DIY Upcycled Starry Night Luminaries

Being a member of the Chick-fil-A Moms Panel has been quite an adventure! Last month they asked us to create a cell phone coop to encourage family dinner time. This month, they asked us to try their delicious chicken tortilla soup, then upcycle the container into something useful. I love these little containers and I usually save ones like it for Lego construction (you need a place to put those pieces as you build, after all). But I wanted to make something really unique with this one. Thanks to an unusually warm February evening full of stars here in New Jersey, this idea popped into my head.

Google defines a luminary as 1.someone who inspires or influences others, especially one prominent in a particular sphere and 2. artificial light.  So this luminary can even become a symbolic little gift for someone special in your life.

What You'll Need

-a clean, dry plastic container
-paint markers of various colors
-a small, sharp pair of scissors or something with a pointy end for poking holes
-battery operated tealights (we used 4 for this project)

First, use your paint markers to decorate your bowl any way you like. We chose to make colorful stars, since we were trying to bring a little bit of starlight into our home at night. You could also make polka dots or swirls.

Next, add your holes. This part must be done by an adult, since you need something sharp to make the holes. Keep in mind that you're not just puncturing here. If you try to just jab holes into the container, it will start to split and crack since it's plastic. Instead, open your scissors and use the pointy end. Press the point against the plastic and press down, making a rotating motion like a screwdriver until it forms a hole (carefully, please! The Jersey Momma is not responsible for poked fingers!). Note that you can also use a drill if you're handy with power tools. I also tried using a hole punch, but the holes were big and you couldn't reach the entire bowl with it, so I opted for scissors.

Keep making holes all over the bowl. The more holes, the more stars!

Then, turn on your tealights and place the soup bowl over them.

Look at what you've made and see if enough light is shining through. If you still see too many dark spots, add some more holes!

And, of course, check it out in the dark! That's the best part!

That's it! You can make them in different sizes (the large soup container from Chick-fil-A is a little taller) or create ones with different designs. They would also make nice table decorations for a barbecue or picnic.

Upcycled luminaries are a great way to celebrate Earth Day in April, too. What would you make with your soup container? I hope I was a luminary for you, and inspired you to create something new!

If you want to see more of the amazingly creative upcycled soup containers from the Chick-fil-A Moms Panel, search #chickfilamomsDIY on your social media channels and prepare to be amazed!

Disclaimer: as a member of the Chick-fil-A Moms Panel, I was gifted a card to try the chicken tortilla soup so I could create this project.