Using Lanterns to Showcase Your Decor

If you are anything like me, you love lanterns. They look great inside and outside the home and they seem to bring a warm and inviting vibe to any space they are placed in.

 Lanterns of all shapes and sizes.....they're all perfect!

Each season as I change out my decor I start brainstorming of new ways to use all of the lanterns I have collected over the years.

So far I think I have about eight different lanterns. Some I use in the Spring, some in the Fall, and some are specifically dedicated to Christmas, but one thing is for sure...there will ALWAYS be a lantern somewhere in my seasonal design.

As I was decorating the mantel for Spring, I decided to use one of my all time favorite lanterns to create a Romantic Spring vignette on the mantel.

Instead of putting a candle in the lantern, I used it to showcase an ironstone pitcher with some dried flowers Mr.Chaos gave me a while back.

As for the colors, this year I have a lot of Yellow in my Spring decor with punches of Pink and Lavender, so this little vignette really displays all of the colors I incorporating into my decor this season.

For added texture I also added the small moss ball and potted fern.

To achieve a similar look, you need to start by identifying WHERE your showcase will be displayed, then chose a lantern of your choice that works well in he space you have chosen.

Make sure the height and width are adequate for what it is you will be displaying inside.

Clean your lantern all around. As you can see, mine was in need of a good cleaning!

Because I was cleaning metal AND glass, I used the Pledge multi-surface cleaner that Liz from Savvy Seasons introduced me to. It works for all surfaces like granite, metal, glass, and wood. You'll have to check out Liz's blog to see more about it.

So after you have identified the space and which lantern you want to use, the next step is to decide WHAT you ant displayed inside the lantern. I knew I wanted something that worked with the Purple and Pink hues in the dried flowers and I remembered had this ironstone pitcher that fit PERFECTLY inside the lantern.

To soften the look inside the lantern I added some moss to the bottom. I wanted it to look more like  living terrarium style of display since Spring represents birth and newness the moss worked perfectly!

 Then I added the flowers and the rest of the coordinating items like the moss ball, fern, and glass urn filled with lemons, but you can add anything that best represents your style.

For my display, the yellow adds a punch of color and coordinates with the display on the other side of the mantel too. (which you will see soon!)

So there you have it. An easy display of a special memento from Mr. Chaos. The rest of the mantel and Spring decor is taking shape and once it is complete I will post pics.

There are so many ways to use lanterns and I highly recommend adding them into your decor. They are so versatile and you will get years of enjoyment out of them....I promise!

To take this further I am going to show you two looks with the same lantern. 

This first one is the lantern dressed up for Summer with coastal feel. In this vignette, the lantern holds a turquoise candle, which adds a pop of color to the soft white and beige tones of the display. You can see more pics of the lantern HERE.

And here is the exact SAME lantern displayed in a Fall setting showcasing a bunch of green Granny Smith apples.

You can get as creative as you want to be or keep it simple by adding a candle. The choice is yours!

Here is my Spring lantern again. I can't wait to show you the rest of my mantel next week!

Do you have a favorite way to use lanterns? I'd love to hear your thoughts about them.

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