It really is amazing how much of a difference a fresh coat of paint can make. My cousin is getting married in May and wants to have lots of lanterns around for decor, so I told her she could use the ones from my wedding. They have been living outside so they were in pretty bad shape, and she wanted them to be black, so I decided I would spray paint them and see if that did the job. I think it did!
Here is how bad the lantern looked before- lots of dirt, mildew, rust, and pine needles
First I cleaned the lantern and removed the glass squares from the openings. I cleaned the glass squares, but forgot to get a picture of that.
Next step: spray painting the lanterns. I took them outside so that I was in a well ventilated area. I'm very glad I did this, because even doing it outside gave me a bit of a headache (I probably should have worn a mask). I can't imagine how I would have felt had I done it inside. Plus it was a really nice day so it was perfect weather for spray painting, and a good excuse to be outside. Bonus: you don't have to worry about getting spray paint on the floor. I spread them out evenly on an unfolded box in our back yard and got to work.
I sprayed them with multiple light coats of black glossy spray paint, making sure I kept my wrist moving the whole time, so I didn't end up with thick drippy areas.
2 bottles of $1 Walmart spray paint later my 5 lanterns were covered!
Here they are with the glass squares replaced and candles lit inside. Don't they look so much better?! And it only cost $2!
And just for fun, a before and after shot.
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