Photo Lantern

Virginia B
by Virginia B
7 Materials
$10
1 Hour
Easy

I've been fortunate to do quite a bit of traveling. My most recent trip was to Italy. It was fantastic! I took a lot of great pictures, but they usually stay in the cloud rather than being displayed.So, I decided to do a project that would let me enjoy some of my favorite photos from my trip.

Supplies:


4 frames


Printable Vellum Sheets


Printer


Paint


Paintbrush


Paper Cutter or Scissors


E6000 or Hot Glue


Painters Tape

I removed the backing and the glass from the frames and painted them with Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in the color Caviar.

While the frames were drying, I printed out a few of my favorite pictures from Italy on vellum. Printing them in black and white made them look as though they could have been taken a hundred years ago.

I placed the glass from one of the frames over the photos and traced around them to make them the size I needed to fit in the frames.

Then I cut just inside the traced lines.

I added E6000 to the inside lip of the frames.

I placed the vellum photos in the frames, them added another row of glue and placed the glass inside the frame.

Placing the glass inside the frame last allows me to add a candle to the lantern when it's completed.

I used E6000 to glue the frames together to form a box, and held them in place with painters tape until the glue dried.

I placed a candle inside and now my travel memories are a unique lantern that is the perfect way to share my favorite photos.

Resources for this project:
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Virginia B
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 4 questions
  • Dee Dee on Feb 16, 2020

    Did I miss something? What, if anything, was used for a base?

  • Maggie Ann Maggie Ann on Feb 16, 2020

    You are a very talented photographer! Do you sell your photos?

  • Paula P Paula P on Feb 18, 2020

    Could you put the glass in first to protect your pictures and then use a flameless candle? Would the pictures still show so nicely?

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3 of 32 comments
  • Deanna Deanna on Feb 15, 2022

    I was going to order something like this through Etsy and this is so much cheaper and it's a fun dyi! Thank you!

  • Kathy Hord Kathy Hord on Feb 14, 2023

    I also did something similar. I asked for my daughters in law childhood photos. I copied them onto the Vellum Papers. The I gave the finished projects to their mothers for Christmas gifts a few years ago..

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