20 Magical DIY Luminaries

20 magical easy DIY lanterns & luminaries for $1! Great decor & crafts with candles & LED string lights for fall, winter, & Christmas!

As days are getting shorter, we are extra delighted at the golden glow of a candle, or the sparkles of hanging fairy lights.

20 magical easy DIY lanterns & luminaries for $1! Great decor & crafts with candles & LED string lights for fall, winter, & Christmas!

These 20 magical luminaries are really fun and easy to make, from ice to coffee cans, paper to glass! They will warm your heart and get you ready for the festive seasons!

1. DIY Orange Candles

DIY Orange Candles

*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

How to turn an orange into a candle? It’s super easy! Find out in this fun tutorial!

2. Botanical Ice Lanterns

Botanical Ice Lanterns

Collect some botanical treasures and create a mini winter wonderland! It’s simple, beautiful, and free! See the tutorial here at A piece of Rainbow .

3. Epsom Salt Mason Jar Lights

Epsom Salt Mason Jar Lights

Dreaming of a white winter wonderland? This genius DIY from Ginger at Ginger Snap Crafts will make your days merry and bright!

4. 3D Flower Paper Lanterns

3D Flower Paper Lanterns

All you need are some paper and old drinking glass to make these elegant paper lanterns. Check out the tutorial here!

5. Enchanting Mini Houses with LED tea lights

Enchanting Mini Houses with LED tea lights

These little paper houses with LED tea light would be so charming in a table setting or as Christmas tree ornaments! Get your free template here!

6. Coffee Can Lanterns

Coffee Can Lanterns

I just love the beautiful patterns made by nailing holes into a coffee can. This will inspire you to start saving coffee cans! ( Via Design Sponge. Tutorial link no longer active)

7. Magical Ice Orbs

Magical Ice Orbs

Taking about magical! Gabrielle at Design Mom shares how she made these with the help of balloons and a little food coloring! Incredible!

8. Grape Vine Ball Hanging Lights

Grape Vine Ball Hanging Lights

One day we are going to have an old tree outside our house and this tutorial will be the first one I go to!

9. Paper Bag Hanging Light

Paper Bag Hanging Light

So simple and pretty! Although tea candles were called for in this tutorial from Design Sponge, I would use LED candles.

10. Cupcake Liner Fairy Light

Cupcake Liner Fairy Light

Even cupcake liners can be transformed to something really lovely and festive. See how to make these sweet creations at CFab Bride Signs!

11. Light in a Bottle

Light in a Bottle

Instant charm from an up-cycled bottle! Use LED lights that don’t give off too much heat, and drill a hole on the bottle cap to help the heat escape. Tutorial here . As long as you hide the wire, your guests will be too busy admiring this magical bottle to notice any thing else!

12. Canvas Light Art

Canvas Light Art

Fairy dust? A piece of art work that lights up, what more could we ask for? Via Apartment Therapy.

13. Printed Paper Bag LED Candle Light

Printed Paper Bag LED Candle Light  rustic farmhouse decor

Love rustic farmhouse decor? Try these LED candle lights inside brown paper bags printed with old vintage book pages, nostalgic photos and words. Via Swell Designs

14. Tissue Paper and Paper Bag Luminaries

Tissue Paper and Paper Bag Luminaries

This fun and fabulous diy by Karen at Krafty Krook will give you so many ideas of how to create your own designs with tissue paper!

15. Dollie Paper Bag Luminaries

Dollie Paper Bag Luminaries

Martha did it again! These stunning paper dollie mandala luminaries are so exotic and elegant! Also great paper crafts and decor for a wedding.

16. DIY Pyramids Paper Light

DIY Pyramids Paper Light

Imagine how pretty this would be made with old musical sheets? Gina shares her lovely pyramid lantern tutorial at Willowday with a template for you to download!

17. Spray Painted Glass Lanterns

Spray Painted Glass Lanterns

Can you believe these are made from Dollar Store vases? Check out this amazing transformation at Six Sisters Stuff!

18. Plastic Bottle Boho hanging Lanterns

Plastic Bottle Boho hanging Lanterns

Actually they are made from recycled plastic bottles for Earthday at Craft and Hobby (link no longer available). I am in love with the bohemian charm derived from the spontaneous paint and details of beads!

19. DIY wax tea candle holder

DIY wax tea candle holder

These delicate “flowers” are made from wax! Check out the wonderful tutorial by super talented Gina from Willowday !

20. Wax Paper Luminaries

Wax Paper Luminaries

Can a DIY get any simpler than this?? And how gorgeous! All you need are strips of wax paper and 1 minute, really! If you have always loved DIY, but “have no time” “no skill”(NOT true)…  well, try this one from Design Sponge.

Wish you an inspired weekend! Happy creating! =)

38 Comments

  1. I tried a couple of the links & they no longer worked. So I tried searching for that craft on the original website & still no luck.
    I was disappointed.

    • Tried the Plastic Bottle Boho Hanging Lantern site isn’t avail. Thought that would be a perfect item to make with a teenager for her room. Sad nothing avail.
      Enjoyed several of the others.

      • hi Lillie! thank you for letting us know! i just checked and this blog seems to be no longer available. i will do some tests on painting on plastic and maybe create a tutorial on it! 🙂

      • Hi Lillie, my favorite one here! I’ve cut plastic containers, colored with sharpies, punched wire/bead holes, then shaped w/ heat gun to make earrings. I think I’ll try luminaries now!!!

  2. I love the Epsom Salt Mason Jar Luminaries! I think that they look great! Like you say, it reminds me of Christmas. I’m going to make those this year for our Christmas party! Thanks for the idea!

  3. These are some very pretty ideas for candle holders! I love the ones with the white paper flowers. They would be really cool if you could figure out a way to turn them into hanging candle lanterns. Maybe you could string a chain through the sides.

  4. BEAUTIFUL options!!! I could stare at beautiful lights all day/night, just sitting in the darkness and watching their romantic glow… I love the canvas light art one the most, although the orange one made me giggle with its functionality and creativity. Would love to make more than one of these! 😉

    xo,
    lauriel
    EyeForElegance.com

  5. I love these! My mother-in-law makes the little house ones for us each year and the ice one is so clever! Definitely going to need to try some of these this year!

  6. Couldn’t you see those botanical ice things out on a porch or next to the hot tub, during winter time? They’d be so cute with those flamesless candles.

  7. I just LOVE luminaries! But I have never actually tried to make one. Since these are all DIY I’m going to have to try and make one. Definitely going to be pinning this one for later!

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