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DIY Halloween Lanterns: 25 Festive Craft Ideas!

Get your Halloween decor ready with these 25 awesome ideas for lanterns! All of these DIYs are easy enough for beginners and budget friendly.

DIY Halloween Lanterns

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to decorate your house for this spooky holiday. One of my favorite ways is with lanterns. The gentle glow isn’t scary by any means . . . it’s soothing to me!

I’ve found 25 awesome DIY Halloween lanterns that are easy enough for any crafter! You’ll find everything from milk jugs to colorful mason jars lit up with LED lights.

There’s a design here for everyone, so get started now – because October 31st is right around the corner!

Before You Begin

Before you get started on any projects, you’ll clean glass jars (a lot of these projects are glass). Now, I’ve used mild soap and water and that works fine.

BUT I find that the best chance of getting everything to stick comes with using rubbing alcohol. This includes craft paint, spray paint, or Mod Podge.

You’ll want to take a cotton swab or pad and clean the outside of the glass surface. This step is crucial if you want the paint to stick. Get more tips on how to paint glass here.

If you’re ready to get started, scroll down and get the Halloween lantern ideas. You’re going to love these projects. Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments!

1
Halloween lanterns feature image
Halloween Mason Jar Lanterns for Decor
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2
Make Mummy Halloween Luminaries in Three Easy Steps!
Mummy Luminaries
These mummy mason jars are so fun to make for Halloween – both kids and adults will love them! Learn how to make these jar luminaries in a few easy steps.
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3
Spooky candle holders
Spooky Halloween Candle Holders
These spooky Halloween candle holders made with vintage photos and Mod Podge are fun holiday decor – and you can make them in minutes!
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4
pumpkin mason jars
Aki Altuna
Pumpkin Mason Jar Lantern
If you love pumpkins as much as I do – and witches – these pumpkin mason jars are perfect.
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5
Enchanting Halloween Lanterns
www.adventure-in-a-box.com
Enchanting Halloween Lanterns
If you want to dress up the house for Halloween, these lanterns were inspired by shadow puppets! They are so cool and I just love the soft glow.
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6
oldsaltfarm.com
Mason Jar Ghost Lantern
If you’re decorating for a Halloween party, these ghost Halloween lanterns would be adorable centerpieces, or even along the path to the doors of the party. No matter how you use them, they are darling! If you use battery operated tea lights, they can safely be used both indoors and outdoors.
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7
Claire Armstrong
DIY Halloween Lights With Old Bottles
Make Halloween glass lanterns with old bottles! You can use any bottles for this craft, as long as they are clear glass. Claire used a variety of vessels from different drinks.
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8
heyletsmakestuff.com
Halloween Haunted House Lantern
Cut this haunted house lantern on your Cricut or other cutting machine – perfectly spooky decor for your Halloween table or mantel! You definitely want to use LED tealights for this craft.
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9
Halloween Lanterns with Spiders and Webs
Kristen Whitby
Halloween Lanterns with Spiders and Webs
Make these spooky Halloween lanterns for your fall porch, table, or mantel this season – and thrill your trick-or-treaters. Your kids will giggle with delight when they see these magical autumn luminaries made from an easy free printable!
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10
Angie Holden
How to Make Halloween Lanterns from Jars
These easy-to-make Halloween mason jar skull lanterns are perfect for adding a little fright to any room. Add in a candle for a gorgeous and slightly spooky glow!
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11
partywithunicorns.com
DIY Halloween Paper Lantern
While this paper lantern might look intricate, a die cutter turns it into a piece of cake! Grab some LED tealights and the free SVG file to make these on your own.
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12
Halloween Spider Light Centerpiece
Sheryl Beyer
Halloween Spider Light Centerpiece
These Halloween spider lanterns are great as a Halloween centerpiece or lined along your walkway. Get the most out of your Halloween decorations by creating something a little creepy and fun – with only four supplies!
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13
Mandee Thomas
Maleficent Paper Lanterns
Grab your Cricut and some green vellum to make the coolest Maleficent lantern ever! It's such a cute idea, you'll definitely have to make more than one.
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14
Amanda Formaro
Glowing Jack O’ Lantern Jars
Create some spooky fun for your doorstep or window this Halloween with these glowing jack o' lantern luminaries! All you need are some glow sticks.
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15
Halloween Pumpkin Pail Lights
scratchandstitch.com
Halloween Pumpkin Pail Lights
Those plastic pumpkin pails are a Halloween staple! They're not just for candy – you can also use them outdoors to light up your yard for the festivities!
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16
Halloween Spirit Jugs
eighteen25.com
Ghost Spirit Jugs
These Halloween lighted spirit jugs are so easy to make and about as inexpensive as they come! Save your milk jugs – and have your friends save them – so you can place these ghosties on your porch during the holiday.
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17
nontoygifts.com
Cardboard Haunted House Luminaries
Make a couple of cardboard haunted house luminaries and your home will look spook-tacular. Find a perfect place for these lanterns either on the mantel or place them in front of your house on the Halloween night.
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18
ohmy-creative.com
Halloween Lanterns From Laundry Pod Jars
Make these cute DIY Halloween lanterns from empty laundry pod containers. They come out so cute and there are so many ways to decorate them!
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19
www.cravingsomecreativity.com
DIY Halloween Outdoor Luminaries
These DIY Halloween luminaries are both weather resistant and flameless. Learn how to make glowing Halloween lanterns to create a spooky path to your door!
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20
Spooky Glowing Halloween Lanterns
themummyfront.com
Spooky Glowing Halloween Lanterns
Decorate your home in style this Halloween with this statement making (and not to mention SPOOKY) DIY Halloween lantern! This Halloween project requires minimal effort and DIY skills, and can be made from start to finish in less than 10 minutes.
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21
www.frugalmomeh.com
Milk Carton Halloween Lanterns
Go for a little Halloween glow with these simple recycled Halloween lanterns. Use a milk carton to make the frame, and other basic craft supplies from your stash to finish off this cute DIY.
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If you enjoyed these cute holiday DIYs, I’d love for you to check out these other Halloween posts:

JustKraft

Tuesday 12th of October 2021

That is a fantastic blog post. Nice tips & details have been given for creating arts & crafts projects at home with utmost ease. All the steps & tips you have specified in the above article are very informational and less time-consuming. This post will help even novices in instructing them from the beginning.

Amy

Tuesday 12th of October 2021

Thank you so much!