Countdown to Christmas with these Jam Jar Advent Lanterns

Explore the Sundays in Advent with these colourful  homemade Advent Lanterns. Light one each Sunday to help you prepare & countdown to Christmas. Made from recycled jam jars, they're frugal, eco-friendly & simple for all ages to make.

With all the hustle & bustle of Christmas preparations & events, it's sometimes tricky to find those moments of stillness & calm during December. But, Advent invites us to slow down, to hit the pause button, & prepare ourselves for the real reason for the season, & these Advent Lanterns are a great way to do just that.

To make them you'll need:

Four clean jam jars (any size) from your recycling

Coloured tissue paper

PVA glue & a thick paintbrush

Coloured paper

If you don't have four jars don't panic, the joy of this activity is that the lanterns can be made weekly, so there's plenty of time to source more. We made a lantern each Saturday in Advent ready for the following day, & this simple mindful activity gave us a chance to take time out from everything & focus on this special season leading up to Christmas.

How to make the Lanterns:

:: Brush the glue onto the jam jar & place tissue paper squares over the top.

:: Keep adding the tissue until you're happy with your design.

:: When you've finished adding tissue, gently brush a very thin layer of glue over the entire design & leave to dry.

:: Add the four Advent themes (Hope, Faith, Joy, Love) to the centre of your lantern by cutting letters from paper & attaching them with glue. Alternatively, you could use our free printable here which has the stencilled words for you to cut out. 

:: Add a candle or LED tealight, & your Advent Lantern is ready to shine brightly in the darkness!

What do the four Lanterns represent?

The first Lantern reflects HOPE. 

Many years before Jesus' birth, prophets, like Isaiah, told of his coming. On the first Sunday in Advent we remember those Prophets & the hopeful message they shared.

The second Lantern reflects PEACE. 

On this Sunday we remember Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Jesus' light helps us to shine. How we can share God's peace with people around us? Where can we pray for peace in our world?

The third lantern reflects JOY! 

We think about those who discovered the joy in the stable on that very first Christmas. As we wait for Christmas Day we pray for those who'll be celebrating the joy of Christmas around the world.

The final fourth Lantern reflects LOVE. 

This is a reminder of God's gift of love, Jesus. How can we show love to those we meet this week? How can we reach out to those in need?

I love how the light from these Advent Lanterns builds as we get closer to Christmas, a real reminder of the light that is to come.

 

These lanterns look beautiful anywhere, but especially on a windowsill shining out into your neighbourhood.

The great thing about these colourful Lanterns is that even after Christmas they can still be used to shine the light of Hope, Peace, Joy & Love in your home.

Looking for more Advent ideas & crafts? Take a look at our Advent Activities here, or our Nativity Activities here.