Mary's Mantle Lantern

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

+2011+

Mary's Mantle Lanterns For Our Mantel

This feast day always brings me peace, right when I need it the most during Advent!  

The words that Our Lady spoke to Juan Diego go ringing in my ears...

"Let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you.  Let nothing alter your hear or your countenance.  Also, do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain.  Am I not here who am your Mother?"

I designed this little craft...Mary's Mantle for our Mantel so that we may be reminded that our Mother is always with us, lighting the way.  Is there anything else that we need?

Supplies:

Empty household jar(s)

Blue or white acrylic paint, depending on Mary's mantle that you choose!

Gold paint pen

Foil star stickers

Gold ribbon

*Votive candles (wax or electric flameless)

*The L.E.D. flameless electronic votives work great if the kids want to keep the Mantle Lanterns in their rooms*

5 Easy Steps

Step 1.

Draw mantle opening with gold paint pen

Step 2.

Place star stickers all around the jar

Step 3.

Gently paint over the jar with choice of paint.

(Best results come when the paint is not too thick)

*We thought the white was fitting for the Immaculate Conception or Our Lady of Fatima*

Step 4.

When paint is completely dray, peel off the start stickers.

This will leave the holes for the light to shine through...

You may have to touch up the shaping of the stars with a thin knife or scraping tool.

Step 5.

Tie on gold ribbon and place votive light in the lantern.

The is the glow of an L.E.D votive.

(Got these at Hobby Lobby)

We followed the same steps for Mary's Mantle Lantern in blue for today's feast day...And we used real votive candles.

These were my favorite...the blue color turned out so pretty:)

We are enjoying Mary's Mantle Lanterns on our Advent fireplace mantel.

They also work well for tomorrow's feast day for St. Lucy, who was known to journey around Sicily clothed in a blue star-spangled mantle.

Oh, and we snacked on these patriotic Mary's Mantle Hershey's kisses while we worked:)

Happy 3rd week of Advent!

"Precious Flower of Tepeyac, Mother of the Americas, you chose among your people a native of our land, a most humble and dignified man to carry your word and bear your imprint.  Splendid Mother, teach me how to be deserving of your mercy. Grant me the humility and faith of my brother Juan, so that I, too, might hear your gentle voice calling me."

(Prayer excerpt from The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe~Empress of the Americas)