Decorated Jam Jar tealight lantern

Hello again - time for more crafting for the financially frugal! Today we'll be making hanging jam jar tealight holder with a cute decorative twist.

I saw this idea on the internet but without instructions so thought I'd try to make it myself. It's hard to quantify the cost on this project as it's made from rubbish and scraps. If you have done decoupage in the past  and have leftover paper and glue - that's a big bonus  making this will cost you next to nothing. 

Here's what you need:

A glass jam or pickling jar - small or medium sized.
A couple of metres of thick wire.
Sellotape
Decoupage glue (ordinary pasting glue will do)
Cheap or old paintbrush
Scraps of decoupage paper, pattered tissue paper or thin cotton fabric.
Wire cutters or jewellery pliers are useful but not necessary

This blog comes to you from outside in a very sunny England today!

First, assemble your equipment:

  

Take a piece of paper or thin fabric and cut it to size, making sure it fits all the way round the circumference of the jam jar. Leave 2cms of extra hem - this will be folded under the jam jar.

Cover the outside of the jam jar in glue.

Glue the paper to the jam jar.

Snip the excess hem vertically and shown below and fold down and glue to the bottom of the jam jar.

 When the flaps of paper are glued down, cut a small circle of paper to cover up the gap.

If using normal glue, leave it as it is - if using applique glue give it a thin coat round the outside.

Ok...now onto the tricky bit. I used thin scraps of wire I had hanging around - but if you can, get hold of some thick, sturdy wire. The idea is to wrap and weave the wire underneath the the jar and make a long handle. It might take several attempts and you might find your own way of doing it is easier!

Don't forget to put a little bit on sellotape to hold your wire in place on the bottom of the jar.

Wind the wire around the top of the jar below the rim, under the jar and then loop over the top the make the handles. I suggest making the handles quite long so the lanterns hangs quite far from whatever you're hanging it from for safety purposes - and so you can loop it over branches etc. If your wire feels a bit unsteady, fix more sellotape here and there to make it more study.

Wait for nightfall...poor yourself a drink and hang on the low branches of a tree to create a beautiful ambiance on a summer night.

 Here's a deep jam jar I covered in a cotton fabric offcut rather than paper. As you can see it makes a cottage style shabby chic hanging vase as well as a lantern.

(P.s a quick reminder - take your lanterns inside when not in use, and never leave a candle flame unattended. Enjoy your handywork!)