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.
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
How to turn an orange into a candle? It’s super easy! Find out in this fun tutorial!
2. 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
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
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
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
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 Tutorial link no longer active)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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
These delicate “flowers” are made from wax! Check out the wonderful tutorial by super talented Gina from Willowday !
20. 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! =)
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.
hi Sue! which ones are they? i will try to update with either new links or similar DIY tutorials! 🙂
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!!!
Absolutely stunning! Thank you on a detailed impressive collection!
Woah…!!! Amazing and magical light ideas! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this with us
I love the citrus skin luminaries. They are magical and so pretty!
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!
Those botanical ice luminaries are gorgeous! They are really perfect for a winter party. I could also see them being used for a kid’s Frozen party!
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.
I love the paper flower cut outs! Those are my favorite!
If only I had time to craft more, I’d make some of these, these are all so great! 🙂
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
These are all so beautiful!
I love this list! These luminaries look so magical.
Oh pretty! I am going to make some for Thanksgiving 🙂
My head just exploded with all these ideas!! I love the mason jar ones and the ones with ribbon best. Awesome!!
These are all so pretty! I especially love #1 and #3!
those are simply gorgeous! Now I want to make one!
Love all these ideas! Especially the orange peel!
These are very cool Ananda! I’d never seen the botanical ice one before. I love it! It reminds me of the holidays, so it’s such appropriate timing!
I love this post. It is so relaxing looking at them.
I LOVE all of these. I am going to have to make some myself. I may even be nice and give some as gifts! ha!
These are all so cute. I love the Epsom salt ones.
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!
I love luminaries! Thanks for compiling these!
These are all amazing! I love lumineres. Thanks for the great ideas, the little houses are my favorite. They would be an awesome kids craft and Christmas decoration
I love the idea of the oranges (grapefruit too) as it is something that would normally be thrown away and it has a great smell!
I love these! I especially love the doiley paper bag ones. So cute! 🙂
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.
I am headed to Hobby Lobby tomorrow and will be adding the mason jar snowflake luminaries to my craft list! This will be fun to do with the kids!
I’ve ALWAYS wanted to make a magical luminaries! I LOVE the enchanting mini houses one <3
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!
I enjoyed the showcase of DIY luminaries. I especially love the mason jar epson salt one! How lovely with the frosted look!
All of these are indeed magical luminaries! Best of all, they are DIY! 🙂
I love, love, love these luminaries, especially the ice ones!
love the snowflakes and
Orange I’ll have to try!