DIY Autumn Lantern for the Festival of Lights

December 13th, or Saint Lucy's Day, is a popular holiday in many Scandinavian countries, also known as the Festival of Light – from the name Lucia, which in Latin means "Lux" (light). This time traditionally ushered in family preparations for the holidays, celebrating light and the fight against cold and darkness. It's worth maintaining this long-standing tradition. Hence the suggestion for a project with light as the main theme. Learn how to make a simple DIY autumn lantern with your child that will brighten up dark evenings and serve as a beautiful room decoration.

Check out our other project for an atmospheric magic ball lantern -> How to make a DIY magic ball lantern?

• a jar or other glass container
• baking paper or tissue paper
• dried leaves or other additives
• PVC glue
• jute string
• tea light

STEP 1 - Preparing the ingredients

Our autumn lantern project should begin by preparing the plant accessories. If we're using leaves or flowers, they should be collected and dried first. Another option is to use printed graphics of any theme or decorative decoupage paper. We choose the accessories of our choice and then attach them with glue (e.g., vinyl or decoupage glue) to our jar or other container, which will serve as the lantern's base.

STEP 2 - Add baking paper or tissue paper

Once the plant elements are attached to the vessel, it's time to add a semi-transparent coating. Crepe paper in any color or baking paper works best for this purpose . This will create a very atmospheric, delicate lighting effect. Cut a strip of paper to the appropriate width, wrap it around the lantern, and seal it.

STEP 3 - DIY Autumn Lantern - Time to Finish

Finally, it's worth adding the final decorative touch. We can add jute twine to wrap around the top or bottom of our lantern. To prevent slippage, it's best to glue the beginning and end of the twine to the lantern's surface. And that's it. Simply add a traditional or LED te-light and enjoy the atmospheric light. Your autumn lantern made from a jar and paper is ready!

If you're looking for even more inspiration for autumn activities for kids , be sure to read our article on this topic!