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Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries

September 2, 2013 1 Comment

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Take it easy this Labor Day and whip up a set of these simple lantern-style luminaries. I love these for every season of the year – all you have to do is swap out the color of the paper used to make them fit right in on a Halloween, Christmas, or any tablescape. If you craft on a regular basis, you might even have the needed supplies on hand already too!

Supplies

votive candles that come in glass holders
matte Mod Podge
sponge brush
tissue paper
pre-filled glass votive candles
x-acto knife
pencil
scissors
measuring tape
ruler
waxed paper
cardboard or foam core to protect your work surface

Directions

Measure the wider end of your votive and then measure its height using a tape measure. With those numbers, draw a rectangle on your tissue paper for each votive, and cut them out.

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Set your tissue paper pieces on some cardboard or foam core and slice lines down the length of each rectangle without cutting through any edge of the tissue paper. Lay your sliced rectangles on waxed paper and carefully paint a layer of Mod Podge over them.

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Let dry for 5 minutes. Very carefully peel them from the waxed paper. Set each aside on a new, dry sheet of waxed paper to dry all the way.

Why hassle with delicate tissue paper on this project?
Tissue paper lets more light through! Yes, the slits in the paper will let light through, but the tissue paper will let even more light shine. You can swap regular paper for the tissue paper if you’d like, which would let you skip the waxed paper/Mod Podge layer/careful peel steps. 

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

When the tissue paper has dried completely, cut along the slits with an x-acto knife to reopen them and carefully pull each slit apart.

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Paint approximately a centimeter of Mod Podge onto the top edge of your votive. You want to start with the top edge here because most votives that come in a container are wider at the top than bottom.

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Position your tissue paper about half a centimeter from the edge of the top of your votive. Place the tissue paper all the way around the votive, and when you come back around, there will be a little bit of overlap. Add a dot of Mod Podge at the point of overlap to secure. Next, paint some Mod Podge over the tissue paper along the top end of the votive.

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Just like at the top of your votive, paint a ring of Mod Podge about a centimeter wide along the bottom edge of the votive. Slide the bottom of your tissue paper to about half a centimeter from the votive’s base. Again, add a dot of Mod Podge where the tissue paper overlaps to secure it, and paint a layer of Mod Podge over the bottom end of the tissue paper to finish.

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

^Please pardon my left hand being in the strangest physical configuration possible here.^

Here’s what the finished luminaries look like from the top…

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Gluing the paper on slightly in from the top and bottom edge of the votives makes the middle of the paper slits flare out for a cute lantern effect. Festive, right?

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

Like this project? I originally wrote it for Mod Podge Rocks, a craft blog totally worth reading.

Filed Under: Decoupage, Fourth of July, How-to, My Work Elsewhere Tagged With: candles, craft, diy, easy, lanterns, luminaries, mod podge, patriotic, tissue paper, votives

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Ananasa

    September 8, 2013 at 1:28 am

    Really simple and beautiful posting! We love your creativity

    Ananasa.com- Home For Handmade

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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