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| Luminaria are Mexican Christmas lanterns formed with paper bags. Here the customary bag is replaced with a sturdy wooden frame. A candle is then placed in a canning jar to protect the wood from scorching. |
At the bottom of this page you'll find a link to four patterns, representing each season, for delicate cutout designs you can use on the front of your wooden luminary. If you're handy with a scroll saw, try making a design of your own. But keep it simple and cut out openings just big enough to let light shine through. LET'S START LUMINATIN'
Here's What You'll Need
Note: This material list is for one luminary.
•One 3-foot 1" x 6" pine board (actual size 3/4" x 5 1/2")
•1 1/2" finishing nails
•Waterproof carpenter's glue
•Glue stick (optional)
•Exterior polyurethane gloss
•One large-mouth 1-quart canning jar
•One candle
Recommended Tools
•Table saw
•Power drill
•Scroll saw or coping saw
1. Cut all the pieces from a 3-foot 1" x 6" (3/4" x 5 1/2") pine board.
•It's best to make these luminaries from 3/8"-thick boards because they look more proportional. (Plane the board down to this thickness before cutting the pieces.)
•If making from optional 3/8" stock, cut the sides 4 5/8" wide. However, if you want to use regular 3/4" stock, make the sides 5" wide.
•In either case, the base of the lantern is 4 1/4" square.
2. Select a side free of knotholes for the front of the luminary. Choose one of the patterns provided, or create one of your own. Photocopy the patterns at 200%, or draw them using the grid to help. Then trace or glue (with a glue stick) the design onto the wood. (Position the design about 1/4" to the left of center.)
3. Cut out the pattern with a scroll or coping saw.
4. Glue and nail the sides together with 1 1/2" finishing nails. Drill pilot holes so you don't split the boards.
5. Sand the sides. We suggest rounding off all the edges for a softer look. Apply two or three coats of exterior polyurethane gloss inside and out, lightly sanding between each coat.
6. Put a candle inside a large-mouth 1-quart canning jar and set the jar inside the box. Now find a nice spot for your luminary and let it warm up your front porch or backyard!
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If you'd like to try this project but don't have a scroll saw, don't worry. A coping saw will do the job very well. It may take a little more time and patience, but the end result will be just as pleasing. If you don't have a coping saw, they're available at hardware stores for less than $10.
Click here for patterns.
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You must have Acrobat Reader to view the patterns. Click here to download. |
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