DIY Rustic Wood Lantern – Free woodworking plans

In the months prior to Christmas,  as I was searching for DIY Christmas gift ideas, I saw several pins on Pinterest (of course!) displaying DIY wood lanterns that different DIYers had created.  I liked the ones I saw, but wanted a lantern that was a little “beefier”.  So, I decided to create my own.

I ended up building a total of five of these beauties, one for myself and then four others that I gave as gifts. (You always have to create a test build before you make something for others, right??)  Here’s how I created my version of the wood lantern:

DIY Wood Lantern Materials:

Wood:

Quantity	Size	Length
1	1×10	6′
1	2×2	8′
1*	1×2	6′

* You only need 13″ of 1×2 boards, instead of buying an entire 1×2 board, you can make these pieces using scraps from the 1×10 or scrap 1×2 boards you may have on hand.

Tools and Supplies:

 

Miter Saw	Drill/Driver	Ryobi Airstrike Nailer
1 1/2″ 18 gauge brad nails	2″ wood screws	Wood Glue
Rustoleum Dark Walnut	16 gauge wire	Corner bracket

 

Cut List:

Quantity	Size	Cut to Length
2	1×10	8″ x 8″
2	1×10	7 1/2″ x 7 1/2″
8	2×2	4 1/2″
4	2×2	1″
4	2×2	13″
2	1×2	4″
2	1×2	2 1/2″

 

DIY Wood Lantern Instructions

First,  using a miter saw,  cut the 1×10 board into two 8″x 8″ square boards and two 7 1/2″x 7 1/2″ square boards.

Next, cut four 2×2 boards to 13″ in length each.

Using wood glue and 2″ wood screws (predrill the holes first), attach the four 13″ 2×2 boards to each corner  of the 7 1/2″ square boards.

Next, add wood glue to one side of each of the 8″ square boards.

Center the 8″ square boards on top of each 7 1/2″ square board and then use brad nails to permanently attach the 8″ board to the 7 1/2″ board.

Next,  cut four 2×2 boards to 1″ each.  Then, using wood glue and brad nails,  attach the feet to the bottom 8″ square board.

Now, cut eight 2×2 boards to 4 1/2″ in length each.  Secure these between the top and bottom of each 13″ 2×2 board with wood glue and brad nails.

Next cut two 1×2 boards to 4″ and two 1×2 boards to 2 1/2″.  Attach these to the top of the top 8″ board using wood glue and brad nails (you will likely have to shoot the nails in from the underside).

Sand the lantern and then stain with Dark Walnut or another stain of your choosing.

Then, drill a small hole in opposite sides of the top 1×2 boards.  Cut 8″ of the 16 gauge steel wire and insert each end through the two small holes that you drilled.  Bend the ends of the wire so they are secure.

Lastly,  add the corner brackets to the corners on the 7 1/2″ square boards.  Add a (flameless) candle and the lantern is complete!  I ended up purchasing a set of cute, inexpensive candle sleeves to cover the bottom half of the 6″ candles I bought (unfortunately the seller who listed the sleeves is currently out of stock, but the candles I purchased are still available and really look like a real, lit candle!).

 

Here are some pics of the lantern:

 

 

It looks beautiful at Christmas time too!

 

Thanks for stopping by!