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Grab an old glass jar, fall-themed window clings, and some mod podge to make a Fall Glass Jar Lantern – a super cute addition to your autumn decor.

Supplies for a Fall Upcycle Lantern Craft

How to make a fall glass jar lantern.

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Why I love this craft

I started saving jars years ago, so it’s always nice to come across a craft project idea that gives me an opportunity to use some of them up. I like this craft because it’s pretty low maintenance, doesn’t call for lots of supplies, and yields a decor piece that fits perfectly with my style.

What’s the best way to remove labels from jars?

I’ve always used the hot soapy water method to easily remove labels from jars. It’s able to remove the stickiness from the labels as well. However, if you have a jar that has a label or writing on it that seems a little tough to get off, you can always use the nail polish remover and q-tip method.

The inspiration for this craft:

Over the summer I made a couple of Upcycled Wildflower Glass Jars and I loved the way they turned out. The biggest difference between this project and the lanterns is the use of a matte finishing spray to give the wildflower jars a frosted finish.

upcycled wildflower glass jars

Video Tutorial: Fall Glass Jar Lantern

Watch this quick video to see how this craft came together:

Fall Glass Jar Lantern
Upcycled Pickle Jar Fall Lantern

Fall Glass Jar Lantern

Yield: 1 lantern
Active Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy

All you need are just a few Dollar Store supplies to make this festive Fall Glass Jar Lantern.

Materials

  • recycled jar (I used a pickle jar)
  • fall-themed window clings
  • Mod podge
  • Rust-oleum chalk paint (color: white)
  • Folkart matte paint (color: olive green)
  • painter's tape
  • gold floral wire

Tools

  • 1" flat paint brush
  • scissors or wire cutter

Instructions

  1. Watch the tutorial video. Follow along with the video for step-by-step instructions for creating your own fall glass jar lantern.
  2. Prepare the jar. Use hot soapy water to remove the label. If you have printing on the jar (expiration date), you can easily remove that with nail polish remover and a q-tip. Apply a piece of painter's tape around the middle section of the jar. tape jar and paint white
  3. Paint the jar. Apply a coat of white chalk paint on the bottom portion of the jar. Once it dries, follow up with two coats of dark green paint to get full coverage. While the paint is still drying (cor a crisp line with minimal bleed), remove the painter's tape. Now allow the paint to dry completely before moving to the next step. paint dark green over white paint
  4. Add window clings. Apply a thin coat of mod podge to the back of each window cling before placing it onto the jar. I added a total of 3 clings and let them dry completely. Mod Podge window clings to jar
  5. Assemble the lantern. Once the clings have dried, design the lantern handle by wrapping floral wire around the mouth of the jar about 10 times. Use additional wire to braid together and create a "handle". (Watch the video to see what this looks like.) Then wrap several more times to secure the handle. add gold floral wire around top of jar
  6. Complete the look. Finish your lantern by adding a candle, tealight, or battery-operated candle.

The Finished Craft

Upcycled Pickle Jar Fall Lantern - embellished with window clings and gold floral wire

Don’t forget to PIN this craft for later:

Dollar Store Fall Lantern Craft
Dollar Store Window Cling Craft

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