Minatures display in a lantern
Idea by Anna-Carin Betzén
I've seen pretty little lanterns for votive candles now and then, but haven't bought any as they've usually been largish and I'm not really into making vignettes and scenes. But this week I finally came across some that I thought were small enough for displaying a single 1:48 scale miniature. To me, this is ideal - just put a favorite miniature in it (in this case a Christmas tree), and change it whenever you like. I guess all of us have some nice little things stashed away, waiting for a home. With a lantern you can show them off easily!
The lantern has a small cup inside to hold a votive candle in place, so I had to cover it. I made a small platform from a bit of a cereal box - I cut a long strip with gluing tabs along one edge and glued it closed, folded in the tabs and glued a circle of card onto them. Then it can be painted, covered with "snow", flocked, or covered with fabric or suede paper. The 2nd photo shows the empty lantern along with a votive candle, a flocked platform (upside down, showing the glueing tabs) and an unfinished one.
If this sounds too complicated, simply take the metal cup from a votive candle and paint or flock the outside. Then it'll fit inside the lantern's cup rather than cover it, giving a slightly smaller platform.
In either case, put the miniature on the platform and secure with some tacky wax. As you can see in the photos, there's a star cut in the glass about 1/3 from the bottom, but it doesn't really obscure the view.