Electrified Enamel Cup Lanterns

3 Materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy
Who agrees? Nothing says farmhouse quite like enamelware. Enamel plates, pitchers and cups stacked on an open shelf always makes me swoon. Why not take the farmhouse look to the next level and change those cups into electrified lanterns.
And it's easier than you think. All you need, besides the enamel cup, is plaster of Paris, a plastic tube, electric wire, a light fitting and switch and a kerosene oil lamp.
Start by taking the burner bit of the oil lantern apart before using  small pliers or tin snips to cut a hole just big enough for the light fitting in the burner top and burner body. 
Careful those edges are sharp. Glue the light fitting inside the burner top and reattach the burner top to the burner body.
Drill a hole on the side of the enamel cup. The hole needs to big enough to fit the electrical wire. Enamel cups are quite light so we filled ours with Plaster of Paris to add some weight. Just make sure you insert a plastic pipe to make it easier to fit the wire through.
Once the Plaster of Paris has set, wire up the light fitting before gluing the adapted lantern bits into the enamel cup. Add a bulb and the chimney and you have an enamel cup lantern that just oozes farmhouse charm.
What do you think? Have you re-purposed enamelware into something that's a little different? I would love to see what you've done. P.S. We've put the full tutorial on the blog with loads of step by step instructions and pictures. Just click on the link below
Suggested materials:
  • Enamel cups
  • Plaster of Paris
  • Kerosene Lantern
Michelle Leslie
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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