DIY Luminaries

A great party always needs to have indoors or outdoor lighting because it sets the ambiance for the party. I recently stumbled across an inexpensive way of creating our own indoor and outdoor lighting with these luminaries! This craft is super easy to make and you can purchase most of the items from Michaels, AC Moore, or Joann Fabrics. Read below to learn how to make your own luminaries for your event.

Materials and Tools:
1. white paper bags (3.5” x 6.5” we found these , paper bags online on amazon)
2. bone folder
3. pencil
4. stencils and/or stamps and white stamp pad
5. x-acto knife
6. small piece of cardboard
7. 22 gauge wire, cut in to 17” segments
8. grommets and grommet pliers
10. tea lights
11. long matches or long lighter

Instructions:
1. fold over about 1” of the top of the bag. this was a little tricky but after ripping a few, we got the hang of it. start slowly, moving in a circular motion and going little by little. when you have the entire 1” folded over, pull out the gussets on both sides and use the bold folder to make the top that you folded over a clean fold.

2. slide the small piece of cardboard in the flat bag, so you have a surface to cut on without cutting through the other side of the bag.

3. using a pencil, trace your stencils and use an x-acto knife to slowly cut out the design. (or, we used our rubber stamp collection to stamp on the bags in white, let dry and cut around the stamp. this way if you are not exact in your cutting, the white ink blends with the bag, leaving room for a few mistakes!)

4. on the middle side of each bag put a grommet about 1/2” down from the top.

5. use the cut wire to form a “handle” by looping it through each grommet and twisting it up to secure on both sides.

6. put a tea light in each bag and hang on a porch, deck or even inside a dining room. light each tea light using a very long match or lighter.

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