Easy DIY Modern Farmhouse Wood Lanterns

Hey guys, today I'm sharing a DIY project that had been on my to-do list for soooo long - DIY modern farmhouse lanterns!

These DIY large modern farmhouse lanterns were so easy to make at home and turned out much better than I expected! They look so high-end in my opinion, despite costing next to nothing to make!

There are SO many DIY tutorials on YouTube on how to make these lanterns using Dollar Tree products, but I don't have this store near me, so I had to make do with materials that are widely available. So hopefully wherever you are in the world, you can have a go too! 😉

I've seen these lanterns even being made of Jenga blocks, but I wanted to make something a little more sturdy and that was a little larger to be able to decorate and use them as a statement piece season after season!

I ended up making one 30cm and one 50cm tall lantern with the materials, and the only thing I bought were lengths of cheap pine wood to use for the sides of my lanterns.

For these DIY modern farmhouse lanterns, you can simply create the wooden frame and leave it at that. It would still look super pretty to decorate using candles or LED lights.

But for my lanterns, I decided to add a top AND a bottom to finish them off. Of course, if you choose this route, you can only really use LED candles in there, as the top is made of plastic! But since these are for décor only, then no biggie, right?! 😉

I did insert real candles atop candle black holders for the photos, and I did notice that the heat was reaching the top. So I suggest you only use LED candles if you add a top or roof to your lanterns!

Also, you could simply add the bottom to the lanterns and leave the top off, and then you can use the candle holders to prop up your real candles in them.

I chose a wood and black color palette for my lanterns because I wanted a modern farmhouse look. But you could of course, paint or spray paint them any color you like to suit your home décor or taste.

I can see these lanterns in a patio or terrace, by a mantel or even to decorate your wedding space!

The beauty of this DIY project, is that you can whip up a few of these lanterns in no time at all! I made both my lanterns in one afternoon, including the painting (and drying, since it was super hot outside).

If you have a nail gun and an electric or rotary saw, then the project can be even quicker! 

Like I said, the only supplies I purchased were the pine poles that I used to make the sides or the frame of the lanterns. I bought 3 poles but ended up using just 1. They cost me about 3 euros each, but I know you can get similar ones in the US for half the price at any hardware store!

To cut the wood for this project, I used a  hand saw, and it took about 10 seconds to cut each pole, so again, it's super quick and easy. No biggie!

When my pretty lanterns were finished, I decided to decorate them for Fall with faux leaves, greenery and faux pumpkins; and I placed them by my studio fireplace for now. But I can't wait to decorate them for the Christmas season too! 🥰

I love how these turned out and hope you'll feel inspired to have a go making your own large farmhouse lanterns too!

To make 2 of these large DIY modern farmhouse lanterns, I used the following materials:

Materials for 1x 30cm + 1x 50cm lantern

* 4 square canvases

* pine wood poles (width to match your canvas)

* wood stain or paint

* strong glue

* small nails 

* Optional: square plates, curtain finials and wire