Halloween Lantern Topper

This video tutorial will show you how to decorate this wood and glass lantern for Halloween. The best part about this tutorial is that the topper is made of scraps! The Halloween bird nest and hands were the only two new products that we opened to make this topper. The lanterns are new items that have recently been added to Trendy Tree. This particular lantern is one of a set of two that I have used in my home. They are made of wood and glass and come in a set of two. We chose the larger one to decorate for this tutorial, but we'll show you the smaller one also so you can see the size comparison at the end of the tutorial. This is just one of many styles of lanterns available at Trendy Tree, but I personally really love this set. The simplicity of the wood and glass are just perfect for year round decorating. I like the fact that the glass sides really show off anything you choose to put inside the lantern. Decorating the top of your lantern, or changing what you choose to display gives you the option of creating seasonal accents throughout your home with hardly any work! I'm always for doing something that requires less work))) The battery powered candles also are perfect for using inside your lanterns. We have a large section of Simplux Candles and you can choose from shape, size and color. These candles have a very realistic flame that can be adjusted from a flicker to a steady burn. A remote can be used to turn the off/on, adjust the flame and even set a timer. So you want to set your lanterns in an out of the way or hard to reach place, you can just set the timer and they will automatically turn on and off every 24 hours based on your choice. Anyway, back to the lantern topper! The only two new items that we used for this project was the bird nest with skulls and the mummy hands. - Update 8/11/16 Sorry but both the nest and the mummy hands have sold out and no more will be coming in. We do have a RAZ Skeleton hand that will be arriving any day now. H3609316 The nest is made of twig and measures about 7" x 8". It contains plastic bird eggs and small skull heads. SOLD OUT The Haunted Mummy Hand measures about 11". It is made of Styrofoam, but the fingers are wired for shaping. We used two of the hands in this project. SOLD OUT The remaining materials use for the topper were all scraps! This is a great project to clear out some of those remnants on your craft table. We just sorted through some pieces of ribbons and picked out a few items that looked like Halloween. Of course, you can use new ribbons, but it's really great to turn those scraps into something useful)) We also used scraps of paper mesh and frayed edge poly jute mesh. The paper mesh and frayed edge poly jute were all 10" in width. Again, these were just pieces left over from other projects. Typically we would use a spray or a couple of sprays to form a base to attach ribbons to, but we didn't have anything workable on our table other than some wire jute roping in a natural color. This roping has been a part of several of our previous projects and as you can tell by the video, the pieces we worked with had been used several times)) SOLD OUT We just took several of the pieces of jute roping and wired them together to make a base for the ribbons and ruffles. Ruffle picks were made by cutting the paper and mesh into 10" x 10" squares; gathering up through the center and attaching 1/2 piece of a chenille stem to make a pick. Products We Used: RR800240 Black/White 10" Paper Mesh XB97010-15 10" Frayed Edge Burlap Dark Natural RR800118 10" Paper Mesh Natural The roping base was attached to the lantern using a scrap of ribbon and the ruffle picks secured to the roping. Using chenille stems that match your ruffle would be ideal, but we only had white for this tutorial. The ends of the chenille stems were wrapped around the roping to help conceal them. The roping base was attached to the top of the lantern with about one third off to one side, and two thirds on the other. But you can attach it dead center if you like, just position to suite your taste. Ribbons We Used: RG178110 2.5" Grey/White Stripe Q514109-27 1.5" Ivory/Black Polka Dot (the black/white we used is no longer available, but this one would work just as well) Black Candy Corn Ribbon (we used 1.5" but it is no longer available) CL1510YP 1.5" Natural/Black Double Chevron We made two bows based on Julie at Southern Charm Wreaths, whimsical or funky bow technique. Julie has a great book "Learn Deco Mesh Wreath Design" and she is always coming out with new ideas for crafting. The two bows were secured to the roping base and then a chenille stem was run through the bottom of the nest and secured directly to the top of the lantern. The mummy hands were just set inside the lantern and fashioned around the candle. We did add a couple of extra ruffle picks to the left side of the roping base after the next was added to balance it a little more. Here's an image of the set of lanterns. In the smaller lantern we placed a few "bones." These bones have a realistic look and feel along with some weight that makes them feel like real bones.....don't ask me how I know this....just trust me))) The Bundle of Bones contains about seven bones that range from 7.5" to about 12" in length. These are great bones)) The two lanterns together make a great spot of decoration and this was so easy to do! Once Halloween is over, just untie the swag and decorate your lantern(s) for the Christmas season. Remember, never throw anything away from your craft table! Lantern swags and candle rings are a great way to use up short ends. We'll be doing some candle rings soon so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow along on our blog so you won't miss our next tutorials! Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save