Spaghetti Jar to Garden Lantern Upcycle

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How to turn an old glass jar into a pretty lantern for the garden this summer.

 
 

I’m joining the “Do It Over” Designers with this project. The Do it Over Designer challenge is all about bringing a selection of creative ideas to upcycle, recycle and breathe new life into something old and tired. More details on that at the end of this tutorial.

I like to use a citronella candle outside in the summer to help keep the bugs and flies away but sometimes, if it’s breezy they can blow out quite easily. To protect them a little I usually drop them into an old empty jam jar.

When I dropped the glass lid of our spaghetti jar and smashed it I figured we could upgrade from a simple glass jam jar for our outdoor bug repellent candles and so I set about repurposing the nice tall spaghetti jar into a proper summery lantern.

a plain glass jar and one decorated with a flamingo image

A few years ago I shared a makeover of a wire mesh paper napkin holder from Ikea. I love this embroidery project and we use this napkin holder all the time for summer barbecues and eating outside.

https://www.sumoftheirstories.com/blog/embroidered-ikea-paper-napkin-holder-hack

See those lovely flamingo paper napkins in the wire mesh holder? I love them and although most have long gone I have saved a couple as I thought they might be perfect for a craft project one day. Well, today’s the day!!

To convert a simple jar into a summery fun garden lantern you will need:

  • A glass jar

  • A paper napkin with a fun summery design, I’ve found a few that are similar to mine here.

  • Sharp scissors

  • Mod Podge - I used Matte and Sparkle

  • Embroidery threads in matching colours

Start by giving the jar a good wash in hot soapy water and then drying it thoroughly just to remove any residue or marks.

Next cut a design from your paper napkin. Mine had the flamingo 4 times and some spiky greenery. I cut the flamingo once and included some of the adjoining greenery, plus some more leaves and greenery from another part of the napkin.

Once the design is cut out pull away the layers REALLY GENTLY. You only want the top layer for your lantern and quite often the middle layer is quite well attached so make sure you separate them. You only want a single layer here.

Now apply some Mod Podge to your glass jar, just in the area you are going to attach your first piece of paper napkin. If you apply it all over you may find the glue dries before you are ready.

Very gently apply the paper napkin piece. Smooth it using a bit of plastic bag or cling film (saran wrap) over your hand as this will help prevent it from tearing. That’s a great tip I picked up from the lovely Gail at Purple Hues and Me. Go gently and you should be able to apply the single layer of napkin paper without tearing it.

Apply any other pieces of napkin to form the look you want. Exactly what you do will depend on the design on your napkins of course.

At this point stop and let it all dry thoroughly.

The Mod Podge left a smudgy, almost frosted effect on the glass. I quite like it so rather than trying to remove it I decided to embrace it.

To enhance the effect I gave the whole jar a coat of Sparkle Mod Podge. I love how sparkly this stuff is, I’m not sure if the photos do it justice. And unlike loose glitter this doesn’t shed all over the place either.

Finish the lantern with a few lengths of embroidery thread or ribbon in matching colours, tied around the neck of the jar in a bow.

Pop in a citronella candle and your lantern is ready to help keep the bugs away at your next barbecue or outdoor party.

A glass jar decorated with decoupage to make a candle holder

The candle is lit here but I don’t think it shows very well!

The jar is a nice heavy weight so there is no danger of it blowing over, the tall sides mean no gusts of wind are going to blow the candle out either.

Spaghetti jar upcycled into a garden lantern

I confess these flamingo napkins in these photos are the last 2 I have now!! I saved them for this photo shoot, I think our new garden lantern will be fine to use with other summery napkins too though. I think I’ll save these last 2 for another craft project though, I’m sure I’ll find something to use them for!