She Uses Dollar Tree Window Cling To Make Beautiful Stained Glass Lanterns

Installing romantic, atmospheric lighting in your home doesn't have to be an expensive affair. In fact, you can make stunning fixtures from recycled household items, like turning a glass pickle jar into a charming pendant light, or create them with a combination of affordable items from Dollar Tree. YouTuber Loli Ds Creations created a tutorial for just such a DIY project. She created faux stained glass using window clings from Dollar Tree, which she applied to a black metal lantern from the same store, giving the once-plain fixture much more charm.

Dollar Tree stained glass window clings cost $1.25 per sheet. However, as many passionate crafters have pointed out on social media, it's no longer available on the store's website. It may still be in stock in some U.S. stores, so you could be lucky enough to find it at your local Dollar Tree. If you can't find any, you can get alternatives online, like this Haton Rainbow Lattice Stained Glass Window Film for about $8 a sheet.

This project won't cost you extra if you already own a black metal lantern with clear glass or acrylic panels. If you need a brand-new lantern to work with, though, why not purchase a Birch and Vine Mini LED Candle Lantern at Dollar Tree for $1.25 or the pricier but larger 14-inch-tall Afineth Black Decorative Indoor-Outdoor Lantern for about $22. Both come with flameless candles. Furthermore, you'll need a pair of scissors or a ruler and a craft knife to cut the cling, plus a squeegee or plastic card to smooth it onto the glass.

To get started on this easy yet gorgeous lantern renovation, remove the transparent glass panels from the lantern and wipe them clean with a solution of distilled water and dish soap. This helps the window cling to adhere properly to the glass. Once the glass is clean and dry, lay each panel over the sheet and trace around the panel. Then cut the cling along your traced lines using scissors or a craft knife and ruler. Read the manufacturer's instructions before applying the window cling to the glass panels — sometimes, you need to mist the glass with water first. Once you have positioned the window cling, smooth it using a squeegee or plastic card, working from the center outward to get rid of any air bubbles and creases.

When you've finished adhering the window cling to each glass panel, you can reassemble the lantern. That's it! If you want to make your new lighting fixture a little more charming, try experimenting with different light sources. For example, a warm yellow LED candle will emit a softer, cozier light, while a cool white bulb may help the blues and other cool tones in the patterns on the stained glass window cling to stand out. Once you've decided on a light source, you can adorn the outside of the lantern. For example, why not learn how to decorate a lantern with real or artificial greenery? If you make more than one of these faux stained glass lanterns, suspend them from a curtain rod in the corner of your living room for an antique-inspired lighting display.