08 September 2010

Garden Lights


Last Monday, we commemorated Labor Day here in the US. This day is the unofficial end of summer. Boohoo! But that won't stop me from enjoying my time outdoors -- not until I feel autumn's chill.

Today, we're making a project for an outdoor party.

We're using a bunch of these empty blah milk cartons
that we've cleaned inside & out.

Using a box cutter, remove some parts of the carton.
Make sure to make an open slot at the bottom.

To cover the printed areas of the carton,
attach some plain or printed paper with a glue stick.
Another option is painting the carton.

Use a paper doily (tulle or lace scraps can work as well)
to cover the open parts of the carton.
Secure doily ends to the carton with glue.

TADA! A romantic garden lantern!

I found these battery operated tea lights at the department store.
Batteries included!
No flame, no fire hazards!

Insert a tea light at the bottom slot.

TADA! It now looks like a real garden light.

Use these as centerpieces on your outdoor dinner table,
to line a pathway or hang these on low tree branches
in your garden (punch a hole on the top of the box &
add a some wire for easy hanging).

Goes to show you that I'm not ready to
say goodbye to summer just yet!

12 comments:

  1. Love it Claire! I'm going to save some cartons, there is still a lot of autumn left to savor!

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  2. aww this is such a sweet/pretty project I love it!!!!!

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  3. Hello Betty and Nuit! So nice to hear from you today :) So happy you like the project!

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  4. I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer either, but I was thinking there would be an easy Halloween version of this.
    Great idea!

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  5. Okay this is awesome! So creative!!! Well done! I think I might do with project with my little girl.

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  6. You are absolutely right Miss Destined For Now -- Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Birthdays...it's the lantern for all occasions/season :)

    Hi there Grace & Ivy! Happy crafting!

    Thanks gals for stopping by today!

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  7. Beautiful!
    Here in my city (Málaga, where Picasso was borns) I have a lots of sunny days yet.
    Hugs
    Liliana

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  8. Thanks Liliana! Enjoy your beautiful sunny days :) By the way, I just recently saw an awesome Picasso exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

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  9. Looks awesome! I would never have guessed these were made out of old milk cartons.

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  10. Faantastic idea.Totally planning to copy.Now to look for battery operated tea lights..

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