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Sap Bucket Luminaries
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52 Weekend Decorating Projects
For rustic charm, transform vintage sap buckets into colorful, lighted garden accents. With a drill and metal bit, stencil a pattern on paper, tape it to the bucket and drill holes to outline the design. Fast, easy, and charming. From 52 Weekend Decorating Projects.
Mason Jar Lanterns
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Big Plans Little Victories
Fill vintage mason jars halfway with sand, rocks, or shells and anchor a candle in the center. Cut a U-shaped suspension wire and attach it to an O-shaped wire to place around the lip of the jar. Tighten, secure, and hang.
Votive Lanterns
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Transform votive candleholders into decorative hanging luminaries with nothing more than a length of sturdy wire and a pair of pliers. Simply bend the wire to fit underneath the lip of the glass holder, create curlicues and suspend with S-hooks. For a how-to guide, visit bcliving.
Candles in Garden Pots
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Nadia Knows Gardening
Using recycled terracotta pots, plug the water drainage holes at the bottom with modeling clay and secure a wick long enough to rise 2″ above the rim. Heat up candle wax in a double boiler and pour into pots, making sure to keep the wick centered. Wait for the wax to set, cut the end of the wick with a scissor, and strike a match.
Ice Lanterns
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GAP Gardens
You can make ice lanterns next winter: Fill a bucket, tin can, or an empty milk carton with water and float a smaller, weighted can in the center. Freeze outdoors and then place the bucket in warm water. Turn the container over and retrieve your winter luminary.
Upcycled Tin Can Luminaries
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Fine Gardening
No drill—no worries. Fill cans with a sand and water mixture and place in the freezer until frozen. Stencil your design onto a piece of vellum paper and wrap around the can. With a hammer, outline the design with nail holes. Discard the frozen solution, spray paint, and hang or use free-standing. For how-to, visit Fine Gardening.
Copper Hung Votives
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The Knot
Can’t get much easier than this…. Purchase a roll of copper wire, cut a length with wire snips, and tighten around a small votive candle. The same copper wire can serve as the hanger.
Frosted Glass Luminaries
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Studio 5
With Rustoleum’s Frosted Glass Paint—about $4 a can at Home Depot—you can coat any glass with a frosted finish. For luminaries like these, choose assorted mason-style jars, cut out patterns in craft paper, affix to the jars, and spray with a light coat of frost.
Firefly Lantern
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Think Geek
Of course, the easiest luminary—and the one most magical for kids—is to catch fireflies and place them in a mason jar. For a more eco-friendly alternative, consider this Electronic Firefly in a Jar. A tap on the glass activates movement and batteries offer considerably longer life, without the need for punching holes in the lid.