DIY Lantern Moth Jars
These easy DIY lantern moth jars will light up your garden during long summer evenings.
Looking for a fun way to light your next evening garden party? These easy DIY lantern moth jars are inexpensive and easy to assemble… and frankly hard to photograph, I have to admit. They look great in person – make them for yourself and see!
DIY Lantern Moth Jars Materials
- Glass Jars (Mason jars will work, but I found these with plain sides and preferred them)
- Decorative jar tops with cut outs as shown below
- Krylon Sea Glass Spray Paint in Ice
- Iridescent glitter paint
- Dark cardstock
- Die cut machine or pencil, scissors, and X-Acto knife
- Moth silhouette images
- Gluestick
- Sponge brush
- Ribbon and raffia
- Tea lights or LED string lights
DIY Lantern Moth Jars Silhouette Images
- If you have a die cut machine (i.e. Cricut or Silhouette), download the moth images above, upload them to your design program, and use your machine to cut them out from dark cardstock.
- If you don’t have a machine, print and cut the images onto light colored paper. Use this as a template to cut out the shapes from dark cardstock with scissors and X-Acto knife.
- For both, adjust the moth silhouettes to the appropriate size for your jars.
DIY Lantern Moth Jars Instructions
- Clean the glass jars well, removing any sticker residue.
- Spray the outside of the jars with the sea glass spray paint. Several coats may be necessary. Allow to dry.
- Use the sponge brush to apply glitter paint to the outside of the jars. Allow to dry.
- Glue the silhouettes to the insides of the jars. Be sure they are pressed firmly in place. Tip: Use a ruler or chopstick to press the cutouts into place if the jar is too narrow for your hand to fit inside.
- Add ribbon and raffia to the rim of the jar.
- If possible, use battery-operated LED string lights. Push them randomly into the jar to simulate fireflies. You can also use battery-operated tealights.
Lit and unlit, for comparison.
Another (unsatisfactory!) photo.
Originally Published: May 28, 2016