Materials
- 1” square dowels
- Wood glue
- Hot glue and glue sticks
- Bailing wire
- Wire cutter
- Needle-nose pliers
- Craft plaques (7”x7”)
- OPTIONAL: Drill with small drill bit
- OPTIONAL: Battery-operated candles
- OPTIONAL: Small drywall screws
- OPTIONAL: Paint or stain
- OPTIONAL: Polyurethane sealant
Directions
1. Create your own cut list for the hardware store based on the size you would like your lanterns. Here is the cut list of the wood dowels if you want yours exactly like mine: 4 cut to 18”, 4 cut to 16”, 4 cut to 14”, 24 cut to 4 1/8”
2. On your craft plaque, glue on your 1” square dowels in each corner, using hot glue to allow it to set up immediately, and wood glue to allow it to set up after 24 hours. This way, the hot glue holds immediately, and the bond gets stronger as time goes by with the wood glue.
3. Glue the smaller wood dowels along the bottom, inside the long dowels. These will be your 4 1/8” pieces.
4. Add the remaining 4 cut dowels to the top of the structure and secure with glue, again with the 4 1/8” pieces.
5. OPTIONAL: Ok…if you are happy with your lanterns at this point, great! Enjoy! If you want to add handles….read on.
6. In the middle of the top on two sides, measure the middle. Take your drill bit and drill a hole only half-way through the dowel. Make sure the drill bit is slightly bigger than your bailing wire.
7. Take your bailing wire and measure out how big you would like your handle, bending the sides with a needle-nose pliers about 1/2” at a 90 degree angle.
8. Add some hot glue to the hole and add the bailing wire at the bend into the wood.
9. Repeat on the other side.
10. Add a battery-operated candle of your choice.
11. Sit back, relax and admire your fancy new lanterns for a fraction of the cost!
TIPS:
1. Since you are using unfinished wood, make sure you are only using battery-operated candles, as real candles would be a fire hazard.
