Summer break is finally here! With no more final exams, tests, and essays, you have more time than ever to spend relaxing and crafting. This project will light up your nights with its cheery and pretty glow. It is also quite fun to make and fairly simple, needing only plastic spoons, a bowl or cup, and hot glue. While this light is small, it does require a lot of spoons to create a flower-like design, which resembles a lotus blossom. If you choose, you can use colored spoons instead of clear ones. This will make the individual petals stand out more, as you won’t be able to see through them. You can even try painting your spoons before arranging them, so let’s get crafting!
Tools and Equipment:
- Electric light
- 30 or more plastic spoons as needed
- Clear bowl or half of a plastic cup
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
- Ribbon, rocks, or any other material for covering the bottom edge of the lantern
First, gather together your materials. If you do not have a clear bowl, you can cut a plastic cup in half and use it as the base for your light. You can use either clear or solid-colored spoons, depending on how you want your lantern to look.
Next, snap off the top part of the spoon from the stick. You use the scissors to do this. However, I found that using my hands was easier.
Using the hot glue gun, apply a small amount of adhesive to the bottom of each spoon. For the first layer, you will want to press the spoons almost completely flat against the surface of your bowl. If you are using a cup, the spoon halves will be attached closer to the rim and pointed towards the center.
Continue overlapping and layering your spoons, until your flower is the desired size. For the bowl I used, I only had to do three layers of spoons.
Finally, tie a ribbon around the base of your lantern to cover the raw edge, or place your light on a platter and pour rocks around it. Then you’re finished, and you can now use your lantern to light up the night!
Works Cited
Lamp design: Mek Kids. “DIY Plastic Spoon Lamp | Easy Step By Step.” Mek Kids, February 2, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoUuc585DVk.
Photo Credit: Author