Glass jar Christmas lantern with an LED tea light

Age: 6+ · Time: 40 min · For: Ages 6–9 Ages 10–12

A glowing lantern on the windowsill makes dark December evenings feel cozy and magical. This one is made from an empty jar and tissue paper, and when the LED light inside is switched on, the colors glow like stained glass, with dark silhouettes of trees and houses in front.

What children do, where you help

Children: tear and stick the tissue paper, draw and cut the silhouettes.
You: clean the jar and attach the handle.

Tips

Light colors let the most light through.
Small pieces stick more smoothly around the curves of the jar.

Safety

Handle glass carefully and work on a towel so the jar does not roll off the table. Use only LED lights.

You need

an empty, clean glass jar (from jam, apple sauce or pasta sauce) with the label removed
tissue paper in a few colors, or white parchment paper
black or dark blue paper for silhouettes
white school glue and water, mixed half and half in a tub
a wide brush
scissors and a pencil
a battery LED tea light
wire or strong string for a handle (optional)

Steps

Soak the jar in warm water to remove the label and wash and dry it well.
Tear or cut the tissue paper into small pieces.
Brush a section of the jar with the glue mix, press on tissue paper pieces and brush over them again. Keep going until the whole outside is covered, overlapping the pieces.
Leave to dry for about an hour. The glue dries clear.
Draw and cut out silhouettes from the dark paper, such as trees, houses, stars or a reindeer.
Glue the silhouettes onto the jar with the glue mix and brush over them once more.
When dry, put an LED tea light inside. Add a wire or string handle if you like (a grown-up twists the wire around the neck of the jar).