How to Make Outdoor Candle Lanterns

Light up your summer nights with these easy and inexpensive outdoor candle lanterns made from recycled tin cans. These lanterns cast elegant patterns of light. You can dress up your lanterns with color or give them a creative touch with an unusual pattern.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Empty tin can
• Paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• Water
• Freezer
• Hammer
• Nails
• Screwdriver
• Spray paint (optional)
• Small rocks or sand
• Tea light candles

1. Clean an empty tin can inside and outside and cut a piece of paper just large enough to wrap around the can. Set aside paper and fill the can with water. Freeze until the can is filled with solid ice.

2. While the ice is freezing, draw the pattern you want to punch on your tin can lantern onto your paper. Imagine the tools that you will be using to make the holes as you work. Nails can be used to make round holes and screwdrivers can be used to make longer slits. This is where you really get to use your creativity.

3. Once the ice in your lantern is frozen completely, take the can out of the freezer and tape your pattern around it. Punch your pattern in your lantern by holding a nail or screwdriver over the marks that you made in your paper and hammering them. Work quickly. The ice inside the can keeps it from caving in while you work.

4. Once your pattern is hammered into your lantern, remove the paper. Let the ice melt in the sink until it is small enough to remove from the lantern. You can paint your lantern with a quick coat of spray paint or just leave it silver.

5. Place small rocks or sand in the bottom of your lantern to anchor it from the wind. Place your candle in the bottom and light it. Tea candles and wide candles that stand on their own work best.

6. Repeat the above steps to make more outdoor candle lanterns.

Tips & Warnings

• When punching holes in your lantern, work outside or on a surface that cannot be damaged.