Fun with Kids! Pumpkin Lanterns

Pumpkins have been a big deal around here lately. We carved ours about a week ago with Grandma and Grandpa B after a trip to the pumpkin farm, and they look great lit up on the porch. But we needed some pumpkin fun inside, so the boys made these Pumpkin Lanterns out of glass jars and tissue paper.

It was a really quick, instant-gratification project, which is the way to go with the boys.  First we cut a bunch of orange, yellow and red tissue paper into one inch(ish) squares.  Then they brushed white glue onto the jars with a Q-tip and randomly placed tissue paper squares onto the outside of the jars to cover them.

They added black construction paper eyes, nose and mouth, then brushed glue over the whole outside of the jar to keep the tissue down and to give it a little shine.

I had been saving this great leaf-shaped jar that came with maple syrup in it. Teddy took his time and smoothed down all the tissue so the veins of the leaf would show.

They put a cross on one side of the jar as a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World.

We added a tea light to each jar and turned out the lights for some pumpkin glow.




(A word of caution if you make these: the glass gets quite warm when candle is lit, and keeps the heat for a while after the candle is put out.)