How to Use a Lantern That Holds Candles for an Entrance

Create a warm and inviting entrance using candle-filled lanterns. Lanterns add a decorative touch while illuminating a garden patio or front yard entrance. Hung from shade trees at an outdoor dinner party or reception, they cast a glow from above to create a festive feel for the evening. You can use many types of lanterns, including glass and paper. Paper lanterns come in a wide range of colors for a striking design to the outdoor space. Glass lanterns look lovely nestled along a front walk for a well-lit, grand entry.

Things You'll Need

• Lanterns
• Candles
• Fishing wire
• Doily
• Sand

Instructions

1. Situate a lantern on each side of an outdoor pergola or arbor entrance for a well-lit entry. Hang the lanterns using clear fishing wire in varying heights from the pergola roof to give the space a warm and inviting glow. Fishing wire is sturdy and less visible, allowing for a subtle design.

2. Place one candle lantern on either side of the entrance to a front walkway for an enchanting entrance to your home. Alternatively, flank the front walkway with paper lanterns along the sidewalk for a soft glow at night.

3. Decorate your front door with wall-mounted candle lanterns. Place one wall-mounted lantern on either side of the door.

4. Nestle lanterns along the front and back steps of your home. Place them on every other step for an alternating design.

5. Create an outdoor oasis by hanging candle lanterns from your favorite shade tree with clear fishing line. Hang them from low branches and at varying heights to illuminate your garden or landscaping.

6. Rest candle lanterns along a garden wall during an outdoor dinner party to invite guests to take a stroll through the landscape.

Tips & Warnings

• Use recycled jam and jelly jars as glass lanterns to hold tea light candles. These makeshift lanterns look lovely along an outdoor dining table and nestled around a patio during dinner parties.

• Stencil a pattern on the inside of a white paper bag for a striking illumination to the paper lantern. You can also glue a doily inside the bag for a lace-like effect.

• Always keep candles a safe distance from flammable objects.

• When using paper bags, lay a two-inch layer of sand on the bottom and around the candle to prevent a potential hazard.

References

• Martha Stewart Weddings: Let It Glow - Candles and Luminarias
• Sunset Magazine: Light Up the Night for a Festive Fourth
• Sunset Magazine: 13 Ways to Make Your Garden Glow