Lanterns

[Magpie]

Hey, I didn't know about the LED candles I want to make these for my son for his birthday, he is crazy about candles. Thanks for the excellent advice!

[CanadianScroller]

You cannot have anything on the top of the lantern, you would be amazed at how much heat even a little tea light will produce.
When I have made candle sconces I have used a forstner bit to drill a hole for a tea light.

If you are using votives I would recommend using a glass holder.
Tea lights on the otherhand usually come in small aluminum or plastic holders.

I have used plain printer paper in lanterns before that I have rubbed with mineral oil. I wouldnt worry about using sand. That could get messy.
The real safety precaution here is to not leave the candles unattended.
I did pick up some solid state LED candles that run on batteries. They look quite good when illuminating through paper. You may want to try this apporach too.

[Magpie]

I am making the lanterns from this month's SSW, only I want to make them candle holders instead of electric lights. What safety precautions do I need to use? I suspect the glass votive candles are the safest candles, but I'm afraid of fire with the rice paper. Do I need to use a layer of sand in the bottom or anything like that? Any advice is deeply appreciated Thanks!