilled on the bottom.  I would advise putting a small glass votive holder inside with a candle so the wax is contained a little better.  I added my invitation to my dining room tablescape.  It’s a good thing we don’t use this table to eat because I don’t think there’s anymore room for food.
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Comments

  1. Very cute & clever idea! I’m with your hubby – I don’t like Halloween parties either. Too much stress in coming up with an inventive, yet comfortable costume.

  2. Very cute idea! I’m not crazy about Halloween parties either because I am just not one of those creative people at putting together costumes and I am always last minute! But we end up going to them half the time anyway and I just let my husband figure out the costumes. He has good ideas but they aren’t always comfortable. Like the time he went as a bag of leaves…filled with leaves.

    • That would be itchy!!! It has gotten harder over the years trying to come up with a costume and I don’t sew so that can be limiting. My mother sews and she used to make all of our costumes growing up. I like them so much better than some of the cheap store bought ones.

    • Me too Helen. I found the little owl with the top hat at Walgreens of all places. I can’t remember where I got the black one. I’ve had him for a few years.

  5. I love, love, love Halloween parties…..I am (after all) “almost” a witch! The lantern adds the perfect touch to your table – Love it! Burn up the dance floor for me, since I won’t be there this year. Insert Heavy Sigh!