Tin Can Lanterns

Materials Already On-Hand:              
tin cans, towel
nails and hammer
needle nose pliers
assortment of acrylic paint, brushes
tea lights or other short candle
wire hangers

Materials Bought:                             Cost of Project: $1.00-ish
Spray Paint (about 98cents at Walmart)


Fill cans with water almost to the top and freeze. 
Roll towel up on sides to keep the tin from rolling while pounding the nails. 


I used three different nail sizes to create a variety of holes. Also, varied the depth to which I pounded them in. Pushed to widest part of nail to create larger holes and stuck with just the tip of the nail to make a smaller hole. 


Spray inside of tin with white spray paint to increase the glowing effect. 

I used coat hangers from the dry cleaners as hanging wire. One hanger for two lanterns. Used needle nose pliers to manipulate the stiff wire. 


I liked the original effect of the shiny gray tin but used acrylic paint on-hand out of curiosity. While colorful, they lack luster. Think I'll add something clear and shiny on top to bring back some shine to the outside. 



Live and Learn: 
Forgot to pound in extra holes near the rim to thread the wire through. Tried to add the holes afterwards but couldn't pound in the nails without the ice inside. This time I threaded the wire through existing holes further down which interfered with some of the patterns and light dispersion. 





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