Friends, our up-cycled stained glass lantern craft for kids is absolutely perfect for summer! This simple stained glass kids craft only requires a handful of simple supplies (some of which you most likely already have on hand) about an hour of time and a little creativity, of course! The best part of this stained glass lantern craft is that kids can create their very own stained glass design. Whether you prefer a pretty butterfly or lady bug or fun patterns, the creative direction of the pattern is entirely up to the maker.
My oldest daughter went with a butterfly design and a pattern design when making her up-cycled stained glass lanterns, and we just love how they turned out! Once complete, we simply set a battery operated tea light in each up-cycled lantern. We chose tea lights that have a timer function too, so they will come on at the same time every evening throughout the summer. They give off such a soft and pleasant glow at night; perfect for summer!
Ready to craft your own up-cycled stained glass lantern with the kids? Read on for the full supply list and easy step-by-step instructions.
What you'll need:
- a pencil
- scissors
- wax paper
- a fine tip paint brush
- black puffy paint
- glitter glue (in a variety of colors / your choice of colors) we found the pictured glitter glue pots in a 12 pack of colors for $1.99 at the craft store. You could also use craft glue and simply use a drop or two of food color to mix various colors.
- craft paint in your choice of color(s)
- an empty cardboard box or container of your choice.
- battery operated tea light candles (note: DO NOT use real flame tea lights in these paper lanterns!)
- Using scissors, cut panels (square, circular, or diamond shapes- your choice!) out of your chosen up-cycled cardboard box or container.
- Paint your cardboard box or container in a color(s) of your choice.
- Cut wax paper panels sized to fit the panels that you've cut out of the container.
- Use a pencil to lightly trace out a design of your choosing on one or more of the wax paper panels.
- Use tape to affix each of the wax paper panels on the inside of your box/container.
- Use black puffy paint to outline the design that you penciled (make sure to create complete sections / lines that will hold the glitter glue in place in sections - refer to imagery above and below.) Allow adequate time for the puffy paint to dry.
- Once dry, use a fine point paint brush to fill the spaces of your design in with glitter glue in different colors. Allow adequate time for drying.
- Place a battery operated tea light in your completed up-cycled stained glass lantern and ENJOY!
