For the Lanterns
- Clean glass jars or reusable lantern containers
- Tissue paper, translucent paper or thin autumn-coloured scraps
- PVA glue or decoupage glue
- Soft paintbrushes
- Twine, raffia, ribbon or saved fabric strips
- Battery-operated LED tealights
A little light for the harvest season
Community Lanterns & Gratitude Leaves
Make simple glowing lanterns and paper leaves filled with small words of gratitude. Create them alone, with family and friends, or as part of a wider community gathering and let each little light hold something worth remembering.
Mabon is a good time to notice what has already grown, what has been shared,
and what has quietly supported us through the year. The gratitude does not
need to be grand. Small things count too.
Time
30–60 minutes
Difficulty
Easy & inclusive
Best for
Families & groups
Afterwards
Display through Mabon
What You Will Need
For the Gratitude Leaves
- Recycled card, brown paper or autumn-coloured paper
- Scissors
- Pens, pencils or crayons
- Hole punch
- Twine or thread
- Optional real leaves to use as templates
Making the Lanterns
- Prepare the jars. Wash and dry each jar thoroughly and remove any loose labels or sticky residue.
- Choose your colours. Tear tissue or translucent paper into small pieces in rust, gold, brown, berry, moss or whatever autumn shades you already have.
- Build the glow. Brush a thin layer of glue onto part of the jar, add the paper pieces and gently brush another layer over the top. Continue until the jar is covered.
- Add simple details. Once dry, tie twine, raffia or ribbon around the rim. You could add a paper leaf, acorn charm or tiny handwritten tag.
- Add the light. Place a battery-operated LED tealight inside and watch the colours soften into a warm autumn glow.
No perfect lanterns required
Wrinkles, overlapping colours and uneven edges often look better once the light is glowing through them. This is a project where small hands, shaky hands and impatient hands can all make something lovely.
Making the Gratitude Leaves
- Make a simple leaf shape. Trace around a real leaf, draw your own or cut a loose pointed oval from card.
- Cut a little collection. Make several leaves in different sizes and shades. Recycled packaging and brown paper bags work beautifully.
- Write one thing on each leaf. Add something you are grateful for, something that helped you this year, someone you appreciate or a small moment you want to remember.
- Add a hole and thread. Punch a small hole near the stem and add twine, ribbon or thread if you would like the leaves to hang.
- Gather them together. Arrange the leaves around the lanterns, hang them from a branch, pin them to a noticeboard or collect them in a basket where others can add their own.
Make It a Community Project
This project becomes especially lovely when no single person is responsible for the finished display. Let everyone add one small piece and watch the collection grow.
A Family Table
Give everyone a leaf before a shared meal. Add the finished leaves around one lantern in the middle of the table.
A Community Tree
Place a fallen branch securely in a pot or stand and let visitors tie their gratitude leaves onto it throughout the season.
A Shared Window
Arrange lanterns safely along a windowsill and hang the leaves above them so the display slowly fills as more people take part.
A Quiet Corner
Leave blank leaves, pens and a little basket beside the lanterns so people can contribute privately without needing to share their words aloud.
Gratitude Does Not Have to Be Grand
A warm cup of tea. Someone remembering to call. A bird at the feeder. A dry walk home. Enough food for dinner. Five quiet minutes. Gratitude is not about pretending everything is perfect; it is simply about noticing the pieces that helped carry us through.
After Mabon
The lanterns can stay in use through the darker months. Change the ribbon, add winter paper shapes or keep them plain and let the warm light remain. Gratitude leaves can be stored in an envelope or little box and read again next Mabon, creating a gentle record of the things that mattered each year.
Keep It Safe for the Cottage
Use battery-operated LED tealights rather than real candles inside decorated jars. Paper, tissue, glue, ribbon and dried leaves are flammable and should never be placed near an open flame. Supervise children when using scissors, glue or hole punches, and keep small decorations away from young children and curious animals.