soda can lantern

I am always excited when I find a fun craft idea to make with recyclables. These soda can lanterns are  a little bit amazing! I think they would be so fun strung together in a garland and hung outside for a backyard barbecue. They kind of remind me of some of the kitschy yet fun soda can art I have seen when camping in RV parks. There’s a secret to cutting the cans, so check the original article by Teresa Wong at TheStar Online. [how to make soda can lanterns]

You can get most of the stuff you need for this project at the dollar store, including the box cutter/razor blade. You might find some nice colorful soda cans at the dollar store, or raid the closest recycling bin you can find. If you don’t have colorful cans to work with, hit them with some spray paint before you begin. You can use battery-operated tealights instead of real candles to help cut down on the risk factor. The last battery-operated tealight we used lasted for DAYS… it was turned on constantly in my son’s room, and it lasted at least 72 hours of light time. And, it’s still working.

Project estimate:

  • Aluminium soda cans, on hand
  • Wire, on hand or $1
  • Cutter and small pliers, on hand or $1 each
  • Screwdriver, on hand
  • Tealights, on hand or $1

Total: FREE and up