Create Tin Candle Lanterns with Recycled Cans

In the days before electricity, oil lanterns and candles were the main sources of light for civilized folk. Just like modern people enjoy pretty decorator lamps in our homes, they enjoyed dressing up their candles as well. You can relive the charm of the past my creating your own tin candle lanterns with recylced cans.

Materials Needed

1. Large size recycled cans
2. Hammer and nail
3. Acrylic paint and paintbrush
4. A candle

Preparing the Can

This project is best done with a large sized can, such as those from coffee or spaghetti sauce. Smaller soup cans are more difficult to work with, although they can be used as well. The first thing you should do is remove the label and any glue used to attach it.

After you choose the can you want to use to create your tin candle lantern, you must wash the can carefully. If there are any sharp edges left from the can opener, you can use a rasp to smooth them out.

Making the Pattern

The next step in creating your candle lantern is to mark your chosen design on the tin can. You can copy designs from craft books, or come up with your own. Simply draw a small dot with a permanent marker every place where you will want a hole punched in the can. The pattern for the top of the can should have a lot of holes to let the light and heat out easily.

After the pattern is drawn, you must use the hammer and nail to create the lantern. The nail should be placed at each dot and hammered gently into the can. If it is too difficult to hammer on the can without crushing it, putting a small block of wood or a smaller can inside can help.

Once the entire pattern is poked into the recycled can, you can see how lovely it will be when a candle is lit inside of it. You should be sure that the holes are large enough to let the light out as you want it. If you want to, you can now paint the candle lantern with heat-safe acrylic paint. It is nice to paint the lantern in a solid color so the punched design really stands out. Of course, you can also paint it with a pretty country motif.