Upcycle a boring lantern with some beautiful vintage handkerchiefs

Vintage handkerchiefs are some of the most beautiful and versatile materials you can find to help upcycle an old or boring household item. For example, a lantern that offers little in the way of decoration can be brought to life with a few handkerchiefs, as well as a little time and attention.
This craft is easy, fun and requires very little know-how other than gluing and pasting. It also creates a one-of-a-kind item you can place in your garden or on your patio to light up an outdoor party. You may also even want to bring it inside for a touch of nature and class all rolled into one.
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Materials
- Two handkerchiefs
- Old lantern with a glass candleholder
- Pencil
- Cutting mat
- Handheld cutting tool
- Metal ruler
- Mod Podge water-based sealer
- Paintbrush
- Blow dryer
- Wire
- Needle-nose pliers
- Wire cutters
- Candle
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. To prepare the lantern, remove the candle, and then remove the glass base or candleholder. Set the metal part of the lantern aside. Turn the glass candleholder on its side, and place one of the handkerchiefs on the edge of the glass, so that the crease in the middle of the hankie lines up with the edge. Use a pencil to mark a line all the way across the middle of the handkerchief from end to end.
Tip: Make sure the long ends of the handkerchief are hanging down from the glass candle holder like they are in the video. In essence, the handkerchief is folded over the glass so that its sides hang down in a triangle fashion.
2. Place the marked handkerchief on top of the other handkerchief, making sure they line up neatly. Then place both on top of a cutting mat, and use a ruler to mark where the pencil line is. Use a handheld cutting tool, such as one you would buy to cut thin pieces of wood or paper, to cut alongside the ruler. When you're done, you should have four triangular shapes cut from two different handkerchiefs.
3. Remove the cutting mat, and retrieve the glass candle holder, laying it on its side. Place one of the pieces of handkerchief on top of the candleholder, so the cut side of the handkerchief is in line with the top of the glass and the point is directed downward. Use the Mod Podge to paint the back of the handkerchief piece with glue, then turn it over and affix it to the glass, smoothing it out so there are no wrinkles in the material. Use a blow-dryer to dry the glue.
Tip: To avoid getting glue on your work surface, paint the handkerchief with glue on top of the glass. Don't worry if you get a few stray marks of glue on the glass -- they'll clear when you use the blow-dryer.
4. Turn the glass over, and following step 3, affix the other piece of the same handkerchief to the other side. Now the top half of the glass should be covered, and there should be two equal pieces of a handkerchief glued to either side of the glass.
5. Follow steps 4 and 5 again with the other handkerchief, only this time, place the cut edge of the handkerchief on the bottom end of the glass, so the pointed end faces up. Place the other two pieces of handkerchief over the triangular area where the glass is still showing. The next two handkerchief pieces should overlap the first two a bit, making a pretty patchwork pattern.
Tip: If the tips of the handkerchiefs are a bit longer than the glass, simply glue them down over the bottom or the lip of the glass, so they don't hang off. All parts of the handkerchiefs should be glued down securely with Mod Podge.
6. Place the glass candleholder back inside the metal frame of the lantern. If the lantern never had or no longer has a wire hanger, use a bit of metal wire to thread through the edges of either side of the lantern. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to bend the wire so it curves around itself, holding the wire securely in place. Do this on both ends, cutting the leftover pieces of wire off with wire cutters. Curve the wire at the top, so it makes a hanger for the lantern.
7. Place the candle back inside the glass holder, or use a new one. Light the candle, and now, you have a beautiful, glass lantern with a one-of-a-kind finish, perfect for outdoor or indoor ambiance.
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