With Remembrance Day only a few days away we wanted to create something that would help us remember all those affected by conflicts, both past & present. Minnie was keen to light a candle as an act of remembrance so we came up with the idea of making a poppy lantern which we could light in the evenings.
We started off with a clean jam jar & some white baking paper. After measuring the paper around the jar to get the right length & height, Minnie set to work decorating the paper with her poppies.
We had recently purchased our Royal British Legion poppies & had them on a nearby table so Minnie used these as a guide to help her create the shape of the flower.
Once her design was finished we glued a strip of red card to the top & bottom of the paper. We found card gave the lantern a stronger structure than strips of paper.
To help us attach the paper neatly to the jar we added a small piece of double sided & then wrapped the paper around the jar. We then sealed the ends with tape.
Later that evening we added a tealight to our Lantern & the poppies glowed beautifully in the darkness. We chose to use a battery-operated tealight as it enables Minnie to light the lantern as & when she chooses.
For us the act of lighting a candle enables us to remember & give thanks for the many men & women who served in previous conflicts, & offers us a time to remember & pray for all those who are serving in conflicts around the world now. It gives us a space each evening to also think of the many civilians who were/are caught up in the horror of war & we pray for them & their families, & a more peaceful world in the future.
This lantern has proved a popular activity & Minnie has since made more lanterns for relatives. Even though many years have passed & these generations have never met, how special it is to have a light burning today in their memory. We will remember them.