DIY Wood Lantern – 2 Hour Project

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Discover how to build a Wood Lantern. This wooden lantern is a lovely Christmas accent, particularly when displayed with a DIY Christmas tree.

DIY Wood Lantern with a small Christmas tree with lights inside.

For several years, I have hoped to place large lanterns on my front porch, but I still haven’t found precisely what I have in mind.

Because I couldn’t find the right ones, I decided to create them myself! I mean, it’s not as though I’ve never built a lantern before—remember the Christmas Tree Wood Lantern?

Would you like to learn how to build a wooden lantern?

How to Build a Wood Lantern

Supplies:

  • 1-inch x 10-inch x 8 ft. Pine Board
  • Wrapping paper featuring a cutting grid on the reverse side
  • Transfer paper
  • Washi tape
  • Wood glue
  • Wood ring 2-inch diameter

Tools:

Cut List:

  • 4 wood pieces 18 ¼″ x 8″ with 45 degree angles cut along both long edges.
  • 2 wood pieces 9 ¼″ x 9 ¼″
  • 1 wood piece 5 ½″ x 5 ½″
  • 1 wood piece 3″ x 3″
  • 1 wood bridge

Components for building a wood lantern

Instructions:

Step 1: From the wrapping paper with a cutting grid on the back, cut a 18 ¼″ x 8″ rectangle. With a ruler, pencil, and compass, sketch a rectangle ending in a semicircle. The pattern is 15″ x 5 7/8″.

You already know how much I enjoy using wrapping paper for making templates.

Lantern template drawn on grid wrapping paper.

Step 2: Using a miter saw, cut four 18 ¼″ x 8″ wooden pieces from the 1″ x 10″ x 8 ft. pine board.

Board of pine.
Miter saw cutting pine boards.
Four boards of pine.

Step 3: With a table saw, create 45 degree edges along both long sides of each of the four wood pieces.

For additional guidance on forming 45 degree edges, I came across this video explaining the method very clearly: timber miter joints.

Board with a 45 degree edge.
Board with 45 degree edges on two long sides.
Stack of wood with 45 degree edges.

Step 4: Position the template in the center of the wider section of one wood piece and trace it with transfer paper. Using a ruler and compass on top of the template gave excellent results.

P.S. Washi tape is very effective for keeping the template securely in place.

Tracing template onto wood.
Template drawn on wood.

Step 5: Make holes at both corners of the template so the scroll saw blade can be inserted.

Drilling holes in corner of the template.
Drilling holes in corner of the template.
Wood with two holes in the corners of template.

Step 6: Feed the scroll saw blade through one of the holes, then remove the center section.

Scroll saw blade inside hole.
Cutting out the template with a scroll saw.
Cutting out the center with a scroll saw.

Step 7: Set the finished piece on top of the remaining three pieces and outline the opening.

Tracing template onto another piece of wood.
Template on wood.

Step 8: Perform steps 5 and 6 again for each of the other three pieces.

Step 9: Smooth the inner edges with a spindle sander. If you don’t own one, sandpaper can be used instead.

Smoothing the inside edges with a spindle sander.

Step 10: Use a wood file to make the two corners straight.

Straightening the corners with a wood file.

Step 11: From the leftover pine board, use the miter saw to cut 2 pieces measuring 9 ¼″ x 9 ¼″, 1 piece measuring 5 ½″ x 5 ½″, 1 piece measuring 3″ x 3″, and 1 small piece measuring 1½″ x ¾″.

Cutting the base pieces.
Cutting the second top piece.
Cutting the third top piece.

Step 12: Drill a hole in the bottom center of the 1½″ x ¾″ wooden piece with a 19/64 drill bit.

Drilling a hole into the bottom of a small wooden piece.
Drilling a hole in the bottom of a small wooden piece to fit the ring.
Completed drilled hole.

Step 13: Enlarge the opening with a scroll saw until the 2″ ring slides into it.

Widening the hole opening with a scroll saw.
Wooden piece for holding the ring, resembling a small bridge.

How to assemble a lantern

Now it’s time to put the wooden lantern together.

These are all the pieces needed to build the lantern:

Wooden pieces for building a lantern.

Instructions:

Step 1: Add a small amount of glue, then fit the 2″ ring into the small wooden block.

Sand the ring’s bottom until it sits level with the base of the wooden block.

Wooden ring fitted inside the block.
Wooden ring fitted inside a block.

Step 2: Position the 4 large wooden pieces next to one another, keeping the broadest side facing upward.

Lantern sides positioned together.

Step 3: Place strips of wide masking tape over every seam between the wooden pieces.

Placing masking tape along the edges.
All edges joined with masking tape.

Step 4: Turn the wood over, then spread glue along every edge.

Wooden pieces turned over.
Spreading glue along the edges.
Glue applied to every edge.

Step 5: Join the edges to form the lantern.

Putting the lantern box together.

Step 6: Secure each edge with pin nails using a nail gun.

Fastening the edges with nails.
Detailed view of a nail.

Peel away the masking tape.

Assembled main lantern body.

Step 7: Turn the lantern upside down.

Spread glue over the lantern’s bottom edge, then center one of the 9 ¼″ x

9 ¼″ pieces on top of it.

Fasten it to the lantern using pin nails along the perimeter.

Attaching the bottom of the lantern.

Step 8: Set the lantern on its base.

Spread adhesive along the upper edge, position the second 9 ¼″ x 9 ¼″ piece centrally over it, and secure it with nails.

Lantern with bottom attached.
Attaching the top.

Step 9: Center the 5 ½″ x 5 ½″ piece on top, then glue and nail it in place.

Adding the second top piece.
Second top piece attached.

Step 10: Spread glue beneath the block containing the ring, then position it over the 3″ x 3″ piece so it is centered.

Secure it with nails.

Applying glue under the ring block.
Fasten ring block on third top piece.
Third top piece with ring block.

Step 11: Center the 3″ x 3″ piece with the ring over the 5 ½″ x 5 ½″ piece, then glue and nail it down.

Attaching third piece onto the second top piece.

Step 12: Sand every edge until smooth.

Wood lantern in workshop.

The finished lantern is approximately 23″ tall and 9 ¼″ wide.

DIY Wood Lantern

Making the lantern may appear to involve many steps, though it is actually quite simple. With the right tools available, it takes roughly 2 hours to complete.

With two 1-inch x 10-inch x 8 ft. pine boards, you can conveniently build two at once.

DIY lantern made from wood.
DIY Wooden Lantern.

Right now, the wooden lantern is displayed in my living room beside a lovely DIY Christmas Tree that I made with my daughter. I’ll explain how to create the Christmas tree in a future blog post.

Originally, I intended to paint the lantern black with outdoor paint and place it on my front porch. However, I truly enjoy having it in my living room.

I might simply apply varnish and leave it indoors. What do you think?

If I only varnish it, I’ll use the same product I applied to the DIY Wooden Tree Christmas Countdown.

I want to thank my Dad and my husband for their assistance with this project. I injured my arm a few weeks ago, which has restricted what I can manage by myself.

What is your opinion of the lantern? I’m genuinely thrilled with the result!

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