Mosaic Lantern Craft

This cute lantern is fun and easy to make. Plus this time of year you can adapt it to fit whatever holiday is approaching. Another great thing about this craft is you can use it as a lesson in recycling/repurposing since you may already have these supplies at home!


Recommended ages 6 and up.




















You will need:

• 1 mason jar (emptied pickle jars, or other glass jars are perfect. You can also purchase mason jars from Walmart or most craft stores)
• tissue paper of assorted colors (used tissue paper or crepe paper will work great)
• Elmer's Glue
• water
• paintbrush
• scissors
• bowl or shoebox lid (to mix glue and water)
• paper plate or newspaper to work on
• tea light
• wire if you plan to hang your lantern(18 gauge florist wire is what we used)

Steps:

1. Lay out your paper plate or newspaper.
2. Cut the tissue paper into randomly shaped small pieces and set aside
3. Mix equal parts glue and water in a bowl
4. With your paintbrush paint the glue onto your jar
5. Cover the jar with the cut tissue paper
6. You may have places where the tissue paper sticks up. If you want it to lay down just brush it with a little of the glue mixture and it will smooth out.
7. Allow to dry (usually takes about 30 minutes at most)
8. If you want to hang your lantern take your wire and cut enough to wrap around the top of the jar twice and wrap it around the top of the jar. Then take another length of wire (length will depend on how low you want the lantern to hang) and twist one side to the wire already wrapped on the jar and then do the same to the other. You can then twist the middle of the wire to make a loop of you would like.
9. Add your tea light. (To make sure the candle doesn't slip or slide you can add a little salt or sand.

Variations:


Halloween: Instead of a colorful mosaic you can cover your lantern in orange and with black felt cut out mouth and eyes for a jack-o-lantern for Halloween.
Christmas: Use holiday colors or cut out shapes or Christmas trees, ornaments, Santa, etc.
Form your name out of the tissue paper bits, or make a butterfly shape.
Use your imagination and see what you can come up with.


This craft makes cute gifts from the little ones.