How to Make a Nautical Lantern from a Grill
Add a beautiful coastal touch to your summer patio or porch with a nautical lantern made from an upcycled BBQ grill. Step-by-step tutorial included!
It would not be summer here in Greece without a nautical theme. Today I am going to show you how to make a nautical lantern from a grill…. yes, that infamous grill that I have been taking apart now for the past two months.
What I Used:
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- The upper half of the saucer part of the grill
- DecoArt Americana Chalky Finish Paint
- Slim nautical rope
- Cardboard Egg Cartons
- Beach Pebbles
- Plastic container smallish
- Lantern
- Tea Lights
This is the upper half of the flying saucer, you may remember that the bottom half was turned into a planter. I also used another piece to create this tealight hanging saucer.
The How To:
The first step was to paint it and get rid of that harsh black, because black does not scream summer! I went to my leftover stash of paint, which I had used to make last month’s Greek beach table. I really love that color. I added two layers of the paint.
I found a slim piece of decorative rope in one of my stashes and thought I could use that. You can see here that the grill cover has these little indentations on the top. I just threaded the rope and let it hang loosely for a nautical effect.
So far so good, my vision was coming along but … I had those holes on the bottom and they would not do.
I tore up some egg cartons and placed them inside so they would be evenly distributed. I wanted something bulky and light because I needed to fill up the space with…
…beach pebbles. But just around, not in the middle. Pebbles are such an easy and inexpensive way to add a summer feel to any project.
In the middle I wanted height but not weight because I already had that with the pebbles so I wedged in a plastic container.
I placed a lantern on top. This is why I needed height, to be able to open the lantern door.
And the final addition was three tealights scattered among the pebbles.
I’ve got this out on the balcony on top of my milk crate table. When it’s lit at night it adds just the right ambience.
And that is it for my nautical lantern. An easy diy project that is perfect for a summer look. To see other projects from the Challenge click here.
Now I know you are all dying to find out if I am finally finished with that grill… truth by told, I have just a few tiny bits and pieces left. You can see all my projects below. I hope you have enjoyed this simple diy project. What would you have used in place of the pebbles in this project?
And now it’s time for you to visit my friends from the Int’l Bloggers Club and see what summer projects they have for this month’s challenge. Simply click on the photos below.
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You are amazing Mary!! That barbecue grill is lasting forever!! Do you still have some parts to use, or are you done with it?
The bowl and the lantern will turn anyone into summer mood; pebbles are a sure hit when doing nautical/summer decor, and making it weightless is so clever!
Haha Pili, that’s exactly what it is. It seems to last forever. I have a few small parts, I don’t know if I’ll be able to use them anywhere. If I had not added the egg cartons it would have been too heavy.
Mary, what an awesome project that looks so good. How do you get these ideas?! Thought you were saying the lantern was made from the grill too! I see what you were talking about after I read it all the way through. It does look very coastal though.
Florence you are right, it should have said the base for the lantern. I couldn’t change it now. But you see what I did and I hope it is worthy. It is coastal and very heavy.
Hi Mary!
Ah, your nautical lantern is the most beautiful shade of blue! Love the pebbles and rope, so pretty and practical!
Happy Summer!
Poppy
If anyone can appreciate blue it is you Poppy. You who have such vibrant colors on your blog and give such inspiration. Have a great summer.
Mary it’s beautiful and surely screams “SUMMER”! I love the colour and all the pebbles added some fun nautical vibe! Love this and at night it looks even more beautiful! How fun and easy to make your own lantern from a grill! Very creative my friend!
Thank you Katrin. It was fun but those pebbles turned out to be heavier than I expected. I’m sure that if I hadn’t added the egg cartons I would not have been able to lift it.
How creative, I’m amazed at the uses you’ve come up with for your grill. I loved the photo with the lights dimmed, I’m sure it’s lovely on your patio at night:)
Wendi it is the grill that keeps on giving. It is very relaxing to sit out there at night with my collection of lights.
It’s beautiful and very summery, Mary! The pebbles were the perfect choice for your wonderful repurposing project.
Thank you Julia . It was a fun project with the pebbles I had to drag them home from the beach and then I didn’t have enough so I had to go back. Always an adventure.
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Mary…this may be my favorite installment of ‘The Grill Chronicles’. I can only imagine how pretty this looks on your back porch, lit or not. The big question is…are there still remaining grill parts that are looking for a new purpose?
Hugs and wishes for a great Grecian summer week.
Lynn
Lynn you make me laugh so much but I guess you’re right, they are “The Grill Chronicles” To tell you the truth when I started this I didn’t expect to get so much mileage out of the grill. I still have a few bits. I’ll have to see if they can be repurposed anywhere. I hope you’re having a great time. .
That was cool! It turned out SO nice. It thought the plastic container would be exposed but you did a great job covering it up. My son just built a raised patio in my backyard. Now I need to look for a grill to disassemble. 🙂
Krista I had to use something lightweight because this thing is heavy. Any heavier and I would not have been able to lift it. Good luck with the grill disassembly! And we want pictures on your blog of the patio.
So cute! I love being able to repurpose items. I like your “eye” for things 🙂
Thankyou for that sweet compliment. I like to challenge myself and see what I can come up with.
Mary, I love this repurpose!! You are finding so many great uses for that old grill!! I love how the rocks look in the grill part and to elevate the lantern so it’s useful was very smart!! The way the lantern shines is so beautiful!! Amazing job!!
That old grill is worth a million bucks! The colors also add to it’s charm I think . I had to repaint that lantern because it had seen better days.
Hello Mary, that looks so great !
Many greetings to you
Uwe
Thank you Uwe. It is perfect for summertime decorating.
OMG, this is so beautiful and relaxing looking. I love it! You are so creative. Thanks for sharing.
You aer so right, it is very relaxing looking. I think it’s that blue color that makes you feel so tranquil.
Mary, this is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve got an off-white lantern that I finally just put away because I couldn’t get the inspiration about what to do with it.
And I love the soft blue. I haven’t decorated with blue is a very long time and have been considering that – there’s so many lovely things to do with blue.
Thank you for sharing your truly inspiring projects. I’ve pinned and will also share on FB, Twitter, & StumbleUpon.
Karen than k y ou for yo ur kind words. The project was a no brainer for me because I live near the coast so I’ve got blue and beach on my mind all day. I hope you will show us your project as well.
This grill has lived beyond all expectations- probably even its own! Once again you have repurposed a seemingly useless thing into something so very useful and beautiful too. I love how cute the lantern and votive lights look when lit.
Thank you so much Ellen. I guess I never realized just how much of a treasure it really is. And to think I had it sitting out in the hallway for a long time before finally using it.
So creative! It just makes me think that if you look at things in a different way you can repurpose anything! You have a great perspective! I really enjoy seeing you reimagine items and turn them into something totally new and inventive. Great job
Thank you so much Melissa. It is exactly as you say. We just need to look at things in a different way.
I absolutely love this! What a great project. I bet it looks awesome on your balcony! 🙂
It looks awesome because of those nautical colors and it looks even better when the tealights are lit. Thank you Martie.
Hey, that’s cool! It looks really great!
Tania
Thanks Tania. It was a fun project.
This lantern is beautiful for Summer night, Mary!
It really is Ilka. The colors are soft and just perfect for summer.
Μαίρη μου είσαι τόσο δημιουργική. Πιάνεις στα χέρια σου πράγματα που για άλλους θα ήταν άχρηστα και φτιάχνεις μικρούς θησαυρούς!!! Μπράβο, εξαιρετική ιδέα και εκτέλεση!
Χριστινα για να δούμε πότε θα τελειώσω με αυτή τη ψησταριά. Ευχαριστω για τα καλά λόγια σου.
Beautiful Mary! Love the summery colors and when the tealights are lit, it looks like you brought a mini lighthouse into your living room.
Great minds are still thinking the same LOL. Wait till you see my post, I am a day late posting since my daughter and family was here, and mine isn’t as pretty.
Linda thanks. I have put it outside on the balcony so we can light it in the evening instead of having overhead lighting.