These colourful lanterns made from up-cycled gin bottles are great for when you’re enjoying gin cocktails alfresco during balmy September twilights with your best gin pals.

They pay homage to the wonders of colour and light, just like the Hindu festivals of Holi, which celebrates colour, and Diwali, which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. Both of which are best experienced in India, the home of our September 2020 Gin of the Month, Stranger & Sons Gin!

Here’s a quick guide to making them!

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Colourful Gin Lanterns!

What you need:

An empty clear glass gin bottle
Soap
Water
A mixing container
Several bottles of the food colouring of your choice
See-through craft or PVA glue
A mixing spoon
Newspaper
Fairy lights

Method:

1) Soak your empty gin bottle in warm soapy water and remove any labels, glue and gin. Allow the bottle to air dry completely.

2) In a mixing container, combine one part water with two parts glue. The amount you’ll need depends on how large your bottle is. Add your food colouring – you’ll want enough so the mixture turns a deep shade of your chosen colour. Mix well.

3) Pour your mixture slowly into your bottle and swirl it around all the sides of the bottle so the inside is completely coated, then pour your mixture back into the mixing container so only a thin layer remains.

4) Stand the bottle upside down for 10 minutes over some newspaper and then flip back right-side-up and allow it to set for one hour.

5) Preheat your oven to the lowest possible temperature and bake your bottles for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are completely dry and slightly translucent.

6) Carefully remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. Once completely cool, add fairy lights to create your colourful gin lantern.

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