The night is dark and lonely. You feel how empty your room really is as you stare outside the window. The lights in your room have always been turned off since you find them rather glaring. You want a lamp that can set a serene tone in your room, perfect for your creative writing. A lava lamp looks too extravagant and a stylized candle does not emit much of a vibe. As of the moment, your best option is to make a tin can luminaria for your room.

Normally, a luminaria is made of translucent materials like cellophane or paper bags. Those items are responsible for filtering the light of a luminaria, which gives the lamp its mysterious pale glow. On the other hand, a tin can luminaria gives you more control over the amount of filtered light that the luminaria’s light source emits. Etch patterns and designs on the tin can’s surface and the light given off by the light source takes the shapes of those patterns and designs. In a nutshell, a tin can luminaria further pushes the artistic potential of a regular luminaria.

A tin can luminaria is pretty easy to make. You just need a tea light (tiny candle), rice paper, and a luminaria pattern in mind. As for the designs on your tin can, a visit to a professional engraver would do the trick.

Materials Used:

• large milk can
• rice paper
• tea lights
• scissors
• colored pencils
• bond paper
• scotch tape
• sand
• lighter

To create your tin can luminaria, you should first think of a design for your tin can. Observe the overall theme of your room then think of designs that can totally complement your room’s theme. Now, sketch those designs on a piece of paper and from there, select the best one. Re-sketch your chosen design on a separate sheet of paper complete with dimensions and how the tin can will appear with that design.

Get an empty milk can and remove the labels. Bring the milk can to a professional engraver then show him the sheet of paper where you sketched your luminaria design. For now, you can leave the milk container with the engraver for awhile. You can go to a shopping center and get some of the materials that you might lack for this project. After about an hour, you can retrieve your tin can from the professional engraver.

When you get home, get rice papers of various colors. Select a color or a color combination that will look good on your tin can’s design. You can now stick the corresponding rice paper behind the design on your tin can with your roll of scotch tape. Place a few layers of sand in the can to hold the tea light steady. Place a tea light at the bottom center inside the tin can then light the tiny candle with your lighter.

Now you have a pretty tin can luminaria. Place it in your room and observe how it turns your room into a solemn sanctuary. You can even write a few poems about it.

Watch The Video

How To Make Luminaria

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