Use Tissue Paper To Transform Glass Jars Into Sophisticated Lanterns That Look Like Stained Glass

Stained glass has been around for centuries, adding whimsy and color to buildings around the world.  If you've ever wanted to add a pop of color to your space, it's a great way to create something special without needing paint or a major renovation project. And if you've ever wanted to create gorgeous faux stained glass art, there are plenty of DIY projects that you can try that won't bust the budget or require a lot of extra materials. An interesting DIY that uses things you likely already have on hand takes glass jars and turns them into stained glass inspired lanterns that can even be hung outside. 

All you need to make your lanterns is a clear glass jar, tissue paper in a variety of colors, scissors, a decoupage medium, a paint brush, a black marker, twine, and a strand of fairy lights. This is a great way to reuse glass jars that might have otherwise ended up in the trash, just make sure that the surface of the jar is completely clean and free of any residues left over from labels or glue. For the decoupage medium, consider using one that is resistant to the elements if you do plan to hang your lantern outside. One option is the Outdoor Mod Podge that acts as both a glue and a sealer, and helps in preventing possible water damage to decor placed outside. And when it comes to the lighting, you can pick up multiple strands of battery-operated twinkle lights like the btfarm 3-pack of fairy lights.

In order to transform your old glass jars into lanterns that pop with color, start by cutting pieces of tissue paper into small squares. You'll want a variety of colors for this stained glass lantern project and enough squares that you can cover the entire jar all the way around. Once the squares are cut, start painting the decoupage medium onto the exterior of the glass jar in small sections, placing the tissue paper onto the glue. You can overlap pieces of tissue paper, just make sure that there is plenty of decoupage medium to adhere the paper. Continue this process until all of the glass is covered from the rim to the base of the jar. 

Make sure that the decoupage medium has time to dry and then paint a layer of the glue/sealer over the top of the tissue paper. Once that top layer has dried, start drawing black lines to create the effect of the solder/lead lines on a classic stained glass piece. This is where you can create a pattern or design that will be showcased by the light shining through the colors.

After your design is done, wrap twine around the upper part of the jar near the rim to give your lantern a more finished look. You'll also want to tie another length of twine to create a hanger that you can use to display your lantern. Then it's just about adding the fairy lights into your lantern. Remember if you're using this DIY outside, the top of the jar is open to the elements. If you have a lid for the jar, it can protect your strand of lights from getting wet if it rains.

As you work on creating your own stained glass inspired lanterns, consider the look you're going for with your project, particularly when it comes to the black soldering line effect. While you can use a black marker or even paint to create the dark lines typical of real stained glass, this is a step that you can skip if you want or even consider gluing black wire to your jar to get a more realistic looking solder line. Another option is to try using a liquid leading product, such as Gallery Glass Leading in black, that can be squeezed out in fine lines and creates the raised look of soldering.

The actual lights you use inside of your lanterns is another area you can play around with to find what will work best for you. When transforming old glass jars into colorful lanterns, there are different options available for the lighting that are worth considering, including solar lights and battery powered spot lamps. Depending on the style of jar you're using to make your lanterns, you can find small spot lamps like the UDGFJDK spot lamps or mason jar lamps that even come with the wire hangers if you're concerned about the twine being used to hang your jars. It's all about picking what will work best for your lanterns, no matter how and where you plan to display them.