IKEA. Yes – an IKEA Lantern WoodUbend hack!
Now, there’s nothing wrong with IKEA products; we are fans here at WoodUbend HQ. However, they can tend to be a little…dull. And ‘dull’ is something that we DON’T do at WoodUbend! So, we treat products like these as blank canvases onto which we can pour our creative ideas. And so it was with this IKEA lantern.
In this article, we will talk you through the process since we are particularly delighted with how the project turned out.
IKEA Lantern WoodUbend Hack: Getting Started
We spent some time thinking about what we wanted to get out of this project and decided we wanted something different. So, we prepared for a multi-media approach with trims, appliques, decoupage, Posh Chalk Patinas, and chalk paint. So exciting!
Stage One: Adding WoodUbend and a first layer of paint
The IKEA lantern was sturdy enough but incredibly dull with a standard whitewash color. So, the first thing we wanted to do was to change this. We removed the glass to prevent it from the applied paint. Then, we used trim TR718 to the top angled surface. The trim immediately added a level of interest to the lantern.
WoodUbend is an excellent bendable wood product. When you add heat from a hair dryer or heat gun, it becomes completely flexible! You can stretch, chop, bend, paint, and glaze the moldings. Using some black chalk paint, we immediately covered the trim and all the lantern’s other white faces.
Stage Two: Adding more WoodUbend and some decoupage
We embellished most of the remaining surface when the paint dried with more WoodUbend trim. We used trim 718 on the edges of the lantern and trim 710 on the front faces.
We were careful to chop the trim so that it met the edges of the lantern perfectly; because you can heat WoodUbend, it makes cutting it to size incredibly easy!
We decided at the start of the project that we didn’t want the inside of the lantern to be fully exposed. Solly Jo felt that plain, transparent glass would not give enough of a warm glow. The solution was to use decoupage paper to stick to the glass sides.
Decoupage is an incredibly versatile rice paper, usually featuring beautiful, artistic designs. Decoupage paper can be applied to any furniture or craft project to give it some life. In this case, we chose a subtle design that, since it was translucent, would let enough light out without providing a stark effect.
Stage Three: Adding embellishment
We added two differently colored patinas to the lantern to add further interest and depth. Firstly, a wonderfully burnished copper color gives a metallic hue. Then, we used Posh Chalk Primary Green Aqua Patina to complement the copper and add something of a weathered effect.
The Finished Lantern
The ‘front’ of the lantern features a latch mechanism; we wanted to do something slightly different to the lantern front to make it stand out. Solly Jo cut a ‘window’ into the decoupage paper and adorned the outside of the glass with WoodUbend Applique WUB2082. By removing the inside of 2082, a stunning centerpiece design, we could match the applique to the shape of the window we had made in the decoupage.
Since nothing goes to waste here, the inside of the trim was used to adorn the very top of the lantern. Neat, eh?
This lantern is a beautiful autumnal/ winter piece. It adds loads of ambiance to a room, with a subtle glow from the inside. Of course, it could be painted with brighter colors that would also lend themselves to other seasons!
We hope you enjoyed reading about our IKEA Lantern WoodUbend Hack and that it has inspired you!
Verified owner
