I really shouldn’t be allowed to go to Michaels with a great coupon but no plan.
So, having said that, let’s all agree to pretend that this project is EXACTLY the project I had in mind when I started and that everything went swimmingly.
Are we all on board?
Great!
Welcome to a tutorial about exactly the thing I planned to make.
It all started when I saw some lanterns at a ridiculously low price and scooped them up (knowing, as you’ll recall, EXACTLY what I was going to do with them!). I also grabbed a bag-o-skulls (fun to say) at a great discount. After getting everything home I gathered some other supplies got to work.
SUPPLIES
- Lantern
- Skulls
- Tealights (the kind that change color – available at Michaels)
- Painters tape
- (because this is EXACTLY the project I had in mind I ended up using a bunch of different paints and other supplies after I took that picture)
- Folk Art Coastal Creations
- Waverly Super Premium Craft paint
- Flat black spray paint
- Gold paint
- Texture Paint
- Dowels cut to length
- Velcro tape
All my paints – with the exception of the black Spray Paint and Frosted Glass Paint – were supplied to me by Plaid as part of their Ambassador program (although I sort of fear I’m not using things the way they had in mind – sorry!)
The lanterns were a great shape but not very Halloweeny.
After removing the glass panes and hardware I painted the interior black.
On the exterior I wanted a decrepit, textured look so I grabbed my new favorite paint – Folk Art Coastal Creations – and dabbed on some white
After letting it dry I went back in with Waverly Black and darkened things up by dabbing and rubbing it into the textured white paint until I got the look I wanted.
I then worked on the metal tops, first painting them with Folk Art Brushed Antique Gold.
And then going back in with Folk Art Painted Finishes Rust to, again, add texture and decay.
Then it was onto the skulls.
Being me, and somewhat overly dedicated to things lighting up, I wanted them to…..light up!
The skulls are hollow but had a hole in the bottom that was just big enough to insert a tealight. However, the white tealight base looked like exactly like what it was and the light tended to shine through the white plastic. So after taping off the “candle” part
I gave them a quick coat of flat black spray paint. 
This helped focus the light and also made the candle base “disappear”.
For a bit more “glow” I then drilled out the eye holes.
(PLEASE NOTE: if you do this you would be wise to brace the skull in some way rather than just holding it with your hand…..or so I’m told…. I mean it’s not like I had a bad experience with the drill slipping….why would you think that?! who told you that?! Also, unlike this picture implies, you do not want to drill a hole in the eye socket with the tealight already inserted… that would be stupid and neither I nor any of you are stupid.)
I created different levels for the skull by just painting out some random bits of dowel
and, because I wanted them to be stable but still be able to access the on/off switch on the lights, attaching the tealight/skull to the dowel using some velcro tape.
I then did a quick, light coat of Frosted Glass spray on the glass panels – just to dirty them up a bit really – and re-assembled the lanterns.
After some careful arranging I was done! Spooky, light up skulls
As I mentioned some of the tealights change color so still pictures don’t quite capture the shifting, glowing effect.
I think they’d make a fun centerpiece 
or perhaps some mantle decor.
OK, I’m ready for my next project. And I know EXACTLY what I’m going to do!!!! Trust me!
