DIY Glass Jack-o-Lanterns

As I flipped through this month's Southern Living, some pumpkin lanterns caught my eye. 

This magazine taunts readers with the Mason jar pumpkin lanterns you can make yourself. I started out to make those, but then realized how expensive Mason jars are when you don’t actually need them for canning.

Plus, where was I going to store the other jars? They’re available in packages of 10 or more for upwards of $12 at the Canton Road Kroger.

Instead, I took the inspiration from that magazine, added my own inexpensive spin and made them to suit my OCD fire cautiousness. 

First, I bought glass candle holders and felt at the Dollar Tree for $1 each. The paint was 52 cents at . I already had Sharpies and some green wire from other crafts. The flameless lights were $3 for four at Kroger.

Paint the inside of the bowl by pouring a little paint in the bottom and brushing upward. I used a makeup sponge to do mine, but a brush would work. Your hands will end up covered in paint, so wear gloves if you don’t have time to scrub them afterward.

While the paint is drying, use the Sharpie to paint the face on the outside of the bowl. Twist the wire around a pencil, then stretch it out to be a circle around the top. Cut two leaves from the felt and hot-glue them to the outside.

When the paint dries, drop a flameless light on the inside, and you’re done. No candles and no rotting pumpkins to worry about.

The total cost was about $3 apiece, unless you plan on doing more, in which case the cost goes down because you only need new bowls and lights.