Wednesday 5 December 2012

Ye Olde Christmas Milk Carton Lantern




Before there was electricity, cakers from ancient times had to rely on candle-lit lanterns at night to safely guide them to the outhouse. Sometimes, they carried shotguns on account of the coyotes. (Pronounced kai-yoats in those days.) Here’s a Christmas craft that pays homage to the bravery of our toiletless ancestors while adding some modern day dollar store jeuge.

Ye Olde Christmas Milk Carton Lanterns are easy to make and add that touch of personal pizazz to your holiday table or toilet tank. Just make sure you wash the milk carton really good before you use it. Otherwise, people might assume that smell is coming from you. I’ve lost a few friends that way.


Instructions:

Take a milk carton and cut out rectangles on all four sides.











Spray paint the crap out of it.











Cut one of those grey foam thingies to fit the bottom of the carton, then cut out a circle in the centre and insert your votive. Set it into the bottom of the carton and add your greenery, bells, etc.

Note: Never light this. 
If you do, I guarantee you’ll have the worst Christmas ever.



14 comments:

  1. It's so cute that we can forgive that it can never be lit! People never think of using milk cartons for crafts anymore. It's a lost art that I'm glad to see revived!

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    1. Remind me to show you my milk carton bird feeder sometime.

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  2. Replies
    1. And a perfect gift! Who wouldn't be at a loss for words receiving this?

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  3. You can also make a great candle (that can be lit) with a milk carton. Stick a long wick in a milk carton, fill the carton with broken ice cubes, pour hot wax into the carton. When cool, peel away the carton. You will have a lovely holey candle. Here are better instructions http://www.babycenter.com/210_milk-carton-candles_5473.bc

    But we never followed any instructions.

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    1. I'm sorry, Fifi, but any instructions that say I require a "candlemaking thermometer" are just too complicated for me. And I need a visual. How will I know how badly I've mangled things unless I have something to compare it to?

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  4. I thought cakers didn't splurge on the tetra-pak....isn't it twice the cost of a 3-bagger?
    An Italian thinking out loud...

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    1. You're right. We usually do buy bags, but it's hard getting the bag to stand up like a lantern, let alone spray paint it gold. Trust me. I'm speaking from experience.

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  5. OMG. "toiletless ancestors" and "modern day dollar store jeuge" I am going to be waking up in the middle of the night laughing at those two phrases.

    I made the milk carton/ice cube candles as a child. No instructions needed. Just a willingness to melt stuff. Like old crayons.

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    1. I feel like I'm missing out on these milk carton candle things. I never made one. Maybe I'll have to return to the craft table, in spite of my lack of a candlemaking thermometer.

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  6. Oooh, fancy! Your comment about putting it on the toilet tank gave me an idea. How about, instead of a votive candle, we use a pine-scented Airwick Solid air freshener?
    Huh? Huh? Genius?

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    Replies
    1. Oh. My. God. That's a brilliant idea. But just double-checking - you don't light the Airwick, right?

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    2. Well, I never have, but the option's certainly there.

      And OMG--you have to go to renuzit.com/crafts. There are literally hundreds of things you can make out of solid air fresheners.

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    3. I had no idea this existed in the world.

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