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Spruce up your porch or covered patio area with fun and easy DIY fishbowl lanterns! This craft mostly incorporates items you can find at the dollar store and it’s not overly complicated. Basically you’re just attaching decorative stones onto fish bowls and covering it with Plaster of Paris.
Notes:
-You can use this finished bowl as a lantern or a planter.
-Plaster of Paris doesn’t do well in the rain, so keep the lantern on a covered porch or patio.
-I covered my bowl with Plaster of Paris in the yard when it was probably 100 degrees outside, so the hot glue wasn’t quite strong enough to hold a few of the stones on. If you have a space inside to work on this project, that may be best; otherwise, maybe wait until it’s not a thousand degrees outside.
What you need:
-1 or 2 glass fishbowls
-decorative glass stones (i used 3 different colors)
-hot glue gun
-glue sticks for hot glue gun
-Plaster of Paris
-disposable gloves
-sponge
-Brillo pad
How to do it:
1. Decide which pattern you’d like on your lantern. You can either have a set pattern or just do random stones. I did rows of alternating colors.
2. Starting at the top of the bowl, use hot glue to glue each stone in a row around the bowl. Continue all the way down the bowl. I stopped gluing stones with a few inches left from the bottom of the bowl. That way the stones won’t hit surfaces as it’s sitting upright.
3. Mix a batch of Plaster of Paris. I used about 2 cups for a medium-sized bowl. Note: the instructions on the box said to make a plaster/water mix with a ratio of 2:1, but I found that it was much easier to use a ratio of 4:1. So, if you’re making 2 cups of Plaster of Paris, use 1/2 cup of water and mix until smooth. This makes it more of a mud consistency rather than a water-like consistency. Just know that this makes your working time before it hardens a little narrower.
4. While wearing disposable gloves, scoop out some Plaster of Paris and spread it all around the bowl, getting it down in the cracks between the stones. Spread off the excess with your hands.
5. Using a damp sponge, wipe away the plaster the best you can. It’s okay if there is a little left on the stones. You may need to add an extra layer of plaster; just keep working until everything except the domes of the stones are covered.
6. Allow the Plaster of Paris to dry for about 8 hours or overnight.
7. Use a damp Brillo pad to scrub away the excess dried plaster from the top of the stones and even everything out.
8. Place a tealight inside and you have a decorative lantern for parties! Or use it as a planter and keep it on your porch!
See more DIY Christmas ideas!
