Wedding Forum - Tin can lanterns...

I've been looking for ideas on how to make some inexpensive decorations for the wedding venue and came across the suggestion of making lanterns out of tin cans for tea lights

So I've looked into it and I think we're going to make some for the wedding and pray paint them to match our colours

Apparently what you do is stick your chosen design over a clean can and over the outline hammer nails in to make little holes to let the light out.

It looks sooooooo pretty (there's a few pics in my photo albums)

They are absoluely gorgeous hun. Such a good and inexpensive idea! I will deffo be showing chris these. Karlie had coloured bottle lanterns, and they were nice too!xx

I'm really excited as it's a way I can get my younger bridesmaid involved - helping with the design

Chris likes them so I've got the go ahead to give it a try yay

I like the look of them but my venue will be in a marquee so not sure if id be aloud these??? Might be a fire risk? I'd have to ask

what about using battery operated tea lights? that's what I'll be using :)

They are lovely.

LOVE these! Hmmm maybe get the girls to make some for christmas and halloween next year hehehe

ohhh that would be lovely and the pics will look fab too xx

hadnt thought of that, you could get some clear crystal type ones that will catch the light from the candle too xx

ull have to have a go and let me no how it goes and of u want bigger holes try useing knitting neadles xx

they look awesome, we cant have candles at all in our venue as its a listed building and stuff, i surrendered my candles for my venue but they are sweety xx

Candles look really cute in just plain jam jars too!xxx

Yeah id love to see what they look like when you have had a go xx

I've searched for videos and it seems quite easy, just a case of hammering a nail through :)

I was just about to raid the cupboard and try finding the smoothest cans we have in

I'll definitely post pics once I've had a go, am dying to get the stuff ordered (spray paint and little beads for the handle)

What type of cans would look better do you think?

Shorter, wider ones like pineapple cans for example, or cans for baked beans etc?

Ha, I just saw these in Tesco magazine today. They look fab and are so cheap to make. It says in the article that it's best to fill them with water first and then freeze them as this makes the cans more stable when you hammer into them. x

Well I had a go tapping out a design on a small can earlier, and I think it's going to work - the only thing I'll need to change is the size of the butterflies so that the holes actually bring out the shape rather than just look like a load of dots. And I plan on spray painting the inside and probably filing down the sharp bits of metal. But this is what it looks like on the inside, I'm really chuffed with it - can't wait to do a full one

we haven't got any candles in, so I'll have to wait until next week when the battery tea light arrives :(

I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how well it's turned out.

Have found a spray paint online, going to get a pearlescent light pink and a white to spray inside to reflect the light

It took about 45 minutes to hammer the holes in just for that one butterfly, so I think it's going to take quite a while to set up ready for spray painting it

We're going to use battery powered tealights in them as it means I can set them up in the morning and not have to worry about the lights burning out or anything as they last for 80 hours :D

I'm so tempted to buy glass paint and try a jam jar one too

roll on monday so I can get the spray paint ordered :)

am thinking of changing the design around it slightly and adding some stars, and then will try and hunt out a tea light of some sort, am dying to see what it looks like in the dark

Love this idea, I was thinking of making lanterns out of recylced glass jars and putting wire round the rim to hang them, can even paint them with little decorations using stencils and glass paint.

Might be doing these aswell now :)

Thanks for the idea!!

im liken the star one and heart.....sod it all of em.did you stencil them first ?x

What i did was printed the star, the hearts and the butterfly out and stuck them on the can and then hammered the nail through following the outline :)

That isn't even the full effect, I can't wait to be able to spray paint it and see what happens :)

yeah it was quite difficult at times so I will probably freeze the next one I try :)

These look really fab, might have to have a go :) x