These fresh-faced jack-o-lantern luminaries were made using recycled jars and wine bottles and a few supplies I had on hand. I added a few real pumpkins in different sizes from Trader Joe’s– I think these striped cuties were just over $1 each. Aren’t they pretty? My back porch is ready for fall.
Repeat after me: Fall decor doesn’t have to be fussy. Or expensive.
I’m going to show you just how simple it is to make these jack-o-lantern luminaries.
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Here’s what you’ll need:
- Clean, dry glass jars or bottles with labels removed
- Printable spooky faces, I found these on Etsy
- Printer, regular copy paper
- Rustoleum Frosted Glass spray
- Scissors
- Xyron sticker maker
- Oil pastel, black
- Jute string or ribbon
- Battery votives or mini string lights for bottles
Let’s get started!
First, select and print (or draw) your jack-o-lantern faces. For the wine bottle, my face was about 3″; for the larger jars, they were 3.5″. Adjust to what works for you.
Cut out jack-o-lantern pieces and run through the Xyron sticker maker face up. Tear off what you’ve used. Rub and peel off the clear overlay. Next, you can unpeel your (now sticker) pieces and place them on your bottle or jar.
Tape off any part of your glass or bottle you don’t want frosted. We wanted to keep the silver wrap on the wine bottle, so we covered it with painter’s tape. Place a drop cloth or cardboard on a flat surface under your jars. Use the frosted glass spray as directed– it will tell you to shake it well, then spray lightly in a sweeping motion to avoid drips. Let dry and repeat a second coat. Once the bottle is fully dried, peel off your stickers and tape.
Carefully remove any residue from the stickers on your glass using a mild glass cleaner.
Big finish!
Wrap some jute around the top of the jar; you could also use ribbon. Finally, we edged the eyes, nose and mouth with an oil pastel pencil, then rubbed with a paper towel to give a little dimension and smoky look to the edges.
Place a votive or string light in your bottle or jar. My hubby drilled a hole in the back of the wine bottle using a glass drill bit, then we found this genius invention! Why didn’t we think of this?
I placed four of the lanterns with different faces on an old painted table with a plant and some of my $1 striped pumpkins to create this unfussy, inexpensive fall decor for the porch. What do you think?
Want more fall crafts?
Try making these Pumpkin Topiaries, this Fabric Rag Wreath with Drop Cloth Pumpkins or easy Easy Chalk Painted Pumpkins.
And be sure to check out my Handpicked Cozy Fall Favorites or these Favorite Cozy Fall Recipes.
Happy fall, y’all!
