In year's past lanterns were the way that people could safely carry candles to safely light their way. Lanterns have been used since colonial times both to provide light and as decorations. Lanterns can be made of treated wood, metal or plastic. The lanterns in this article are made from recycled aluminum cans.
Patterns for the designs on the lanterns come from the mind of the designer. The patterns can be intricate or simple. Designs can be based around a holiday or event that the cans will be used at. The designer is only limited by his imagination.
Materials
- Large cans with labels removed
- Markers
- Towels
- Hammer
- Nails of different sizes
- Wire coat hanger or thin wire for handle
- Wooden dowel or stick, optional
- Votive candle
Procedure
- Wash out the cans thoroughly.
- Using a marker draw a design on the outside of the can. The design will be for the lantern holes. The design can be anything the maker desires.
- Fill the can with water and freeze for two days.
- Place the frozen can on a towel.
- Use the hammer and nails to make holes in the design area. Different size nails will make a variety of holes and make the design appear more intricate.
- Near the top of the can, make two larger holes opposite each other to string a handle.
- Carefully remove any extra ice chunks inside the can. Be very careful as the punched out holes are very sharp.
- Untwist the wire coat hanger. Cut a piece the desired length for a hanger.
- If a handle is desired, twist the center of the piece of wire around the center of the dowel or stick.
- Twist one end of the coat hanger into one of the holes near the top. Twist the other end into the opposite hole.
- Melt a little candle wax into the bottom of the can to help secure the candle.
- Place the candle onto the melted wax and allow to harden.
- Carefully light the candle. A spaghetti noodle makes a good long candle lighter.
- Place the lantern in a spot to be enjoyed or use on a nighthike.
These fun lanterns are easy to create. They can be created for a decorative touch on a holiday. They provide an alternate to paper bag luminaries at holiday time. They could be used at a candle light event such as a wedding or evening party. Scout troops or youth groups could make these lanterns as part of campout and use them for a nighthike.
Making these lanterns helps keep cans out of landfills. The lanterns give the cans a second useful life.
GOG101
Kelley Huston - A reader of all kinds of books, Kelley is an teacher who loves crafts and scrapbooking. She is a Disney fan who loves all things Disney.
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