A few readers called us out about something we mentioned during our BHG & Home Depot sponsored porch makeover project. Early on we said we planned to make twine mobiles, among other things, but you didn’t see them in the final reveal. We changed direction, of course, but the real reason is that the twine-mobile idea failed spectacularly and we had to come up with a different way to add soft lighting and visual interest to the porch corner. Here’s the full story of how we ended up with the hanging glass candle holders that now dress up our front porch.
A while back John and I saw a clever project in ReadyMade about wrapping string around a balloon and using fabric stiffener to make a light fixture. When we were shopping at Home Depot for items to hang on the porch, the jute twine caught our eye and we thought, why not try the same technique with sturdy twine? We couldn’t buy fabric stiffener because all our materials had to come from Home Depot for the sponsorship, so we experimented with clear, gloss indoor/outdoor urethane instead. Our logic: the urethane would soak into the twine, harden, and create a durable shell that could survive outdoor weather.
John blew up a balloon, tied the twine to the knot, submerged the twine in urethane, and wrapped it around the balloon to form a woven orb. It was messy but straightforward—doing it outside over cardboard made cleanup easier and we had three different-sized twine spheres hanging to dry in the garage within about thirty minutes. We expected to pop the balloons after the twine cured and be left with lightweight, weatherproof orbs to hang on the porch.
But when we returned from a short trip, the twine creations had collapsed. They looked like flattened, misshapen nests—definitely not what we intended. We had a few theories: maybe the urethane reacted with the balloons and weakened them, causing premature pops; maybe the twine was simply too heavy for the urethane to hold in that spherical shape; or maybe the universe decided these weren’t meant to be. Whatever the cause, our twine orbs were toast.
Back to Home Depot we went. Initially we tried to salvage the twine pieces by inserting something rigid inside to restore the shape. Instead we found inexpensive glass bulb covers in the lighting department (about $4.99 each) that were the perfect size and had thick, ribbed glass—sturdy enough for outdoor use. The plan shifted: rather than forcing the failed twine into a globe, we’d turn the glass covers into hanging candle lanterns. We picked up thin wire for hanging and got to work.
Making the lanterns was simple. First we formed a tight ring of wire around the neck of each glass cover, trimming the wire with needle-nose pliers and leaving about an inch of extra wire on both ends. We twisted the ends together so the ring sat snugly beneath the lip of the glass. Then we cut a long length of wire for the handle, looped it under that ring, and twisted a short section of each end around the ring and itself to lock it in place. To prevent rotation or slipping, we tucked the extra half-inch of wire tightly against the lip at a right angle. That small detail made the handle more stable so the lanterns hung straight.
Each lantern took about five minutes to assemble. We placed a small pillar candle inside and hung them from cup hooks in the porch ceiling. They’ve been outside through rain and even a tornado warning and have held up beautifully. The ribbed glass softens the candlelight and creates a warm, inviting glow that adds instant ambiance.
In the end we spent about $20 and gained three charming hanging lanterns that complete the front porch makeover. We’re bummed the twine mobiles didn’t work out, but the glass lanterns were a better fit for outdoor use and delivered exactly the cozy atmosphere we wanted.
Have you ever repurposed unexpected items from a hardware or grocery store to enhance your home decor? We’d love to hear about creative finds that turned into something beautiful.
