This gorgeous pressed flower jar lantern is the perfect craft for spring or any time of year that you would like to add a warm glow to your home. Children will love helping with all steps of this lantern craft. I will offer tips and tricks throughout this post to help make this an easy and fun craft!
Making a pressed flower lantern is so easy and the results are always gorgeous. The pressed flowers will keep their vibrant color since they are preserved, making this a colorful and beautiful decoration for your home!
Ready to give it a try!? Here’s what you’ll need..
Supplies for your Pressed Flower Lantern:
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Jar- Any pasta sauce, juice or jelly jar will work!
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Mod podge- I used the matte variety for the the purple pansies lanterns and it gave the lantern a frosted effect. I used the glossy variety for a colorful wildflower lanterns shown at the end of the post and that gave the lantern a beautiful shinny finish! I suggest the combo pack to try each type and it also comes with foam brushes!
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Foam brush– These are very helpful for spreading Mod Podge on the jar.
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Pressed flowers– If you don’t have any flowers to press or are feeling impatient, you can always find a variety of pressed flowers on Amazon or purchase a bouquet to press at home. Here is a beautiful variety pack that includes pansies on Amazon and here is a beautiful wildflower pack from ETSY!
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Twine or string
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Tweezers- These are helpful for picking up delicate pressed flowers.
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Equal parts cooking oil and baking soda- This mixture will remove stubborn labels or printed expiration dates from jars and leave them sparkling clean.
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Related: Check out Beautiful Wax Paper Egg Craft
How to Press Flowers:
Look for flowers with a single layer of petals and have fun experimenting with different types of flowers! We love pressing pansies and wild violets during spring. Don’t forget to press the leaves!
Once you pick your flowers or buy a bouquet, place them between two pieces of wax paper in a book and close the book. Place a couple more books on top and check back in a week or two. If they are not dried, then let them press for another week and check on them again. Continue this cycle until they are dried. I have a more extensive guide on pressing flowers in 20+ Pressed Flower Crafts.
How to Remove the Label from your Jar:
Step 1:
Give your jar a hot water bath! Let your jars sit in hot water for about 10 minutes to loosen the glue behind the label. Be careful when handling the hot jar and don’t use boiling water! Take the jars out of the water and peel off as much of the label as you can at this point.
Step 2:
Next, mix equal parts cooking oil and baking soda. I used two tablespoons of each. Rub it on what is left of your label and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Peel off the rest of the label and rub the glue off the jar. I like to fill the jar with more warm/hot water at this point to continue loosening the glue. You can also run the jar under warm water and add a little more baking soda mixture to get the last bits and pieces off.
How to Make the Jar Lantern:
Step 1:
Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to a third of your jar with your foam brush. Don’t put too much Mod Podge on your jar at one time or it will dry before you get the chance to apply the pieces of nature.
Step 2:
Gently pick up the pressed pieces of nature with your fingers or tweezers and place them on the Mod Podge. I had to press some of the thicker leaves for about 30 seconds to help them stick to the Mod Podge. Finish your jar and let the Mod Podge dry completely.
Step 3:
After the first layer of Mod Podge is dry, add another layer of Mod Podge over the jar and pressed pieces of nature. This will protect the pieces of nature and keep them from peeling up as they dry.
How to Make the Jar Lantern Handle:
Step 1:
Tie twine around the neck of the jar two times and give it a double knot on one side of the jar. Cut any excess twine.
Step 2:
Take another piece of twine and weave it through the twine on one side of the jar. This can be tricky since the twine is tied tightly around the neck of the jar, but this method worked for all of my jar crafts! Once you wiggle/push the twine through, tie another double knot on that side. Do this same step on the other side of the jar. Again, cut any excess twine.
Your handle is all set. You can take this on an evening nature walk! Make sure you bring it inside when finished because Mod Podge is somewhat water resistant, but not waterproof.
They also make the perfect decoration for a table or shelf. They add a touch of whimsy to any space! Here is another version of our pressed flower lantern. This lantern is made with pressed wildflowers and sealed with the glossy Mod Podge. Which version do you like more!
Pin it and save it for later!
I hope you try making a jar lantern! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.
∼Tara
