How To Decorate With Lanterns – Tips And Ideas

Lanterns are an essential part of any well-rounded home decor collection. Whether you’re looking to create a cozy corner with a soft glow or add a decorative touch to an empty corner, lanterns are a great option.

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Their ability to blend functionality with style makes them a go-to accessory for many home decorators.

I have a particular fondness for decorating with lanterns! Whether I’m arranging a display for a specific season or simply adding a touch of charm to a room, they never disappoint.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with lanterns of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and I always find new ways to incorporate them into my decor.

And because of the availability of such a wide range of styles, I’ve had no trouble finding lanterns to fit with my style, no matter how much it changed over time.

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Whether you’re on a budget or looking to splurge, there’s a lantern out there for you.

I don’t see them going out of style anytime soon—they’re a staple in the world of home decor for a reason!

Let me show you some of that ways that I’ve used them around my home and hopefully give you some ideas for yours.

Lanterns are fun to decorate seasonally as well as for everyday looks.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying the simplicity of these fun pagoda shaped lanterns paired with a gorgeous display of hydrangeas.

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Open lanterns are the best for filling with a variety of items centered around a season or holiday.

Talk about versatility and using your imagination!  Let’s start out with one of my most favorite diy projects at the time I was embracing farmhouse style.

To recreate the look, use my easy formula to stain a board to look like driftwood, add a plant hook to it, and hang your lantern.

For an added touch, attach a wire hanging folder basket below the lantern. They are lots of fun to decorate seasonally.

The simple white battery operated candles in these lanterns give off a nice glow and give the whole room great ambiance at night.  

We all crave coziness and hominess at the holidays, so lanterns are a perfect fit to add to your Christmas decor.

A piece of ribbon and a sprig of greenery is all it takes to dress your lantern so that it fits in, no matter your theme.

What’s better than decorating a lantern with a single white candle?  How about a whole trio of them! 

I love, love, love using over-sized lanterns.  They’re great displayed on the floor, on your porch, in the center of a table – any place that you want to make a real statement.

If white candles look a little too plain inside your lantern, wrapping them with twine will add interest and texture.

Here’s another example of what a great statement you can make by using over-sized lanterns.  The Christmas decorations in my friend’s foyer certainly wouldn’t be quite as dramatic without the large lanterns.

Notice that the placement of the lanterns, both on one end of the console table, reinforces the angle of her stairway.

Here’s another statement-making idea.  When you’re setting a table just for looks, look at all of the drama that the use of large lanterns adds to a small table.

Lanterns aren’t just for candles either. What can you fill lanterns with besides candles?  Well….anything!  Candles are easy, but you can do so much more with them.

I love to pull all sorts of items together to create seasonal displays!  It doesn’t have to be complicated though – just gather whatever goodies you have stashed away and combine them together in your lantern.

As a centerpiece for an Easter tablescape, I filled a pair of large open lanterns with a mix of decorations geared towards the holiday.  The tablescape itself, was pretty simple, but the addition of the lanterns gave it drama.

Even Uncle Sam got into the act in a lantern that acted as a centerpiece on a table that I set for July 4th on our screened porch.

One more idea is to put a lantern within a lantern.  The lanterns that you already own may be silver, black, wood or white, but this is a great way to add a pop of color and tie them in with the rest of your decor.

Call attention to a lantern by displaying it in an unexpected way, such as how I placed this lantern inside of a crate on my fireplace hearth. 

I think the overall effect is much more eye-catching and appealing than the display would have been with just the lantern alone.

At Christmas, fill large lanterns with a grouping of miniature Christmas trees.

One spring, when I had farmhouse decor and shelves in my breakfast area, I filled a large square lantern with a stack of plates, a pretty blue bowl and faux succulents.

So far, I’ve only talked about decorating with lanterns indoors, but they’re for outdoor use too!

One year, I used lanterns in another unexpected way on my fall front porch.  

I started off by flanking my front door with a pair of black urns filled with wire lanterns and a fall colored candle, then added a grapevine wreath with a few fall picks tucked in. This idea was a huge hit with all of you!

Here’s another over-sized lantern that’s displayed on a deck outside filled with decorations that reinforce the outdoor vibe – a mossy branch, a bird and a potted plant.

These are just a few of the many ways that I love to decorate with lanterns!  Have I made a believer out of you yet?  Gather up a lantern or ten and have some fun!