Tin soup and vegetable cans (empty and clean)
Small, short candles or small Christmas lights
Hammer
Nails
Fill the cans with water and put them in the freezer
overnight, or until the water is frozen solid. The
ice in the can prevents the can from denting when
making the design.
Decide how you want to use your luminarias. You can
use them with a candle inside of them, or you can
use Christmas lights inside. If you use candles, the
closed end of the can will be the bottom. If you use
Christmas lights, decide which end you want as the
bottom. If the luminaras are going to be used on a
table or mantle, make a hole in the back of the can
for the light close to the open end of the can. The
closed end will be at the top, so that less light
escapes, and your design is brighter.
If you want to hang the luminaria, make one hole
each on opposite sides of the open end, and tie string
through the holes to hang it with. It will look like
a bucket with a string handle. Make sure you put a
hole near the bottom for the holiday light.
Make a pattern for your design before you begin.
Make a sort of "connect the dots" pattern.
Make trees, snow man, snowflakes, pinecone, etc. Take
the cans out of the freezer one at a time, so the
ice doesn't melt. Poke holes in the sides of the cans
with the nail to make patterns. When you put a light
or a candle inside of the can, the holes will glow.
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