Night Sky Lanterns
Make your own upcycled tea light lanterns inspired by Winter Solstice night sky
– the longest night of the year – which occurred on the 21st of June 2020.
Materials
- Tin cans
- String
- Scissors
- Tape
- Pencil
- Sheet of paper
- Nails
- Hammer
STEP 1
Clean the tin can by removing the label, then wash and dry it. Fill the tin can with water and freeze overnight. The ice helps stabilise the can, so it doesn’t dent when you hammer your holes.
Once the water is fully frozen, remove the tin can from the freezer. If the bottom has expanded, you can use your hammer to push it back into shape.
Step 2
Cut a piece of paper to the same size as the circumference of your tin cans. (A standard tin can is 73mm x 110mm)
Draw your night sky pattern onto your cut piece of paper and secure it to the can with tape. This will act as a stencil for where you will want to hammer your holes.
Step 3
Place the can on top of a folded towel to stop it rolling around. Use a nail and the hammer to carefully punch holes into the can over your stencil.
Hammer two holes opposite each other near the top of the can to tie on the string as a handle.
When you’re finished hammering, unwrap the can and run it under warm water to remove the ice.
Step 4
Tie your string onto the two holes you made at the top of the can and place a tea light inside the can.
Wait for night and light your candle and enjoy the ambience!
IMAGES > Courtesy of Clare Leporati.