Homemade- DIY lanterns

Hey,

Today’s blog post is one that I’ve been really excited about. I have been doing a lot of crafty and arty activities, and I have always loved DIYs, so this is going to be a home décor DIY.

This is a step by step to make a homemade tea-light lantern. These are so cute as a gift or as room décor, and are brilliant to accessories your room with. Also, this is based on recycling a product, which makes this such an amazing eco-friendly task.

I came up with this idea when I saw something similar in a shop. I google it and found inspiration for my final design via Pintrest and http://growcreative.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/tin-can-lanterns-tutorial.html .

You will need:

• A food tin, I used Heinz beans
• Wire
• Paint of any colour, acrylic is better
• Paintbrush
• A nail
• A hammer/ a pebble
• Paper and a pencil
• A tealight

1. The first step is to use whatever is on the inside of the tin. After this, just wash the tin and dry it. Make sure you remove the label. Once the product is drained you are ready to start. You will need to measure round the tin and then produce a slip of paper which fits around the tin. You will need this for the pattern.
2. Now fill the tin with water and put it into your freezer. Now leave it overnight, or as long as it needs to freeze.
3. Whilst you are waiting, take the paper and draw out a pattern. Putting dots on the places where you want holes. This can be any sort of design, like swirls, hearts, zigzags or flowers. Feel as free as you like, but remember that the ends of the paper will match up. Also remember to draw bigger dots for where you want the handle to be.
4. Take your tin out of the freezer. You will need to be prepared for the next steps as you can needs to stay frozen.
5. Now, using a towel if you want (so the table does not get wet). Take your paper and sellotape it around the tin. Now take the nail and place it over the dots on your design. Hammer the nail with your hammer/ nail, until it breaks through the top layer of the tin.
6. When you have completed all the dots, and your frozen water will probably not very cold. Put the tin into a sink of hot water. This will melt the ice quicker.
7. When the tin is ready, and has no ice inside, you can continue. Take the tin and begin to paint it. You can you any paint, spray is probably preferable though, and paint the tin. It will take a lot of layers to build up colour.
8. Now measure out how much wire you want, for the handle, depending on what type of lantern you desire. Now paint this, also with many coats.
9. When you have done these steps, and the paint is dry, you can put it together. The handle is simply threaded through the larger holes and twisted.
10. To finish, you can add ribbon around the bottom. Now your lantern is complete. Add a tealight in the bottom.

So I hope you enjoyed this little DIY, it’s my first home decore of my new home-made series. I would love to know what you think and some of your creations. Sorry I missed my post on wednesday. Enjoy,