Crafternoon: Jam Jar Lantern

Another Monday, another make-and-do post.... an excellent way to ease yourself into the week ahead. This week we're going to show you how to make hanging tea light lanterns using jam jars and ribbon (or string if you're feeling rustic). This project actually appears in our book "Party! How to organise a brilliant bash: the essential guide" and is an old favourite that we've demonstrated at workshops all over the place. 

So. For this project you will need clean jam jars (any size you like), some ribbon or string and some scissors. (Here's a top tip: if you're London based get your ribbon from Frankle on Bethnal Green Rd, they're the best ribbon and trim wholesalers in London and ribbons cost pennies per metre. You don't need to register or be buying for business purposes).

* STEP 1

Cut two long lengths of ribbon. The length you need depends on the size of your jam jar, so you'll have to do a certain amount of trial and error with this. Our jam jar is 7cm tall so the lengths of ribbon will be about 60cm.

* STEP 2

Lay your two pieces of ribbon on top of each other, fold in half and tie in a knot at the fold.

* STEP 3

Place your jam jar on the table bottom upwards and lay your ribbon on top. The knot should sit at the middle of the jar's base. Fan out the four ribbons so that they form a cross shape. It can be useful to use a bit of masking tape to hold them in place.

* STEP 4

Cut another piece of ribbon, and tie it around the neck of the jar, over the four ribbons you've just arranged. Tie tightly and trim. (NB: If you're using a larger jar you may want to knot each of the four long ribbon pieces in place).

* STEP 5

Turn your jar the right way up and knot the ribbon ends together to form two hanging loops

And there you have your finished hanging tea light lantern! We like to hang them in clusters in trees at garden parties, or as path markers.

A few notes:

- The loop on the bottom of the lantern is perfect for adding extra decorations

- We recommend the use of battery powered tea lights for these - and all - lanterns, whether indoors or out. They are super cheap, last for ages, are (mostly) weather proof and most importantly of all reduce the fire risk considerably. 

- If you do choose to use normal tea lights, think carefully about where and how you anchor the lanterns: there has to be a good distance left clear above the candle.

- Never leave candles unattended, particularly if there are children at your event.

We'll sign off with a couple of other easy, effective party candle solutions from our Pinterest boards:

Hollowed out apple candles via Style me Pretty

and tarting up tea lights with decorative tape via trendenser.se