I love a project that turns the most ordinary household castoffs into something cheerful and useful, and this pineapple lantern does exactly that. By painting inexpensive white plastic spoons a sunny yellow and layering them onto a big pickle jar, you get a backyard light that feels playful, tropical, and surprisingly polished once it glows at dusk.
This is a good weekend craft for anyone who doesn’t mind a little repetition and wants a big visual payoff without fancy tools. The technique is simple, and if you’ve ever spent time in the kitchen doing careful prep work, you already understand the rhythm of it: paint, dry, trim, glue, layer, and finish.
Materials
Instructions
1. Wash the pickle jar thoroughly with warm soapy water, remove any label residue, and dry it completely. Wipe the outside with rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner so the glue will grip better.
2. Set your spoons on a drop cloth or cardboard in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Spray them bright yellow with light, even coats until fully covered, then let them dry completely.
3. Once the paint is dry, cut the handles off all 200 spoons, leaving just the oval bowl portion. Trim any rough plastic edges so the pieces sit flat against the jar.
4. Plug in the hot glue gun and start at the bottom of the jar. Glue the first row of spoon heads with the rounded ends facing down, slightly overlapping each piece like scales.
5. Build the second row directly above the first, staggering the spoon heads so the seams do not line up. Keep the spacing tight so very little glass shows through.
6. Continue gluing row by row up the jar, overlapping each new row over the top edge of the one below it. Leave the top 2 to 3 inches of the jar uncovered for the pineapple leaves.
7. Cut long pointed leaf shapes from the green craft foam, making 8 to 10 leaves between 6 and 10 inches long. Slightly curve them with your hands so they flare outward like a pineapple crown.
8. Glue the foam leaves around the inside or outside rim of the jar opening, layering the shorter leaves in front of the longer ones. Add extra glue at the base so the crown stays upright.
9. Check the jar for gaps, loose pieces, or uneven rows, and glue on a few extra spoon heads where needed. Let all the glue cool and set for at least 10 minutes before moving the lantern.
10. Place a battery-operated LED tea light or small LED puck light inside the jar and turn it on at dusk. The yellow spoon layers diffuse the light beautifully and give the whole piece that glowing pineapple look.
Variations & Tips
Use the right light: Stick with a battery-operated LED light rather than a real candle, since the spoon pieces and hot glue are not meant for open flame. A warm white LED gives the prettiest glow.
Paint in batches: If 200 spoons feels unwieldy, paint 50 at a time and rotate them as they dry. That small bit of kitchen-style organization makes the whole project much less messy.
Try a deeper pineapple color: For a more realistic finish, mist a little golden-orange spray paint over some of the yellow spoons before gluing them on. The subtle color variation adds depth without much extra work.
Make it weather-friendlier: If the lantern will live outside often, use an exterior clear spray sealer on the painted spoons before assembly and bring the piece in during heavy rain.
Change the size: A smaller pasta sauce jar works for a tabletop version, while an oversized pickle jar makes a statement piece for a patio. Just adjust the spoon count to match the jar’s surface area.
Keep the rows tidy: I find it easiest to work from the bottom up and turn the jar as I glue, almost the way I’d rotate a cake while decorating it. That helps the “scales” stay even all the way around.