How to Make a Fantastic Candle Lantern From An Old Tin Can

First get the label off the can by soaking in hot sudsy water. Then fill the can full of water and place in your freezer until the water has frozen solid, usually overnight. Then in the morning, place an old towel on a firm counter surface. Lay the tin can (which is now full of solid ice) on its side on the towel.

Determine, either in your mind or mark on the can, the design you want to place on the can. You don't have to get fancy, you can put simple shapes such as crosses and spirals. The important thing is that you have holes all the way around the can. As you do this, hold the point of the nail vertically on the can and hammer with several hard hits. The ice will support the sides of the can and prevent them from bending and you should be able to make a clean hole. Continue making holes in the can until you have rotated all the way around it. While you are doing the holes, make sure you make three holes along the top of the can, preferably evenly spaced. These are the holes you will use to secure your wire hanger.

When you're finished making your design on the can, let the can thaw. To make the hanger, cut three lengths of wire, each at least 12 inches long. Push one end of the wire through a hole in the top of the can, bend the end back up and twist the wire around itself to secure it. Do this with all three wires.

Gather the loose ends of all 3 wires together at the top and twist them together, then bend the twisted trio into a large hook so it looks like the top of a wire hanger. Then secure your candle in the can. You can use a match to heat the base of the candle so that it just barely starts to melt then press it into the bottom of the can so that it will stick. Or, if you have a hot glue gun, you can glue the candle in. Another option is to put sand in the bottom of the can and let that support your candle.