The end of summer is approaching, and the weddings are plentiful. It's still warm enough to hang outdoors into the wee hours, and soon, it'll be just crisp enough that you need that extra layer of warmth. Candles in jars have been a popular way of illuminating the outdoors for ages, and the hanging jar lantern is something all budding DIYers should be versed in.
There are tons of complicated and beautiful tutorials out there involving fancy knots and crochet-style netting, but we're all about basics. With a handful of twine and 4 knots, it's super easy to create your own hanging lanterns, and in under 2 minutes.
For jars, you can use good old mason jars, recycled mix-and-match jars, or these round jars we ordered from Uline. We also chose to use 12-hour votives since the candles were created for a wedding reception and had to be lit a few hours before. Tea lights or battery operated candles would also work.
1. First, tie a small piece of string around the rim of your jar. Then cut three pieces of string about 24 inches in length. Tie two together in the middle, and then tie the third one on. This will give you a large knot in the middle with six strands of string coming out from it, in a sort of spider-like formation.
2. Set the "spider" down on your work surface. Place the jar on top of it, centered. Now thread each strand up the jar and pull through the piece of string on the rim. Do so evenly around the jar to create six stripes.
3. Once you've pulled all of the strands through, tie a knot at the top.
4. Secure again with a second string around the rim of the jar and drop your candle in. Done!
If you’ve got smaller jars and want to make a little triple lantern, use the same “spider” string and tie two strands around each small jar. Pull excess string up into the middle and knot.
Now, hang your brand new lanterns on trees! Be sure not to hang them too close to any loose leaves or twigs.
The natural tone of the twine goes perfectly with any tree, bush, or branch you find. The lanterns looked pretty good at the main event!
And there you have it! Two super easy ways to turn jars into beautiful hanging lanterns, perfect for outdoor weddings, fall barbecues, and romantic evenings spent outside.
Do you have any hanging jar lantern tips and tricks? Follow us on Pinterest for more DIY projects!
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This post has been updated.
