How to Make 4th of July Luminaries

Light up the yard at dusk with these homemade 4th of July luminaries. These DIY 4th of July luminaries are cheap and easy to make. They will help light any paths in your yard at dusk and into the night. Prepare the holiday decorations ahead of time and let the kids decorate them.

Materials for 4th of July Luminaries

cheap white lunch bags
star stickers
red, white and blue markers
a star stencil
a firecracker stencil
a piece of cardboard
an Exacto knife
tea light candles or a set of outdoor lights
a pencil
beach sand or uncooked rice or uncooked beans

Prepare the 4th of July Luminaries

First, make the Stencils.

The first thing you need to do is to create festive Fourth of July stencils. You can do this by drawing simple shapes including a star or a firecracker. Or use a simple compute drawing program to create these images. You can also find basic Fourth of July clipart online.

Select simple images that are recognizable by their outline.

Print out the image if it it is from your computer.

Cut out the stencil image. Then trace the stencil onto a piece of card stock or on an old manila envelope.

Use the stencil to draw the images on the white paper backs.

Place a piece of sturdy cardboard under the bag, to protect your work surface.

Use an Exacto knife to cut out the images. It's okay to cut through both sides of the bag to create the Fourth of July luminary.

When you are making a firecracker stencil on the bag, also cut out a thin line for the firecracker wick. Draw some straight lines to look like flames.

Decorate the Luminaries

After the shapes are cut out of the Fourth of July luminaries, you can decorate the bags. Decorate the bags if you are going to set them up during the day time, unlit.

Let the kids take a break from swimming or eating, and have them help. The Fourth of July luminaries can be decorated with glitter, stickers or paints.

Set up the Fourth of July Luminaries

Place a thin layer of uncooked rice, uncooked beans or beach sand in the bottom of each Fourth of July luminary.

Set a tea light candle into the center of the bad, turning it slightly back and forth until it settles into the sand, rice or beans. This will help keep the tea light in place.

Decorate the yard with the Fourth of July luminaries and light them at dusk.

Safety Tips for the 4th of July Luminaries

Do not leave these Fourth of July decorations unattended. Also do not use these outdoor 4th of July decorations if it is windy outside.

If you prefer, the 4th of July Luminaries may be illuminated with a string of outdoor lights. You will need to cut a small hole in the back of each back. You will also need to have a power source. The 4th of July Luminaries will need to be set up in such a way that nobody will trip on the wires.