Vintage Lantern Cloche

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You find lanterns in thrift shops with plans to light campers way to the restroom but this vintage lantern cloche never saw a campsite restroom. (that I know of)

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Camping story

The last time I tent camped, I went with my 8-year-old son, Jason, and a skunk. The skunk wasn’t invited and waited to show up after the sun went down. He was smart and arrived downwind. We didn’t realize he came until he knocked over one of the camp chairs. We grabbed the lantern and picnic basket and headed for the car. Three hours later, we rolled the window down enough to peak our noses out and sniff. Then listened. Then relit the lantern to make sure he returned home. We filled the rest of the weekend with s’ mores, goofy jokes, exciting hikes, and late-night spooky stories around the campfire. We named our uninvited guest, PeWey! This project is in honor of PeWey and giving us fun memories to carry over the years.

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I found an old lantern with an awesome patina at a thrift store. It had a very grungy globe, but with a bit of rice, vinegar, and elbow grease, I knew the glass would sparkle again in no time. 

This project is the perfect way to display faux succulents in your home. With a few simple materials, you’ll have a cute little scene ready to be displayed in a unique vessel. You can easily change out the interior and fill it with another scene for holidays.

Materials

• Lantern
• Dish soap
• Old toothbrush
• White vinegar
• White rice
• Small white decor rocks or Bath salts
• Three faux succulents
• One craft stick
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Black marker

Cleaning the lantern

1. First step. Before cleaning, remove the wick and empty any oil that may be in the reservoir. Clean with dish soap and a small bottle brush if possible. 
2. Clean the metal. Then, remove the globe and set aside. The outside of the lantern got a bath with dish soap and an old toothbrush. Then, I set it outside in the Arizona sun to dry quickly. 
3. Soak the glass. Now to find the sparkle that was in that old glass, I placed it in a deep bowl. Then, added white vinegar to the top and let sit overnight. The next morning, I rinsed the glass but could tell it needed more work. If your glass is clean after this point, skip ahead to Fill the lantern. If your globe needs more work, continue to the next step.
4. Use rice to scrub. So, I grabbed white rice and poured about 1/4 cup into the globe, leaving it on its side since it opened on both ends! At this point, I added white vinegar over the rice, just enough to let the rice move over the glass. For the next 15 minutes, I rotated the rice over the surface to help remove old grime. Then, another 15 minutes scrubbing over the outside with vinegar and rice. 
5. Rinse. A quick rinse and dried thoroughly with a tea-towel, and the globe sparkled like new. 

Fill the lantern

A lever rises the top of the lantern to remove the globe and light the torch. A small piece of foil covers the area around the wick. This keeps small items from falling into the bottom of the lantern.

Next, I added bath salts or “rocks” inside.

Arrange the three faux succulents into the rocks. The tip of an artist paintbrush helps in the arrangement.

Make a small garden sign

Break the craft stick or use scissors to cut the top third. Use the marker to write “garden” on the small piece. Use craft glue to form a sign. When the glue is set, place the sign inside with the succulents. 

Here are other ideas to add to your globe.

• Fill to the top with small pumpkins. 
• Place a favorite family photo.
• Add fall leaves and scatter a few around the base.
• Wrap a strand of lights inside.
• Lay a small birds nest with a little bird in the middle.

Camping gear is a standard on thrift store shelves. On your next thrift store trip, check the camping area. The items are fun and easy to use in decor. And if cleaned well, have a vintage style picnic in the backyard.

Share your vintage decor on Instagram and tag Country Design Style, I’d love to see your repurposed vintage ideas.

If you love vintage farmhouse and need ideas to create the look with ideas around the house, check out adding farmhouse style.