Leprechaun Lantern

The leprechaun door display will be done just in time for tomorrow. The door itself is still drying, but the lantern is finished and out front with the pot o' gold.


I decided it would be fun to have it sitting on top of something, as opposed to just being on the ground as in the sketch. I first started to make a large shamrock, but unfortunately I was rushing it and couldn't get it right. It just looked like a large tropical plant (there's always next year to try again). So I went with a smaller pile of gold coins.

The lantern is an old, tea light holding one from my stash. I decided since it had a pre made hole in the bottom (where the tea light holder unscrews) I could add a bright Christmas bulb in a faux candle to light up the display at night. I first took the lantern apart and painted.

The candle body was made from a cardboard tube and hot glue, then painted.

Next, I created the base by gluing gold coins into a pile, leaving an open space in the center so the light cord could pass through. Then the lantern base was glued on top, then the candle body on top of that. Finally, the lantern was reassembled.

Off to finish the door, more later.

8 comments:

  1. Looking forward to the unveiling! (Are there any more gold coins left in your local dollar stores?) :)

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    1. LOL, actually I'm more worried that I had this many to use hiding in my stash.

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  2. Man, how do you get your glue to drip like that? That's got to be one of the best candles I've seen.

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    1. Thanks. Just patience and a delicate touch on the gun trigger creating small drips. I let each cool completely before next one and slowly build up.

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  3. I'm going to have to start doing something like this! Everyone loves my halloween display so much, I ned to keep the love going all year!

    I had an idea for the EasterBunny house. How about a miniature smoke stack coming out of the tree, but with bubbles instead of smoke coming out of it. Might require hacking a bubble machine.

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    1. You really should, it's fun. Helps keep the neighbors from thinking I'm some Satanist only decorating in October.

      Love the chimney idea. I'm a big fan of cartoony crooked ones. Years ago I worked on a TV show where we made a lot of kid's playhouses. My assistant made fun of me because I'd always design a crooked chimney into each one.

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  4. If I ever make an appearance on hoarders I'm going to blame you!! I catch myself looking at stuff these days before I throw it out and I say what would Dave do... and I end up storing it in my shed! Its very cool to see how you re-purpose a lot of stuff you have stored up! Love all your attention to details too! I use to like the plain Jane Halloween cauldrons until you had to raise the bar and use model magic to make them even cooler! Now a plain cauldron doesn't suffice!

    I ended up making a bunch of candles from PVC, but yours from toilet paper rolls and cardboard tubes look a lot better!!

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    1. You know what's really sad... I'd use PVC for my candles if I wasn't afraid to cut the pipes down just in case I need them for something else. I've said it before... my fiancee has the Hoarders TV show ready on speed dial. Maybe they'll have a Halloween special and we can both be on it?

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