DIY Moody Tea Light Lanterns With Some Old Wine Glasses

Nothing creates a cozier ambiance faster than the flickering glow of candlelight. And while there are many beautiful ways to decorate your home with candles, tea light lanterns are an exceedingly lovely option for creating moody vibes. Not only would they look stunning as a table centerpiece for an intimate dinner party or even a wedding, but they'd also look equally charming when styled as a small kitchen lamp or as part of a vignette on a bookshelf. Though you can buy tea light lanterns in stores, they are actually very easy to make on your own using old wine glasses. In addition to being an excellent way to repurpose drinking glasses that would otherwise sit unused in your cupboard, this is also a very budget-friendly DIY.

Besides old wine glasses, the only other supplies you'll need are a printer, paper, pencil, scissors, and either glue or double-sided tape. Did we mention this project is also quick and easy to do? It likely won't take you more than half an hour to complete. What's also great about this DIY project is that you can really tailor the look of your lanterns to your own personal style. From painting the wine glass to using a specific paper pattern to adding various embellishments, there are a number of ways to change up the look. Below, we're sharing the simple steps you can follow to create your own tea light lanterns and a few ideas of how you can customize them for regular use or a special event.

To get started, you'll need to print out a mini lampshade template onto a sheet of printer paper and cut it out. There are many free lampshade templates available online, such as this template from Art All the Way or this template from Jewish Journal. After cutting out the template, place it on the backside of your decorative paper and trace around the edges with a pencil. Cut it out with scissors and then carefully roll the edges of the paper together to form a lampshade. Either tape or glue the overlapping edges of the lampshade together; if using a template with spots for slots, cut those and insert the tabs, then glue or tape for best results. Add an LED tea light candle inside the wine glass, place the lampshade on top, and behold your beautiful new lamp.

If you'd like to take the style of your lampshade up a notch, consider adding a gilded touch by painting the stem of the glass a beautiful gold color using glass paint. Want to create a seasonal look? Use paper featuring various seasonal patterns like plaid for fall, florals for spring, or snowflakes for the holidays. For a more polished look, you could glue ribbon along the top and bottom of the lampshade, or cut a pretty scalloped border along the edges. To let a little more candlelight shine through, you could use a hole punch to create a fun lampshade design. Regardless of its style, making a tea light lantern for your space is a simple trick to make your home feel warm and cozy.