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Craft Tutorials | Adult Crafts | Luminary Crafts | Watercolor Luminaries
Luminary Crafts

Watercolor Luminaries

Author by Amanda Davis on February 11, 2025 Updated on February 11, 2025

5 from 30 votes
Whimsical watercolor luminaries made out of mason jars, coffee filters, and watercolor paint!
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Watercolor Luminaries
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Using a simple watercolor paint palette and ordinary white coffee filters, we will create these beautiful watercolor luminaries!

Watercolor Luminary on table


 

How to Make Watercolor Luminaries


These watercolor luminaries are made in a similar fashion to tissue paper luminaries, but you are creating the colors and designs yourself. I created a random pattern for mine, but you could create specific designs like flowers or a sky scene on your watercolor luminaries. This project is perfect for adults, seniors, and even kids. They’d also make a sweet “mommy and me” project or great for a craft night activity with girlfriends!

You’ll see I painted a lot of coffee filters. I really ended up needing only one filter for each small jar and about one and a half for each large jar. So I have saved the remaining colorful coffee filters for another project. Maybe I’ll make these coffee filter butterflies with my friend Debra’s grandkids!

Using a simple watercolor paint palette a ordinary white coffee filters we will create these beautifully colorful luminaries.

While all of mine are multicolored, I think these would be gorgeous choosing specific hues. For example, using only blue and green and leaving some areas of the coffee filter white, you’ll create a soothing sea-inspired luminary. On the other hand, using red, yellow and orange watercolor paint will invoke a warm sensation in any room!

How to Make Watercolor Luminaries

Supplies You Will Need for Watercolor Luminaries


For one luminary:

  • 1 glass mason jar
  • 2 white coffee filters
  • Watercolor paint and paintbrush
  • Mod Podge matte or another decoupage medium
  • Large paintbrush or sponge applicator
  • Ribbon or twine
  • Paper towels

How to Make Watercolor Luminaries


  1. Lay paper towels out on the work surface.
  2. Place coffee filters onto the paper towels and paint with watercolors.painting coffee filters with watercolor paint
  3. Allow coffee filters to dry.
  4. Tear painted coffee filter into pieces. The size is up to you, it just makes them easier to attach to the surface of the jar. Smaller pieces (about 2-inches) mean less wrinkles.painted coffee filter torn into pieces
  5. Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to a small section of the jar.
  6. Place a piece of the coffee filter onto the Mod Podge, then apply a thin coat over the top to secure it to the jar.applying mod podge to coffee filter on a mason jar
  7. Repeat the last two steps, overlapping the pieces slightly, until your jar is covered (leaving the rim untouched).
  8. Apply a final generous (but not dripping) coat of Mod Podge over everything.woman applying coffee filter to a mason jar
  9. Allow it to dry completely.
  10. Add a ribbon or twine around the rim of your jar, securing with white glue, Mod Podge, or hot glue.
          Making beautiful watercolor luminaries

          I love the way my luminaries came out. I really do wish I had made some of my coffee filters in just blue and green tones, those would have been very beachy! Luckily this is an extremely inexpensive craft, so I could definitely make more.

          Watercolor Luminaries

          More Luminary Crafts


          Check out my collection of 25+ luminary crafts that include holiday-themed luminaries and so much more! Or, here are a few of my favorites below.

          • Doily Luminaries
          • Epsom Salt Luminaries
          • Striped Beach Luminaries
          • Faux Stained Glass Mosaic Luminary
          • Winter Luminaries: Snowy Pinecone Luminaries
          Watercolor Luminaries
          Print Project
          5 from 30 votes

          Watercolor Luminaries

          Whimsical watercolor luminaries made out of mason jars, coffee filters, and watercolor paint!
          Age Group: Adult Crafts
          Author: Amanda Formaro

          Supplies

          • 1 glass mason jar
          • 2 white coffee filters
          • Watercolor paint and paintbrush
          • Mod Podge matte or other decoupage medium
          • Large paintbrush or sponge applicator
          • Ribbon or twine
          • Paper towels

          Instructions

          • Lay paper towels out on the work surface.
          • Place coffee filters onto the paper towels and paint with watercolors.
          • Allow coffee filters to dry.
          • Tear painted coffee filter into pieces. The size is up to you, it just makes them easier to attach to the surface of the jar. Smaller pieces (about 2-inches) mean less wrinkles.
          • Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to a small section of the jar.
          • Place a piece of coffee filter onto the Mod Podge, then apply a thin coat over the top to secure it to the jar.
          • Repeat the last two steps, overlapping the pieces slightly, until your jar is covered (leaving the rim untouched).
          • Apply a final generous (but not dripping) coat of Mod Podge over everything.
          • Allow to dry completely.
          • Add a ribbon or twine around the rim of your jar, securing with white glue, Mod podge, or hot glue.

          This post was originally published on this blog on Aug 2, 2017.

           

          • Author
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          Amanda Davis
          Amanda Davis is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years.
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          Filed Under: Camp Crafts, Crafts for Seniors, Decoupage Crafts for Adults, Decoupage Crafts for Kids, DIY Gift ideas, Home Decor Projects, Luminary Crafts, Mason Jar Crafts, Mother's Day Crafts, Spring Crafts, Summer Crafts Tagged With: coffee filter, watercolor

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          Comments

          1. Mary Hartzheim says

            May 20, 2025 at 7:15 pm

            So lovely … for ANY age!!

            Reply
          2. milli says

            March 21, 2025 at 10:12 am

            will these last outside?

            Reply
            • Amanda Davis says

              April 8, 2025 at 3:20 pm

              Only if you use Outdoor Formula Mod Podge

              Reply
          3. Lellalee says

            February 12, 2025 at 6:01 pm

            Oh I love this idea – it is so cute and a lovely weekend project. I really enjoy making things that are unique to me and could come out 100 different ways if I made another! Lovely.xxx

            Reply
          4. PATRICIA says

            April 26, 2022 at 12:01 pm

            Love this idea.

            Reply
          5. Sylvia Douglas says

            April 18, 2021 at 5:43 pm

            ww have loads of acrylic paint will it work ?

            Reply
            • Amanda Formaro says

              April 19, 2021 at 7:28 am

              Likely not with acrylic.

              Reply
          6. Pat Schutz says

            November 4, 2020 at 11:36 am

            I plan to try the coffee filter luminaries. I have everything I need already. I have made flowers with coffee filters. Turned out gorgeous! And for many many years have made luminaries out of lunch bags, kitty litter and a little tea light candle. We line them up from the street to the house for Halloween. Kids always love them! And my husband “took charge” of getting them ready and keeping them lit, and he’s not much of a crafter, but enjoyed watching the kids. No trick or treating this year! Thank you for the idea. Pat Schutz

            Reply
          7. Phillip Segretto says

            October 29, 2020 at 6:39 pm

            I pray I get into a senior complex that has crafts as I hate reruns on TV would rather be craf

            Reply
          8. Eleanor Gray says

            July 22, 2020 at 1:46 am

            Mine will be blue . I live at the beach and I am on a save our oceans mission.

            Reply
            • Amanda Formaro says

              July 27, 2020 at 3:26 pm

              Love that!

              Reply
          5 from 30 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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