DIY Jack O Lantern Tea Light Holders

PublishedSeptember 8, 2014July 28, 2015 UpdatedJuly 28, 2015

With Halloween just around the corner, I decided to make some DIY Jack O Lantern tea light holders from the baby food jars I have in over-abundance. You can make it from larger jars as well using this tutorial, however inspiration for this did come from the way the shape of the jars remind of pumpkins

I used to sit and color anything and everything with permanent markers. I loved just filling in large areas of color – it helped me unwind. That’s what I did with these jars. If you don’t have that kind of patience, you can get a child of almost any age to help! If your little one is able to, you can have him or her color (wearing something you don’t mind wrecking) and you’ll fill in the empty spots. An older child or teen might enjoy just sitting and filling in the large spaces.

You need:

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Orange and black permanent markers – I got this pack
Glass jars
Tea lights

How to make a DIY Jack O Lantern Tea Light Holder:

Measure the height of the tea light and mark it on the jar using the orange marker.

Draw the outline of your faces using the orange marker. Make sure the bottom of the face is above the top of the tea light.

Color around it in orange, covering the entire surface of the jar, besides the insides of the features. If you pass over the date markings a few times, it should be erased by the markers. Use color the rim as well, and the bottom, taking care while going in the grooves.

Carefully outline the features in black. Color them in.

Put in your lights and light ’em.

Tips:

Look online for inspiration for your faces.
Once your candles are lit, you should not notice the marker strokes. If you would still like to minimize this, color in small circular motions.

If you have young children helping you color, you may prefer to simply allow them to color the entire jar and make the face yourself after, coloring on top of the orange.
Light your candles before putting them in and blow them out. By blackening the wicks, it will be easier to light once it’s in the jar.

I tested these out, allowing the candles to light for a few hours, and the jars handled the heat very well. They give off an orange glow which makes things soooo spooooky!

You can, of course use this technique for other party themes as well! Enjoy! Don’t forget to post to my facebook page if you’ve tried it!

Post by Menucha Designs – Moms and Crafters.

Will you be making these DIY Jack O Lantern tea light holders? How do you re-use baby food jars?

Menucha

Menucha is a crafting mom of four kids: a 11 year old boy, 8 year old boy, 4 year old girl, and a one year old boy. With creativity throughout her tween and teen years providing a valuable therapeutic experience, Menucha is determined to make crafting accessible to everyone - from toddler through adult. She is passionate about providing practical and realistic solutions for fellow overwhelmed parents.
Menucha has combined her experiences in craft instruction, motherhood, early childcare, as well as her expertise in jewelry making and beading, paper crafting, illustration, and graphic design to bring you and your family a wholesome, creative, stress-free experience. From doable and innovative craft ideas for every age group, to old classics, from practical parenting tips and organizational tools, to gift ideas that are actually good, you'll find her pulling from her diverse experience to make things easier for you.