Paper Bag Luminaries for Father's Day

Now that summer is supposedly arriving it would be nice to add a little glow to your summer festivities. Why not add these inexpensive paper bags to surprise Dad on his special day in June. Have a Bar-B-Q in his honour and make these lovely bags leading the way to the party.
Paper bag luminaries, made by yourself or the kids lend a warm glow to any nighttime outdoor festivity. The addition of a “stained glass” window of your own design creates an even more dramatic light. A few inexpensive supplies coupled with an hour or two of creative time and you’ll have a whole new look for your patio by evening. Decide on a theme such as fruit, marine life, or kids names or just "DAD" and how many luminaries you want to make. Obviously, the more you have, the more striking the visual impact. A half dozen is a good number; enough for an impressive display but not too many to become tedious in the making.

Putting it together:

On a bag that measures 5” wide x 10 1/2”tall, mark a rectangle of approximately 3 1/2” wide x 4 1/2” tall. It should be about 1 1/2” from the base of the bag and 3 1/2” from the top. Slide a piece of cardboard inside the bag to prevent cutting through both sides. Cut out the rectangle using an art knife and a metal straight edge. You should have a window on one side of the bag. Repeat on remaining bags. Cut vellum into rectangles slightly larger than the window removed from the paper bag. In this case, 4” x 5” will work. Using a pencil, sketch your designs onto the vellum. Color in with colored markers and let dry. To finish, outline the design in black tempera or other liquid craft paint. Use a round brush for the best “flow” of paint. Some variation in the width of your paint stroke is desirable; it gives the finished piece an artistic look rather than a mass-produced one. When the small paintings are completely dry, slide one into each bag and adhere to the inside using tape or rubber cement. Open the bag and fold the top over once or twice; crease sharply. Fill the bottom of the bag with an inch or two of play sand or kitty litter to create a solid base. Set a candle in a glass container into the center of the sand, light and enjoy.