Mini Christmas Lantern Ornament

 As luck would have it on my morning walk today I found the cutest little lantern right smack in the middle of the road. 

The garbage truck had just come by so I am assuming that it fell out of someone's garbage. 

I think it came from a string of outdoor lights but I am going to repurpose it and create a mini lantern ornament for the Christmas tree. 

Let's get started...

First of all, I find weird things all the time when I'm out on my morning walks. Some of the things are pretty funny... like the time I walked back carrying a mannequin! 

Today's find wasn't as exciting but here is what I found... It was dirty and had paint splattered all over it. 

If you happen to have a string of these popular outdoor lights then you're in luck! If not, keep your eye out at the dollar store and thrift stores for mini lanterns!

While you're scrolling through please pay attention to the bold blue links that will take you to the products I used and more related inspiration from Homeroad. Also, the READ MORE sections are even more bonus DIY projects! 

The first thing I did was to remove the plastic from the inside that was old and tired, never mind filthy!  

Next, I brought the lantern outside and spray painted it matte black. 

I tried giving the plastic a good scrubbing but it didn't work out so I used the old one to cut a pattern from a dollar store chopping mat and created a new frosted window.

I used a piece of rebar wire and bent it into the shape of a handle then attached it to the under side of the lantern. I am going to use the handle to hang the lantern ornament from the tree. 

I added a bow and a piece of greenery with a berry to the handle for decoration. 

And yes, if you are wondering... you can still reach the switch to turn the lantern on and off.  Better yet... you can use a remote tea light candle and turn it off from across the room!

Those tea light candles with a remote are actually good for all around your house during the holidays!  

                                 

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How cute is this road-side find! A quick walk to get my blood moving this morning while sparking some creativity too! It kept me out of trouble for a few hours this morning while I made this little cutie!   

READ MORE: LANTERN PROJECTS

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