Follow the directions below to construct a cute camping lantern craft. This craft is made of common household plastics (containers and lids) that you can recycle into a lantern! Check out our step by step recycled material lantern craft tutorial below.
This small craft lantern is adorable! It would make the perfect shelf decoration or could even be used as a Christmas tree decoration!
Made with common arts and craft supplies, as well as recycled plastic cups and lids, this craft is perfect for your next DIY time.
Making Crafts with Recycled Items
Crafting with recycled items is a win-win. You are keeping plastics and other materials and items out of a landfill. This is also a great option for keeping your crafts bargain-friendly. We all know how easy it is to spend a ton of money on craft supplies!
For this lantern craft, you will use some very common household items as building materials. If you do not have the specific recycled items listed below on hand, as friends or family if they can save theirs when empty.
While you’re here, take a look through the other DIY crafts on the blog. Our list is really growing!
Recycled Lantern Craft Supply List
To make this craft, you will need the following supplies:
- Battery operated tealight candle
- Chenille Stem (metallic pipe cleaner)
- Pony Beads, Silver
- Acrylic Craft Paint – Dark Green
- Paintbrush
- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
- Scissors
- Craft Knife
- Recycled items – Mini Medicine Cup, large Plastic Lid, medium Plastic Lid, small Plastic Lid
How to Make a DIY Lantern Craft
1. Gather your supplies. The plastic lids and cup that are pictured in this craft: medicine cup from liquid cold medicine, large lid from vitamin bottle, medium lid from bottle of liquid cold medicine. Finally, the small lid is from a plastic bottle of water.
2. You will cut a small square-shaped hole in the bottom of the medicine cup. To do this, flip the medicine cup upside down and carefully cut an “X” into the center with a craft knife. Cut the triangular flaps of the “X” away with the craft knife to create an open square.
3. Insert the plastic flame of the tealight through the hole. This is the base of the lantern.
4. Stack the three recycled lids on top of each other, largest lid on the bottom to the smallest lid on the top. Use a hot glue gun to glue the lids together.
5. Paint the outside edge of the candle and the stack of glued lids with dark green acrylic paint. Let dry and apply a second coat if necessary. We used 3 coats of paint to achieve a solid look.
6. Attach the lantern top to the lantern base with a glue gun and glue sticks.
7. Cut a chenille stem in half with scissors. (We used a metallic silver stem). Glue the stem to the top of the lantern to look like the handle, as show below.
8. Take 2 silver pony beads and glue one to the top of the lantern and the other to the front center of the base of the lantern.
These beautiful lanterns are ready to be displayed! This craft uses recyclable materials and dollar store craft supplies to create a small lantern decoration that really lights up! I love the idea of using these as lantern Christmas Tree decorations.
This craft would be a great project for kids related to lessons on camping, recycling, and/or fire safety.
