This pressed flower craft is SO PRETTY! Make your own pressed flower lanterns that are beautiful, and really easy to put together! With a bit of mod podge and dried flowers you have a gorgeous candle holder that’s super inexpensive to make.
Pressed Flower Craft
Making this pressed flower craft is so simple, and the results are so pretty! These pressed flower lanterns provide a pop of colour from the dried flowers and a soft glow from the tea light candles inside.
If you’re looking for a table decoration for a summer wedding or party, these pressed flower lanterns are perfect! They also make great gifts for birthdays or other special occasions.
This is a great craft for both kids and adults since it’s so simple to make. Place the flowers on randomly, or make your lantern in different shades of one colour. Simple dollar store jars become beautiful, summery, and rustic!
Check out our Pressed Flower Lanterns video tutorial:
*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.
Looking for more great craft ideas? Here’s some of our favourites:
Here’s what you’ll need:
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The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of products on Amazon that are similar to the supplies we used:
- Mod podge
- Pressed flowers
- Glass jar
- Paintbrush
- Twine
- Tealight or Votive Candle
Where can I buy pressed flowers?
We recommend buying pressed flowers from Amazon since they have many different types of dried flowers available. You can even find packs devoted to a single colour of flower.
Another good online option for pressed flowers is Etsy , as they also sell a large variety of options. Michaels or another craft store may have a small selection.
Can I press my own flowers?
If you have flowers in your garden you can definitely pick a few and press them yourself. This makes the pressed flower lanterns even more special! It’s also a really fun activity to do with kids.
Learn how to press flowers and check out our tips and tricks on how to get the best looking pressed flowers.
What type of jar is best?
A straight sided glass jar is the best type of jar to make a pressed flower lantern. Regular mason jars often have ridges on the side, which doesn’t look as nice and makes it harder for the flowers to stick.
You also want a jar that has a wide enough opening to place a candle and to fit a lighter inside. You can repurpose an old jam jar, or buy a wide mouth mason jar that has smooth sides. We found the jars you see in the photos at the dollar store.
Can I hang my pressed flower lantern?
Yes, you can use picture hanging wire and/or an old wire clothes hanger to create handles for these lanterns. A Piece of Rainbow has a great tutorial for hanging mason jar lights.
Another option is to glue the twine around the mouth of the jar to keep it secure and create a handle from the twine.
Pressed Flower Lanterns
Materials:
- Glass jar/mason jar (straight/smooth sided)
- Pressed flowers
- Mod Podge (matte)
- 4 feet Twine
- Tealight (or votive)
Equipment:
Instructions:
Step 1: Add pressed flowers to jar
- Paint a small area of the outside of the jar with a thin layer of Mod Podge.It's best to work in small areas, as the Mod Podge starts to dry very quickly.
- Press a dried flower onto the mod podge.
- Cover the flower with another layer of Mod Podge.If the flower has layered petals, you may need to "glue" the top petal to the one beneath it with mod podge. This will ensure the flower sticks properly.
- Repeat these steps, covering as much of the jar as you like with pressed flowers.
- Once all the flowers have been placed on the jar, let the Mod Podge dry for five minutes.Cover the entire jar with a thin layer of Mod Podge. This will ensure all the flowers stick, and it creates an even texture for any glass that's showing on the lantern.
Step 2: Tie the twine
- Starting from the centre of the twine, loop it around the mouth of the jar several times. Make a knot and then tie a bow out of the remaining twine.
- Add a candle and light it to see your lantern glow.Your pressed flower lantern is complete!
Helpful Tip:
The warm glow of candlelight shines through the glass of these colourful pressed flower lanterns, illuminating any room you place them in. Celebrate the beauty of summer flowers year round with this pressed flower craft!
Here’s even more great craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon |  Barnes and Noble |  Books- A- Million |  Indiebound |  Indigo |  Amazon Canada
Debbie says
These are so cute! Do these need to be kept away from water? I haven’t worked with mod podge before and am curious how these will hold up if they’re used outside. Thank you!
One Little Project says
Hi Debbie! Mod podge isn’t waterproof, but it is water resistant. You can also buy Mod Podge Outdoor, which is even more water resistant.
So you should be able to put the Pressed Flower Lanterns outdoors, as long as they’re not subject to constant rain or sun.
BRENDA LIMER says
Hey sweet girl, loved the pressed flowers ,could I do this on an old window?Brenda
One Little Project says
Hi Brenda! Yes it would work, and that’s an awesome idea — it would look so pretty!!
Lynda Bergman says
Hi. These are really pretty. Does the heat effect the flowers and Mod Podge finish/sealer?
One Little Project says
Hi Lynda! Mod podge preserves the flowers and is heat resistant itself. As long as the flame of the candle is centered in the jar there shouldn’t be any issues. 🙂
Cindy Shank says
Is there something you can put on the outside of the jar to make it waterproof, like epoxy or something? I like the idea of hanging them. Love your site.
One Little Project says
Thanks so much, Cindy! I would probably buy a brush on waterproof sealer or varnish at Home Depot. You can use epoxy, but I don’t know enough about it to advise.
Beverly Duval says
How can I press my flowers and they don’t fall apart after dried or pressed
One Little Project says
What method did you use to press the flowers, Beverly? We bought our dried flowers and didn’t have any issues with them.
PW says
I have been doing these this summer with flowers from my wildflower garden.
I picked up a packet of seeds from the dollar tree. They were just amazing. It
has been so much fun.
One Little Project says
Awesome, I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed making them! We’d love to see pictures.
Margaret says
Amazing
Pam says
Concerned. Making our pressed flower vase …flowers are not sticking down ..how did you get them to stick even with mod podge down first. it did not.
One Little Project says
Hi Pam, sorry to hear it’s not working for you… we didn’t have any issues with the pressed flowers sticking. Are your flowers large? If so, the more area that needs to stick to a curved surface, the more difficult it is (like with our Mason Jar Leaf Lanterns).
I would suggest making sure the glass surface is very clean, without any fingerprints… try washing the vase with soap and water, and then use a cotton ball to wipe some rubbing alcohol around the outside (make sure not to touch where you’ve wiped). Allow to dry, and then use a generous amount of Mod Podge. Hope this helps!
Rachel says
Did it work? I am having the same problem?
Ashley C says
This was such a great project! My daughter’s ages 6 and 10 made these to give to their Grandmother’s for Mother’s Day. They are beautiful and very easy to make! Thank you for the easy to follow steps!
One Little Project says
Thanks for the lovely comment, Ashley! I bet they look great. 🙂
Madison Araujo says
I love these!! What size jars are these? I am trying to order these for a recruitment activity, but cannot quite find the right jar
One Little Project says
Hi Madison, we used 250 ml (8.45 oz) canning jars to make these.