LED Tin Can Lantern

In this instructables we update the old tin can candle lantern, to the new improved Way-Cool LED Tin Can Lantern. The LED tin can lantern is a neat way to light up your backyard or camp ground with interesting patterns of brilliant LED lights. You too can make your own LED Tin Can Lantern just like this one; it is easy and fun to build to bring the night into the LED light.

Summary: The Blue LED shine through the small holes punched out from a quart size tin paint can. It is neat how the bright LED light shines the punched out pattern on the ground around it.

Draw inspiration from the pictures and the idea to get your creative juices flowing in what you can do with this unique technique in LED lighting. Enjoy

Step 1 Design and Materials

Find a neat and interesting pattern on the internet or make up your own. For some ideas to get your creative juices flowing try Googling “Tin Can Lantern”, ” Tin Can Light”.  I used two leaf patterns and a tree pattern. At the hardware store go to the paint department and buy a metal quart size paint can for making the LED tin can lantern. You can also use any tin can from beans or soup etc, but you need a lid.

Materials list:
1.  Tin can with lid. Quart size is good
2.  Printed out paper pattern or design
3. Tape
4.  Hammer
5.  Awl or Ice pick (smaller tips work the best)
6.  Wire for tin can handle (metal hanger or 16 gauge or type wire)
7.  LED light circuit with batteries for illumination
8.  Cotton towel (keeps can from rolling while punching holes)
9.  Water
10. Freezer (prevents the tin can from denting during hole punching)

Comments

[spark master]

put a florescent tube with a flash camera voltage source and you got a real winner, even better then shown here!

ciao

[raines883]

Where did you buy all of those materials?

[verdastel]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. An idea to ask, what do you think if instead of freezing it with water inside, you put sand in the tin as much as you can and then put the lid on before punching holes on it? Can this technique used to avoid dent in a faster way? (people use that to bent pvc with heat).

[ziggiau]

I've tried the ice in the tin can method and you do need the hardness of the ice behind the metal otherwise you'll bend the can in no time. You'll also have to work reasonably quickly as you'll get the best results when the ice is closest to your work (i.e. when the ice melts you'll start to get a bit of flexing). If you had a piece of timber that fit the can, that would work too. I used a nail as my punching tool.

I put a tea light candle in mine and I didn't get anything like the intensity of light through the holes as you can see in this Instructable. I'll have to give that a go next time round.

[rydermann]

Where does the 8 AA battery pack go? Great looking lantern!

[kikiclint]

I will be doing this next week with my cub scout troop. Awesome!

[mistersquirrle]

I like this, it's a very cool project. That video of the tin can was awesome, it took me a while to realize that you were spinning the can and not like moving the camera around it. It going up and down made it look like a weird zoom in and out that looked awesome. :P good work

[jtmjr]

I really like the looks of this wish i had seen it before our reception you got my vote :)
keep me in mind when voting i built the 3 tier fruit wedding cake

[agis68]

brilliant idea, low cost and well presented...5/5

[ybunnygurl]

I have done this with tin food cans but the paint can is way cooler! now if only i could figure out the electrics...

[pleabargain]

Love the idea!

[CrLz]

Nice Instructable and great write-up! Good luck in the contest.

[antling]

This is what I need for my baby's cot!!
This will keep the mom happy!

[supersoftdrink]

Beautiful pictures! Great job.

[Culturespy]

Historically this sort of tin work would have been done while the sheet metal was still flat and then assembled after. The holes would typically be punched over a piece of wood.

You can do this with coffee cans or other tins without a lip on a round piece of wood held in a vice or something similar.

Ice is pretty innovative but you run the risk of rupturing the seams. Can't argue with the fantastic result though!

Might try using a round piece of wood carved to leave room for the lip/rim of the can as well.

Either way, it's a beautiful lantern!