DIY Lantern Moth Jars

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.

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