DIY: How To Make A Cool Lantern Out Of Sea Glass

Have you ever wondered what to do with the sea glass you’ve collected? We’ve got your fix. Here is how you can make your own DIY sea glass lantern to enjoy all year around.

Collecting beach glass is a classic beach-going pastime. Each piece has a memory of the excitement of finding it washed up upon the shore or twisting in surf as waves pass back and forth. Rather than display a pile in a bowl or dish, we wanted a better solution. The beauty of glass is best appreciated through light, so we created these easy indoor/outdoor sea glass lanterns.

We like craft projects which are stupid-simple, easy enough a kid could do and fast enough for the instant gratification factor. Voila, a simple DIY lighting project for those who are artistically or patience challenged!

DIY Sea Glass Lanterns Materials Needed:

Mason jars are inexpensive, easy to find, and they come with their own tops (canning rings and lids). If you leave the lanterns outside, you’ll want a top and if you use Mason (canning) jars like we did it is a good idea to spray paint the lids and rings with outdoor spray paint otherwise they’ll rust.

I like the E6000® Permanent Craft Adhesive, 3.7 Oz., it is durable and pliable when wet. While it takes a little longer to dry than using a glue gun, this glue is workable long enough to place a few pieces and smush them together.

This is one of those super easy craft projects anyone can do. I even got my husband involved. On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I laid everything on an outdoor table, we sat and enjoyed making lanterns with sea glass.

First we sorted the sea glass by color and size. Before gluing, decide if you want some sort of design or just a random mosaic like we did. You’ll notice the curves of certain pieces of glass fit great on the curved parts of the jar. Ascertain how they fit by doing a dry run before gluing.

Apply glue on the jar and a dot on each piece of  sea glass as you work. Some pieces may overlap a bit others not, fit them together as you please. Place the jar on its side and glue one section at a time, leaving the jar horizontal to dry between quadrants. Now you’ll see the benefits of this particular adhesive, you can move the pieces around to fit before they dry.

Each section takes a few minutes to dry. Within a couple of hours the lanterns are ready to sit upright after the final section of sea glass has dried.

We also glued a couple seashells to the tops of the jar lids to complete the look.

Add some battery operated white LED tea lights and for a beautiful nighttime glow. Placed your new lanterns all over the patio area,amongst plantings or on table tops. Ta-da, cool lighting with no outlets and no worries!

DIY sea glass lanterns are fun and easy to make, get the whole family involved. Perfection is not required. The prettiest results can come from the most random application, just have fun.