Craft Project: How To Make Halloween Luminaries

by Chris Molnar on October 23rd, 2018 | 2 Comments »

Halloween Craft—Halloween luminaries are a simple, inexpensive way to make your driveway and walkway more festive for trick-or-treaters. It also provides extra light as guests make their way to your front door. Here we'll explore two different options – classic paper bag luminaries and unique jar luminaries.

How To Make Halloween Luminaries

Classic, Creepy Paper Bag Luminaries

Many people are familiar with paper bag luminaries as a beautiful addition to Christmas lights. However, with just a few modifications they can make a great addition to your Halloween decor. For this project you'll need the following:

Paper lunch bags
Pencil or pen
Scissors
Rocks
LED Candles

Start by drawing a pattern on your bags. This could be a bat, a pumpkin, a witch, a spider – anything that will add a little creepiness to the project. You may choose to draw the same thing on each bag or mix it up with a variety of critters. If you're not an artist and don't want to attempt free hand, inexpensive stencils or even cookie cutters can help you with the job. Draw the design on both sides of the paper bag.

Next, carefully cut out the designs. Fill the bags with stones or rocks to weigh them down and keep the wind from ruining your creation. Then place a battery-operated LED light as your “candle” in each bag and line your driveway and/or walkway with your new luminaries. (Don't use real candles – after all, your bag is paper! You can buy lights that “flicker” like real flames.)

A Twist on the Classic - Glass Jar Luminaries

There are several options for glass jar luminaries. These are a great place to let your imagination run wild. Some prefer to paint the outside of the glass with a solid color and then add embellishments. For example, you could paint the jar orange and add a spooky jack-o-lantern face. Or perhaps you'd paint it white and add a ghastly ghost face. In the picture, I dripped black paint along the insides to look like "ghoul slime". I then used wire to hang them from a tree.

Another option is a simple decoupage. Start with a mixture of equal parts water and white glue. Paint some of this mixture directly on the jar and then add strips of fabric or tissue paper. Finish by painting another layer of the glue mixture over top of the fabric or paper. Place electric tea lights inside and you've got a reusable jar luminary you can use each Halloween.

These fun, inexpensive luminaries will create spooky, fun mood lighting for your next Halloween party or become a part of your outdoor decor on trick-or-treating night.

How do you decorate for Halloween? What Halloween craft projects do you love to create?

For Halloween, Chris's 5 year old daughter will help him make paper bag luminaries to magically light up their walkway for the trick or treaters. Chris owns a party blog here, and he also invites you to check out his new Halloween party site where you can find a downloadable guide on Halloween parties for adults.

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Chris Molnar

Chris's eldest daughter (5) knows that the word "Hawaii" equals a fun, sunny destination, even if she's not quite sure where it is. With the hot weather this summer and a couple tiki torches haunting his garage from last year, it's definitely time for another luau party. You can visit Chris on his Facebook page - drop by and say aloha!