How to Make a Fourth of July Luminaria

Luminarias are small paper bags decorated with holiday designs. They are usually set alongside walkways or driveways and have votive candles inside them that, when lit, make beautiful decorations for almost any occasion.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small plain or colored paper bags
• Markers, stamps or Fourth of July pictures
• Thumbtack
• Cutting board
• Newspaper
• Sand or gravel
• Tea light or votive candle

1. Choose your paper bags for this project. You can have small plain paper bags or choose red, white and blue bags and alternate colors along your walkway.

2. Draw a Fourth of July design onto the bags with black or dark-colored markers so they show up when you light the candle inside the bag. You can also trace your design from a picture or stencil or use stamps. Another option would be to find a Fourth of July picture or clipart online, print it out and paste it inside the paper bag. When the bag is lit, you will see the silhouette of the dark colors through the bag.

3. Put a thick layer of newspaper onto a cutting board. Lay the paper bag with the Fourth of July design onto the newspaper with the bottom flap unfolded and facing so you can see the design. Tape it onto the newspaper with masking tape.

4. Use a tack to prick holes around the outline of the design to perforate it. Make sure the spaces are evenly spaced and not too close together or too far apart.

5. Put 1 to 2 inches of sand or gravel inside the bag and make it level along the bottom.

6. Place a tea light or small votive candle in the center of the sand or gravel. Make sure that it is in there securely so that it will not tip over.

7. Arrange the luminarias along your walkway or driveway and light them up as the sun is setting for a beautiful Fourth of July decoration.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also cut out small shapes from the bag with a craft knife.
• You can choose a red, white and blue picture to put inside the paper bag, or you can color the front with colored markers, stamps or stencils that will shine through the bag after it is lit. Don't perforate when you do this. Let the picture itself become the decoration.
• The light will shine through any holes you make in the bag while you are designing it. Allow just enough light to shine through so that you can identify the design from a distance.