How to Make a DIY Veterans Day Lantern: A Safe & Easy Kids Craft
✨ There’s something so special about seeing a soft light glowing on the porch, especially on a crisp November evening. It feels like a quiet thank you, a beacon of gratitude. As a community workshop host, I’ve seen so many parents looking for ways to talk to their kids about important holidays like Veterans Day. 😅 But I know the feeling… it can be hard to find a project that’s simple enough for little hands but still carries a powerful, respectful message.
⭐ That’s why I’m so excited to walk you through this tutorial for a beautiful DIY Veterans Day lantern! This simple craft transforms a regular mason jar into a shining tribute, creating a shared moment of gratitude and opening up a gentle conversation with your child about our nation’s heroes. 🇺🇸
Time Commitment: Approx. 30 minutes (plus paint drying time)
Cost Estimate: Low-Cost (Under $10)
Skill Level: Beginner / Kid-Friendly
What You’ll Need for Your Patriotic Lantern ⭐
✅ A clean glass jar (a Mason jar or recycled food jar works perfectly!)
✅ Acrylic craft paint in red, white, and blue
✅ Star-shaped stickers (vinyl or painter’s tape cut into stars)
✅ Paintbrushes or, even better, sponge pouncers
✅ A battery-operated LED tea light or fairy lights
✅ Nancy’s Pick: I always recommend getting LED tea lights with a gentle flickering effect. You can find affordable multi-packs in most craft stores, and they give the lantern a wonderfully realistic and warm glow without any of the risk of a real flame.
✅ Optional: Twine or patriotic ribbon for the rim
✅ Optional: Mod Podge to seal the paint for a durable, outdoor-safe finish
How to Make Your Veterans Day Mason Jar Lantern
Our community of crafters loves this project because it’s so simple, yet the result is truly beautiful. Let’s get started on creating your own glowing tribute.
Phase 1: Prep Your Jar of Gratitude 🙏
First, make sure your jar is completely clean and dry. Any lingering residue from a label can cause the paint to peel, so give it a good scrub!
Once it’s ready, decide where you want your stars to shine through. Carefully place your star-shaped stickers onto the jar, pressing down firmly on all the edges. This is a perfect job for little helpers!
image-1: A close-up of hands applying the star stickers to the clean jar.
💡 Pro-Tip: Before painting, run your fingernail firmly around the edge of each star sticker. This creates a tight seal and is the secret to getting those perfectly crisp, clean lines by preventing paint from bleeding underneath.
Phase 2: Painting Your Patriotic Base 🎨
Now for the fun part! Using a sponge pouncer or paintbrush, apply your base color (I used blue for a night-sky effect) over the entire outside of the jar, painting right over the stickers.
image-2: An action shot of the sponge pouncer dabbing blue paint over the stickers.
💡 Pro-Tip: For smooth, even coverage on glass, use a sponge pouncer and dab the paint on in 2-3 thin layers, letting each layer dry in between. This is the best way I’ve found to prevent streaky brush strokes and get a professional-looking finish.
Let the jar dry completely. If you’re adding red and white stripes or other details, now is the time to paint those on and let them dry, too.
Phase 3: The Big Reveal ✨
This is my favorite step! Once all the paint is completely dry to the touch, carefully peel off the star stickers. It’s so satisfying to see the clear, shining star shape appear underneath the paint.
image-3: The “reveal” shot: carefully peeling back a sticker to show the crisp, clean star shape underneath.
Phase 4: Finishing Touches & Lighting Up Your Tribute 💡
To complete your lantern, tie a piece of patriotic ribbon or rustic twine around the rim of the jar.
Finally, place your battery-operated LED candle inside. As you turn on the light, you can talk with your child about how this little flame is a way to remember and honor the brightness our veterans bring to our country.
image-4: A shot showing the LED candle being placed inside the finished lantern.
✅ Safety Note: This project is designed for use with battery-operated LED candles ONLY. Never place a real flame candle inside a painted craft jar as it creates a fire hazard.
Make It Your Own: 3 Creative Variations 🎨
Kid-Friendly Stained-Glass Jar: For toddlers, skip the paint! Instead, have your child brush Mod Podge onto the jar and stick on squares of red, white, and blue tissue paper. It creates a beautiful, colorful glow when lit.
Elegant Etched Star Lantern: For a more advanced and permanent design, use etching cream to create frosted stars on the glass before painting around them with translucent glass paint. This results in a truly stunning piece.
Simple Paper Bag Luminaries: No jars? No problem! Use a star-shaped hole punch to decorate the top half of a white paper bag. Fill the bottom with an inch of sand to weigh it down, and place an LED candle inside for a simple and beautiful walkway light.
Your beautiful lantern is now ready to shine! Imagine a few of these glowing safely on your walkway to welcome guests on November 11th, or a set of three as a centerpiece for your family dinner. It also makes a wonderfully heartfelt gift for a veteran in your life.
⭐ A Heartfelt Reminder: The most beautiful part of this project isn’t just the finished lantern, but the time you spend creating it together. It’s a chance to share stories, express gratitude, and create a new family tradition of remembrance.
I hope you and your family enjoy creating this small symbol of gratitude. How do you plan to display your Veterans Day lantern? Let me know in the comments below
