Toddler craft: making a jar lantern 

Last week at Frida’s playgroup we made a jar lantern together, and it was such a lovely and simple craft to do that I wanted to encourage you to have a go! 

To make the simplest jar lantern, all you need is: 

• a clean jar;
• some tissue paper; 
• some clear drying (child safe!) glue; and
• a tea light candle. 

Tear your tissue paper before you begin sticking as it’s very hard to do once you have sticky fingers! Tearing paper is a great activity in itself for toddlers, as it helps to build their fine motor skills. You could even present this as a separate activity then keep the torn pieces ready to make your jar.

Once your paper is ready, use liberal amounts of clear glue to cover the jar, and demonstrate sticking the paper onto the jar. Then your toddler is good to go! It’s good to leave a layer of glue on the top once all the paper is stuck down to leave a nice shiny finish.

You could also provide glitter, sequins, or paper and scissors to cut out shapes (for older children). I’m really keen to make some pressed-leaf jar lanterns with Frida before Autumn is out too. 

We were supposed to be going on a lantern walk this evening with Frida’s playgroup, but she’s still not feeling 100 per cent better so we decided not to go. 

It will instead sit on our dining table – just as I think it’s important for Frida to have her paintings and drawings displayed, I also think it’s lovely for her to have something she helped make take pride of place on the table.