How to make a twinkling DIY lantern

Gone are the days of taking the lights down as soon as the New Year strikes: nowadays stringed lights are wonderful in the home year-round – and not just during the holidays – to create twinkling ambiance both indoors and out. You can enjoy this mood lighting in many shapes and forms, whether it be sleek lanterns, light-up headboards, or illuminated picture frames.
In an effort to make these often-expensive lighting options a bit more accessible, creative DIYers have taken matters into their own hands. Katrina from Splash of Something demonstrates how to make a rustic twine lantern, while Sarah from Glamour & Grace shows off how to create a lace doily lantern as an elegant centerpiece.
Advertisement
Katrina from Splash of Something opted for a homemade mixture of glue, cornstarch, and warm water to dip her twine in. After smothering her balloons in petroleum jelly and wrapping the soaked twine around the balloons over and over, she hung the project from a shower curtain rod and let dry for 24 hours. 
You can find detailed instructions here.
Meanwhile, Sarah from Glamour & Grace chose to use rubber balls instead of inflated balloons to create the spherical lantern shape. She also used fabric stiffener instead of a homemade adhesive solution. Sarah also notes that when painting the doily over your rubber ball, it's important to leave a small small to eventually stick your small tealight through.
You can find her detailed DIY instructions here.
After popping the balloons the next day, Katrina reveals a polished DIY lantern. The natural gaps between its twine make stringing lights into the fixture super easy, and the effect is dreamy and divine. We could see these looking gorgeous both on a patio or hung from the ceiling in someone's bedroom!
Meanwhile, Sarah opts to rest her DIY lantern on a tabletop, filling it with a tealight candle. (Make sure it's a LED tealight, as this lace doily is clearly flammable!) This project makes for an elegant, illuminated centerpiece – lovely for entertaining or enjoying a peaceful moment at home.
Advertisement
Which one of these lanterns would YOU try? Sound off in the comments and make sure to SHARE if you loved these ideas as much as we did!