Spruce up your outside space for your next summer party with some DIY twinkly twine lanterns. Here’s what you need to make them:

  • Balloons
  • Scissors
  • Twine or yarn
  • White glue
  • Cornstarch
  • Warm water
  • Petroleum jelly
  • Clear spray paint (make sure it’s fast-drying!)
  • Garland lights of some kind

Steps:

  1. Depending on the size that you would like your lanterns to be, blow up your balloons accordingly.
  2. Lay down a dropcloth or some other protective layer.
  3. Mix the white glue, cornstarch, and warm water to form the adhesive mixture.
  4. Cover the balloons with petroleum jelly.
  5. Submerge the twine to be used in the glue mixture.
  6. Wrap the twine or yarn mixture around the prepared balloons, making sure to change directions as you wrap.
  7. Suspend the balloons from a shower curtain rod or other space to hang from in your house and allow them to dry for 24 hours.
  8. As soon as the balloons covered in the twine dry, pop the balloons on the inside and discard the balloons.
  9. Spray them with the clear spray paint.
  10. Feed the garland lights through the balls, and hang them up for all your party guests to see.

This is such a fun craft that will yield amazingly simple but beautiful results. Enjoy!