Quick frosted lantern DIY for a super summer party

This post was originally published in November 2016.

The heat has truly arrived and we spend so much more time outside now. Even my office has moved outside – I am sitting on the patio writing this, with a tall glass of ice tea and a very welcome breeze in my hair. Our entertaining has also moved outside, with outdoor lanterns and candles adorning the patio and garden in the evening. It’s just beautiful and really gets you in the mood for a party.

My sister and her family came to visit on the weekend, and while the kids were in the pool we decided to get creative! She first made these lanterns for her 40th and I thought they were so cute that we just had to try them. It’s really quick to make and you can easily customize them to suit your decor. I think these frosted lanterns are the perfect little mood-creators for a summer party with cake!

Watch the video tutorial here!

You will need:

• Glass jars (mason jars)
• Podge medium and paint brushes or sponges
• Food colouring
• Salt

Step 1:

Use small amounts of food colouring to colour the podge medium. Liquid or powder colouring work equally well. It’s trial and error – my first coat was too light, so I ended up adding more colouring to get the right intensity.

Step 2:

Wait for the first coat to dry and add subsequent coats, until you are happy with the colour on the glass. You are going to have to salt the jar before the last coat dries, so you’ll have to work quickly!

Step 3:

Either roll the jar in a flat container filled with salt or sprinkle the salt onto the wet podge while turning it. You’ll only use a very small amount of salt and it works really well if you work over a flat foam container to catch the excess.

Step 4:

Leave it to dry and light up with a tea light! I always use citronella tea lights – they smell great and keep the bugs at bay. Place them on the table or along the garden path and in the garden.

When you’re done with your lanterns, pop the jars in the dishwasher and re-use them for something else!

Happy decorating!

I’d love to hear what you think of video by the way – I plan to make many more DIY videos in the future!