Miniature Tealight House to Mock Punch Tin Lantern

Lanterns of any kind seem to be a big trend this season. I had two black metal tea light houses in my thrifted miniature house collection. One was upcycled as a bird house planter, which turned out to be a nice gift for Mother’s Day. I decided to try my hand at turning this one into a mock punch tin lantern.

Now, when I say punched tin, what I really mean is drilled steel! There would be no punching of any kind through this sturdy black metal.

Mock punch tin lantern from a miniature metal tealight house

Here are the steps I followed:

I cleaned the metal thoroughly and I covered the whole piece in painters tape.

I referred to Google Images for some punch tin pattern inspiration and printed out examples a a guide.

I hand drew my own design, but I could have printed out a simple pattern and taped that onto the lantern sides.

Using the recommended safety gear for drilling steal, and I started drilling the holes. Of course I also used a carbide drill bit, that cuts through steel.

I gave it all a light sanding, then a coat of rust colored primer, and then several coats of Looking Glass Spray Paint.

I gave that all another light sanding to create a weathered look. Finally I sprayed the whole piece with a clear coat sealer.

The drilling part took me about 2 hours, which is not half bad.

In a perfect world, all the holes would line up. But since this the first time I ever drilled a hole through steel, let alone A LOT of holes through steel, I’ll take it.

Ken did help me out by making a metal strap hanger, and he attached it with rivets.

If the punch tin experts show up, I might be in trouble!

Otherwise I’ve turned a boring black tealight miniature house into a hanging mock punch tin lantern, for about $6.00.

Here are seven more faux punched tin lamp ideas:

Seven ways to make a faux punch tin lantern.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Amy