With Remembrance Day only a few days away we wanted to create something that would help us remember all those affected by conflicts, both past & present, so we came up with the idea of making a poppy lantern that we could light in the evenings.
We started off with a clean jam jar & some white baking parchment. After measuring the paper around the jar to get the right length, we set to work decorating the paper with poppies.
We had recently purchased our Royal British Legion poppies & had them on a nearby table so we could use these as a guide.
Once our design was finished we glued a strip of red card to both the top & bottom of the paper. The card gives the lantern more stability than strips of paper.
To help us attach the paper to the jar we added a small piece of double sided tape & then wrapped the paper around the jar. We then sealed the ends with tape.
Later that evening we added a tealight to our Lantern & the poppies glowed beautifully in the darkness. We chose to use a battery-operated tealight as it enables all ages to light the lantern as & when they choose.
For us the act of lighting a candle enables us to remember & give thanks for the many men & women who served in previous conflicts, & offers us a time to remember & pray for all those who are serving in conflicts around the world now. It gives us a space each evening to also think of the many civilians who were/are caught up in the horror of war & we pray for them & their families, & a more peaceful world in the future.
This lantern has proved a popular activity in our house, & my daughter has since made more lanterns for relatives. Even though many years have passed & these generations have never met, how special it is to have a light burning today in their memory. We will remember them.