By Kristen Hannum
Everyone loves lights during this festive time of the year. They invoke a sense of holiday spirit and appreciation of all that surrounds us. But there is another place where twinkling magic happens: out in the garden.
Over the years I have set out paper bag lanterns (the traditional luminarias of New Mexico) along the front walkway for guests, arranged sturdy, homemade watercolor paper lanterns on a snow-covered table in the yard and hung glass jar lanterns from the long branch of our honeysuckle tree on a cold winter’s night. They were all lovely, like stars shimmering in the bare winter landscape.
Candlelight creates homemade garden art of the most ephemeral, loveliest kind, summer or winter. And with today’s battery-powered flameless candles, some of which actually flicker, you can set out your lanterns without fear of fire.
Glass jar lanterns
Glass Jar Lanterns
You will need a stock of used glass jars, wire hangers, needle-nose pliers, sand or gravel and tea candles. Wrap the wire hangers around the necks of each jar with needle-nose pliers. Scoop sand or gravel into the bottoms to keep the candle from knocking around. Drop a tea candle into the bottoms and then hang them from the branches in your garden.
Paper bag luminarias
Paper Bag Luminarias
You will need paper lunch bags, cardboard, a craft knife, sand and tea candles, flameless or real. Cut some cardboard so you can place a piece into the bottom of each lunch bag. Cut a star or tree shape into one side of each bag with a craft knife. Or use a star-shaped paper puncher and punch out a bunch of stars all around the bag. Fold the top edges of the bags over once or twice all the way around to help them stand up better, put a scoop of sand in the bottom of each and then push tea candles into the bottoms.
Watercolor lanterns
These are the classic Waldorf lanterns made with heavy white Bristol paper (140-pound, 11 by 15 inches). You will also need watercolors, watercolor brushes, jojoba oil, Mason jars, glue, masking tape, sand and a tea candle.
Use the watercolors to make the paper colorful. After the paint dries, rub the paper with jojoba oil (or cooking oil). This gives it a translucent quality. Roll your painted sheet of paper around the Mason jar and glue the edges together; while the glue dries place a strip of masking tape over the seam — lay on side with the Mason jar inside. Once the glue dries, remove the tape, place jar in upright position, put sand in the bottom and press your tea candle inside.