Halloween Lantern Plans

This diy step by step diy project is about Halloween lantern plans. If you want to enhance your backyard for the approaching Holiday, building a basic outdoor decoration is a good idea. Anyone can get the job done, as the project requires basic tools and materials. You can adjust the design and the size of the pumpkin lantern with minimal effort and costs.

You should always plan everything from the very beginning, in order to prevent costly mistakes and to save time. If this is your first project, you should read the instructions with attention. Invest in high quality lumber and plywood, as the components will be exposed to bad weather. Protect the components with appropriate paint or stain.

There are a few tips that you should take into account, if you want to get a professional result. Therefore, take accurate measurements and use professional tools when making the cuts or when drilling pilot holes. Align the components at both ends and add waterproof glue to the joints, if you want to create a rigid structure. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Made from this plan

Building a wood pumpkin lantern

Materials

A – 2 pieces of 1×12 lumber – 18″ long FACES
B – 2 pieces of 1×8 – 18″ long SIDES
C – 1 piece of 1×12 lumber – 8 3/4″ long TOP
D – 1 piece of 1×4 lumber – 4 1/2″ long STEM

1 piece of 1×12 lumber – 6 ft
1 piece of 1×8 lumber – 6 ft
1 piece of 1×4 – 2 ft (or cut from 1×8)
20 pieces of 1 1/4″ screws
glue, paint

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses
Miter saw, jigsaw, pocket hole jig
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Use a good miter saw to make the angle cuts
Drill pilot holes before inserting the screws

Time

One Day

Work bench plans
How to build a garden arbor

How to build a Halloween lantern

Building the faces

The first step of the project is to build the faces for the pumpkin lantern. Use 1×12 lumber to build the components. You can adjust the size of the faces to suit your needs.

Making the notches

The next step of the project is to make the notches to the front face of the lantern. Draw the outlines of the holes and them drill a starting holes. Get the job done with a jigsaw and smooth the edges with sandpaper. You can adjust the design of the front face to suit your needs.

Assembling the box

Next, you need to assemble the lantern. As you can easily notice in the diagram, you need to build the sides from 1×8 lumber. Align the edges with attention and insert 1 1/4″ screws / nails to lock everything tightly. Make sure the corners are square.

Attaching the top

Build the top component from 1×12 lumber. Cut the slat at 8 3/4″ and attach it to the top of the lantern. Align the edges with attention. Add glue to the joints and insert 1 1/4″ brad nails to secure the top to the frame of the wood pumpkin lantern.

Building the stem

Build the stem from a piece of 1×4 lumber. Mark the cut lines on the slat and get the job done with a jigsaw. Smooth the edges with sandpaper. Center the stem to the top of the lantern and lock it into place with glue and a couple of 1 1/4″ brad nails.

Halloween Lantern Plans

Fill the holes with wood putty and let it dry out. Smooth the surface with sandpaper. Apply several coats of paint over the components. I hope you enjoyed this this step by step tutorial and you should take a look over the rest of my projects. I would love to hear your feedback and to see your pins, likes and shares. If you build this tool stand don’t forget to send a few pics.

Thank you for reading our project about Halloween lantern plans and we recommend you to check out the rest of the projects. Don’t forget to SHARE and LIKE our projects with your friends, by using the social media widgets, if you want to help us keep adding free woodworking plans.

PRINT PLAN