DIY Rustic Halloween Lanterns

This year, I wanted to use up some of my leftover cedar fencing. With Halloween right around the corner, I thought that the cedar would be useful to create something rustic for my porch. I finally decided on making several rustic Halloween lanterns with Jack O’ lantern faces.

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They turned out to be incredibly simple, and they look so adorable sitting next to my side entrance door. Plus, these cedar fence boards are nice and cheap. 

I used three planks for my Halloween lanterns. Since I already had all the materials for this build, my cost was nothing. But, if you have to buy the boards, they usually run between $2-$5 each. That means that my lanterns would have cost me about $3 each to make.

Of course, you can make these out of any wood that you like, but if you are planning to use them outside, cedar is a great choice. It works well with the elements and you don’t have to worry about chemicals that are used in pretreated lumber. 

Material Used for This Projects

• 2 Cedar Dog Ear Fence Sections –   I used some leftover dog ear fencing that I picked up at the big box store. These are relatively cheap and the rough raw cedar gives a nice rustic result that looks great with or without stain. Each fence picket was 5/8” thick x 6” wide x 6’ long. If you choose to go with a different sized plank, you will need to make alterations to the cuts.
• Printed Face or Carving Pattern – I made my face patterns in Photoshop, but for a quicker job, you can find plenty of faces on Google. The best width for each face is around 4”. This will leave 1” on either side of the wood for attachment. The length of the face pattern should be at least 4 less than the lantern’s side panels. You can comfortably fit two faces on each sheet of paper.
• Spray Adhesive – I am using Elmer’s Adhesive glue* because it has a nice hold while sawing but also pulls away cleanly when I am finished. Some sprays tend to be either difficult to or they come loose before I am ready. 
• wood glue*
• stain (optional)
• You can use regular Flameless candles* if you like. However, I use these LED puck lights* for all of my larger items (lanterns, pumpkins, etc). These come with a remote that allows you to increase the brightness by percentage. I also like that they put off enough light to actually light lanterns while maintaining a low profile.

Tools Used For this Project:

• Miter saw – you can also make your cuts with a table saw, circular saw, jigsaw, or manually. This project is really easy and you don’t need extravagant tools to get a nice result.
• Jigsaw – you will need a jigsaw to cut out the patterns. The only alternative for this is a scroll saw.
• Drill – you will need a drill and a bit to make relief or starter holes for your jigsaw.
• Fine Jigsaw blade (optional) – you can probably get away with using a standard blade for your jigsaw. However, I used a 20 TPI blade by Bosch (T101AO)* for my cuts. It makes extremely clean cuts and helps to eliminate tear-out.
• Clamps or a nail gun. I glued and nailed mine in place, but the glue will do the job on its own if you clamp everything together snuggly. Be sure to allow it to dry overnight before doing any finishing work.

Cuts For Large Lantern

4 Pieces @ 12” length for lantern’s sides
2 Pieces @ 7 1/4” length for lantern bottom and lid
2 Pieces @ 5 7/8” x 4 5/8” (see note below) for top/bottom of lid.

Cuts For Medium Lantern

4 Pieces @ 9” length for lantern’s sides
2 Pieces @ 7 1/4” length for lantern bottom and lid
2 Pieces @ 5 7/8” x 4 5/8” (see note below) for top/bottom of lid.

Cuts for Small Lantern

4 Pieces @ 6” length for lantern’s sides
2 Pieces @ 7 1/4” length for lantern bottom and lid
2 Pieces @ 5 3/4” x 4 1/2” (see note below) for top/bottom of lid.

NOTE: On the above cuts, the lid sections are based on using boards that are 6” wide. If you use planks with a narrow width, your tops and bottoms will need to be adjusted.

The noted cut above is for the portion that fits inside the lid. It needs to be 1/8” less than the interior dimensions of the lantern. This will keep the tops in place – not too loose or too tight.

I am providing the video version (above) for those who prefer to see it as it happens. Be sure to follow up with the detailed instructions below!

Instructions

Make all the cuts as indicated above.

Draw or adhere the printed copy of the face to one of the lantern’s side sections. 

Clamp the section down and make several relief holes in the pattern with your drill.

Using your jigsaw, cut out the pattern. Be sure to keep the jigsaw perfectly perpendicular to the wood to get those small intricate patterns to display cleanly.

Using wood glue and clamps (or a nail gun if you have one), attach the front and back sections of the lantern to the sides. The sides sections should be placed on the inside edges of the front/back.

i.e The raw edges are hidden when viewing the lantern from the front but exposed when viewing from the side. 

Attach the interior of the lid to the bottom side of the top portion. Use the lantern frame to guide you in the placement so that the lid will sit evenly when finished. Clamp or nail in place once the placement is perfect. (see video specifics on how I do this).

Next, attach the top layer of the lid.

Finally, attach the bottom of the lantern.

Allow the glue to dry overnight. Apply your stain of choice, or leave them raw. They look great either way!

Related Posts That You May Like!
Build some farmhouse style Christmas stars for your holiday decor!
These easy to build antiqued mirrors look great for Halloween or anytime of the year!
Build a Christmas tree crate/riser for a rustic Christmas!
Want more lantern build? Check out my Christmas lamppost and lantern build for something unique. It works for both Christmas and Halloween!

More Halloween Projects from our Sister Site (for those crafty folks)!
Make some adorable gift boxes for your Halloween treats! (Perfect kid project).
Create some spooky books with this easy vintage book cover DIY!

More Suggestions:

I didn’t do anything fancy with my Halloween lanterns. I am always in a rush during this time of a year to meet the Christmas timelines dictated by whoever it is that decides that Christmas decor season has started. So, Halloween is often glossed over.

But there are so many ways that you can expand on this project. I think that adding a stem to the top is very doable. You could also add feet to the bottom or add more layers to the top/bottom. The possibilities are endless! 

Regardless of how detailed you decide to go with your own Halloween lanterns, I wish you the best and have a Happy Halloween!