Can You Really Have Too Many Lanterns?

Last week  I popped into my local thrift store, looking for holiday fabric.  I didn't find any fabric but I did find this: 

Who could pass up an adorable lantern for $2.99?  Well, I did have to talk myself into it because I have a bit of lantern overload right now.  I already have several lanterns leftover from my daughter's wedding and I got a Pottery Barn lantern from a good friend for my birthday.  But this one was so rustic. . . so wrenish. . . so darn cute. . .    What's a girl to do?  So I brought it home.

I knew I needed to do something to it because bright white doesn't work well at my house.  So. . . I  gave it a light washing of diluted brown paint to antique it a bit. . . but. . . it just wasn't working for me.

I couldn't decide what to do, so I let it sit overnight until I got an inspiration.  It really needed to be warmed up a bit and I knew just the color to do that warming up. . .

I mixed two different colors of red acrylic craft paint together and then swirled some burnt umber paint into the red.  I brushed that concoction inside and out on the lantern to achieve the "old" look I was wanting.  I was able to remove the glass panels to make painting easier (and make cleaning the glass easier). 

Ohhhhh, much better in red.  I hope it likes it's new home.  I guess I really did need another lantern


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