“It may sound strange, but you can make exquisite lanterns from of your seemingly out-of-season holiday lights.”
Corrina Powell
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Corrina Powell is a graphic communication junior and Mustang News Do It Yourself (DIY) columnist.
Are you seeking decor to make your college house feel more like a home? If so, I have the perfect, affordable solution: Dixie Cup twinkle lights. It may sound strange, but you can make exquisite lanterns from your seemingly out-of-season holiday lights. With a string of lights, a stack of Dixie Cups and some pretty paper, you can transform a dreary room into a cozy atmosphere in no time.
What you will need:
- String lights with small bulbs
- Dixie Cups (amount depends on the number of bulbs on your string of lights)
- Fun paper (I cut pages out of an old atlas that I found at the Goodwill Outlet in SLO for $1. Tissue paper, newspaper, or origami would also work well.)
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Pencil
- Tape
Once you have gathered your materials, you can begin by disassembling a Dixie Cup, detaching the bottom and flattening the paper side to use as a stencil. Place the stencil over your paper and trace around it. Do this as many times as you need to cover your cups, or should I say lampshades. Cut out the shapes you have created, wrap around your cups, and secure with tape.
Once you have adorned your Dixie Cups with pretty paper, sketch and cut Xs in the base of each cup.
Finally, push the bulbs through the Xs, and voila!
