Star Spangled Luminaries
These festive luminaries let you light up the night right in your own front yard. Be sure that an adult takes care of the lighting of the candles.
Cardboard
Tissue paper (red and blue)
Brown-paper lunch bags
Star-shaped stickers and star punch
Sand
Tea light or votive candles (battery operated much safer!)
Cut a star from cardboard and use it as a template to cut other stars from red and blue tissue paper. The star can be whatever size you want. Glue the stars that you cut from the tissue paper to the insides of lunch bags with a dab or two from a glue stick. If you wish to really jazz up your luminaries you can add other small star-shaped stickers on the inside and perforate the sides with a star paper punch. Fill each of the bags with 2 to 3 inches of sand and sink a tea light or votive candle into the sand. Place the luminaries in a spot outside where you can keep an eye on them, and light the candles. From inside the bags, the tissue paper stars will cast a red and blue glow guaranteed to shine on long after the twilight’s last gleaming. Tip-To avoid scorching your forearm you can light a piece of uncooked spaghetti and use it to light the candles. — OR use the battery operated ones, and avoid the risk of burning the bags!
