How to Make Halloween Luminaries
These Halloween luminaries are a fun way to light up your home for the spooky season. Made with mason jars, tissue paper, and glitter, they’re the perfect kid-friendly craft that adults will love too!
Yield: 1 Halloween lantern
Cost: $3
Materials
- Mason jar(s)
- FREE Printable Cat Outline (or other Halloween silhouette; find links below)
- Black paper
- Tissue paper (cut into squares)
- Matte Mod Podge
- Glitter (to match tissue paper)
Instructions
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Prepare your supplies
- Clean the outside of the mason jar with rubbing alcohol. This will remove any dirt or oils from the surface.
- Print one of our free Halloween templates. We have ghosts, pumpkins, bats, and more! (See links below.)Here we printed a cute Halloween cat.
- Cut out the template and trace it onto black paper.Then cut out the shape. Detail scissors work well for this task.
- Cut about 1/2 a sheet of tissue paper into squares and rectangles. Ours were about 1 inch long, but the exact dimensions don't matter.
Step 3: Decoupage the jar
- Add a thin coat of matte Mod Podge to one section of the jar using a foam brush.
- Place a piece of tissue paper into the Mod Podge. At the top, try to keep each piece straight just below the neck.
- Now add a bit more Mod Podge on top of the tissue paper.
- Continue adding more tissue paper, overlapping it and adding Mod Podge overtop until you get to the bottom of the jar.Repeat for the next section of the jar.
- Continue until the whole jar is covered. Make sure the tissue paper goes to the bottom of the jar and every bit is covered.You can hold the jar to the light to see if there are any gaps, and add more tissue paper to cover them.
Step 4: Add the Halloween cut-out
- Place your black paper cut-out on the side of the mason jar. Ensure that it's on the flat side of the jar, opposite any raised sections.
- Add more Mod Podge on top of the black paper, making sure it's nice and flat. Allow to dry.
Step 5: Decorate with glitter
- Use a smaller paintbrush to add a thin coat of Mod Podge to the neck of the jar.
- Choose a colour of glitter that will match your tissue paper. Sprinkle a generous amount onto the Mod Podge on the jar's neck. Shake off any excess glitter and allow to dry.
- Now paint another coat of Mod Podge on top of the glitter. This will seal it in and prevent it from falling off easily.
- Place a tealight in the jar and your Halloween luminary is complete!
- Have fun using different colours and outlines to make your mason jar lanterns!
Notes
Looking for more DIY lanterns? Here's a few of our favourites:
Galaxy Mason Jars
Mason Jar Leaf Lanterns
Upcycled Mushroom Lantern