Light a path to your door with glowing lanterns, lighted trees, and swaying ghosts
Give your entry a cheerfully spooky look

Invert a glass globe that normally goes over an electric ceiling light fixture, tuck a tea light inside, and you’ve got a holiday lantern. Choose a globe that fits over the porch light and you can greet trick-or-treaters in an orange glow.

TIME: 20 minutes, not including drying time

COST: $10 to $15

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

  1. Translucent orange spray paint for glass (available at some Michaels craft stores; Krylon Stained Glass Magic Color is available at www.artcity.com)
  2. Glass globe for a light fixture (available at hardware stores)
  3. Pencil
  4. Cardboard
  5. Scissors or craft knife
  6. Black contact paper
  7. Wire cutters
  8. 20-gauge wire
  9. Six black beads
  10. Rubber band
  11. Pliers
  12. Hair dryer
  13. Glass beads or sand
  14. Tea light

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spray-paint the outside of the globe and set aside to dry (about an hour).

2. Draw a simple design – a jack-o’-lantern, black cat, or bat – on cardboard and cut out. Trace shape on contact paper and cut out design.

3. With wire cutters, cut a 2-foot length of wire and a 1-foot piece.

4. Thread black beads on the longer wire. Gently bend it to form a rounded handle. Position over globe leaving 2 inches of wire below neck of the globe on each side. Secure with the rubber band.

5. Wrap the shorter wire tightly around the neck of the globe and, with pliers, twist firmly. Clip off excess wire. Cut off the rubber band and discard.

6. Bend the descending 2 inches of the handle up over the securing wire and lightly twist around the handle. Cover the twist with the black beads, three on each side.

7. Peel the backing off the contact paper and stick the design on the globe, smoothing out as many bubbles as possible. With a hair dryer on a warm setting, heat the paper and smooth out the rest of the bubbles.

8. Pour a small amount of glass beads or sand in the bottom of the globe. Place a tea light in the center.

Next: Make a Halloween tree

 

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