Recently, I have been creating honeybee-themed place settings, and have been searching for options that are budget-friendly and use materials I already have in my craft cabinet. After a few attempts, I came up with these honeypot lanterns, which require only 4 basic materials: glass, glue, metal findings, and a chalk marker. Easy-peasy!
Watch my in-depth video for a step-by-step guide on how to create your own honeypot lantern. I have listed all the materials* needed, as well as some items that are nice to have for this project. Glass vases, globes, or even mason jars would work in this project. You could also make these lanterns with dragonflies, ladybugs, or butterflies. No matter your theme, this tutorial is versatile. I will show you how to create this bee-utiful look!
Materials
Honeypot Lantern Instructions
These are some written steps to creating your own honeypot lantern. In addition to the materials listed above, have some paper towel, a paper plate, and toothpicks available. This project can get messy fast!
Step 1: Apply glue in small sections
Squeeze a generous portion of glue onto the side of the glass vase. Try to work in smaller sections so you will have enough time to work with the glue and bee pendants before they dry. Each section should be about half an inch in width.
Step 2: Use a toothpick to smear the glue
Using a toothpick, you need to smear the glue, flattenting and evenly distrubuting it across the glass. To create a frosted, almost crackled look, make little swirling motions with your toothpick. Avoid getting any glue on the bottom of your vase as this section should be entirely without smeared glue.
Step 3: Apply metal bee findings
Every lantern is unique, so the it does not matter how you go about placing your bee findings on the vase. For my lantern, I opted to use a lot of honeycomb findings with the bee pendants placed sporadically throughout. What matters most is getting them on their quickly, and ensuring that larger metal pieces are flesh with the vase. If you find a piece is fitting awkwardly, apply tiny dots of glue around it, and use your toothpick to work this glue around the pendant so it has a better hold.
Continue Steps 1-3 until you have entirely coated your vase with smeared glue and pendants. Then, set aside your vase to dry for 24 hours before proceeding to Step 4.
Step 4: Use a chalk marker to apply a gold finish
After allowing your vase to entirely dry, take a chalk marker and begin “coloring” on the vase, filling in the gaps around the metal findings. This should also be done in small sections since the marker will also dry quickly.
Step 5: Use paper towel to smear the chalk marker
After completing a small section, take a folded paper towel and smear the marker into the glass. While you could also use a cotton ball, paper towel works best for getting the marker into the tiny spots around the metal bee findings.
Place Setting Ideas
You can use these lanterns anywhere, but I designed mine specifically to be part of a table centerpiece. I coupled the honeypot with a smaller vase, which took a single faux flower. Using mason jars from my kitchen, I filled the bottom of the jar with white stones, and filled the vase with faux lavender stems and various other faux flowers, tying a large bow around it to complete the design. My bouquets and honeypot all sit on a eucalyptus placemat, which complete the spring-themed look.
Want the look? I listed all the materials you need to create your own table setting!
Table Setting Materials
Want to step-up your bouquet-making skills? Visit my guide 4 Easy Steps to Craft a Perfect Bouquet, and watch my video for a visual step-by-step workshop of how I put together my floral arrangements!
You can also visit my Shop for home décor items to help refresh your home!
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