Jerry Baker's What's Growin' On?

In honor of Mother’s Day, here’s a fun way to brighten up Mom’s backyard landscape—after the sun sets! She’ll be delighted by these mini-lanterns all summer long, and the best thing is that you can make them yourself for pennies. All you need are a few small glass jelly jars, a spool of fine-gauge wire, and a handful of votive candles.

Here’s how to make a little moonlight magic:

For each jar, cut a piece of wire 40 to 50 inches long. Bend the cut wires in half to form a V-shaped handle. Hold the bent wire over a jar so 6 to 10 inches of the V extend above the jar for hanging. Wrap the rest of the wire around the threads of the jar mouth. Twist each end of the wire around the V-shaped handle to fasten it securely, and pull tight. Place votive candles in the jars, light ‘em, and hang the mini-lanterns from tree branches around Mom’s backyard!

Happy Mother’s Day!