DIY Lantern from a Glass Globe Light

I never pass up the light fixture section when I go to Habitat ReStore- especially the shelves full of glass shades. And these ruffled, draped globes caught my eye IMMEDIATELY. They seemed pretty enough to decorate with just on their own, and I wondered if I could turn at least one of them into a DIY lantern, too.

They weren’t in perfect/pristine condition, but they weren’t all that far off either. And at 50 cents a pop, they were a no-brainer purchase.

Out of curiosity- because they were so unusual- I ran their photo through Google Lens. If this listing on Etsy is any indication, then I knew I it was best not to do anything to them.

But doing something with them was a completely different story. So, let’s get to it!

This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All blue, bold, and underlined text is a clickable link, either to a product or to a related post.

Finding a Base from the Recycling Bin

As I said before, I loved the draped nature of the glass and thought these glass globes were pretty enough to just be set around the house. Decorative objects, if you will- dust catchers, if you must. But first, I needed to do something about the unattractive opening.

I mean, they *were* salvaged light fixtures, after all…

Wrapping the neck with twine or ribbon was an option, of course- but I knew there had to be something better. And as it turned out, my nearly empty jug of corn starch was the key.

On a whim, I removed the hard plastic lid from the jug and it fit (almost) perfectly on the glass globe.

*Almost* because it screwed on and stayed on, but was a little loose. No big deal, though!

Not only did the plastic lid cover up the threaded glass, but it gave my (future) DIY lantern a nice base, too.

And while I love blue and we have a lot of blue touches around the house, I wasn’t about to leave it like this. A quick and easy makeover on the lid was definitely in order.

Painting the Base of a DIY Lantern

First, I cleaned and dried the lid- after transferring the remaining corn starch into a brand-new tub. Then, I set up my spray paint station outside to give the lid a new look.

I selected this shade of paint because (1) I already had a can in the garage, and (2) I knew it would give it a dark, subtle sheen.

Next, I decided to highlight the ribbed texture of the lid with some Rub n Buff in Antique Gold.

Using a cheap eye shadow applicator, I applied a tiny bit of wax to the ridges of the lid. I then used the back side of the eye shadow sponge to buff it dry.

I wish I had thought of this eye shadow applicator trick YEARS ago. Because it really works perfectly when you’re using Rub n’ Buff!

When I’d finished going around the entire lid, I buffed it with a dry cloth just to ensure no excess wax remained.

At the risk of this being a ridiculous easy project…that was it. My pretty glass light (and future DIY lantern) now had a simple-but-effective upcycled base to sit on. 

Who knew a corn starch jug lid could have such an interesting second life?

DIY Lantern from a Glass Globe Light

I’m a sucker for a curious, unusual dust catcher, and I’m just delighted with the newest one in my arsenal. And I know I’ve called it a DIY lantern, which I’ll get to in a second.

Not only am I a sucker for an unusual dust catcher, but I also love a good recycling bin craft. In this case, though, it’s technically a trash craft. Because these lids are #5 plastic- which isn’t allowed in my recycling bin- so, they’d actually end up in the trash can.

And while I can’t guarantee that all glass globe lights are the same size, it might be worth hanging onto a few of those hard plastic lids. Our peanut butter lids are very similar, but in slightly different sizes- so I’ll be hanging onto those, as well.

Because you never know when you’ll spot an amazing glass shade at the ReStore. And how easy it is to transform into a dust catcher AND a DIY lantern. Because small puck lights fit right inside the bottom of those plastic lids.

As simple and easy as this upcycled project, I hope you still enjoyed it! And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be side-eyeing those plastic lids for future projects from now on. Because I know I’m not the only one who loves to craft from the trash/recycling bin…

Craft on!

S

Want to be notified when I publish my next upcycling project tutorial?

Please subscribe here.

Join me on Social Media:

 

 

 

 

 
PIN ME!