Pattern · Beginner · 75 min
Cord-wrapped jar lantern: a 75 minute first project
A net of vertical ribs held by five horizontal passes, closed under the base and hung from a loop. It is the cheapest way to find out how your tension behaves, because the jar inside shows you immediately when the weave is uneven.
Published 26 Sep 2026 · · 3-ply twisted cotton 4 mm
At a glance
- Kind · Pattern
- Level · Beginner
- Working time · 75 min
- Cord · 3-ply twisted cotton
- Thickness · 4 mm
- Finished size · 11 × 19 cm
- Sample · one lantern for a 9 cm diameter jar
| Piece | Length | Qty | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical ribs | 130 cm | 8 | |
| Horizontal weavers | 400 cm | 1 | |
| Hanging loop | 90 cm | 1 |
Lark's head mount
Mount the eight ribs evenly around a 15 cm ring, spacing them 5 cm apart. Knot: Lark's Head Mount
Horizontal weave
Settle the ribs, then weave the horizontal cord around them: over, under, over, under, all the way round. Knot: Square knot
Close the base
Bring the eight ribs together under the jar and bind them into one bundle with a 3 cm wrap. Knot: Wrap knot
Trim the fringe
Cut the ribs 6 cm below the wrap on a shallow curve. All eight ends should finish at the same visual line.
The measurements that matter
A 9 cm diameter jar needs a net about 11 cm across once woven, because the horizontal passes pull the ribs inwards by roughly 2 mm per pass. Five passes is enough for a jam jar 13 cm tall. A shorter 8 cm jar takes four passes; a taller 18 cm jar needs seven.
Weaving the horizontals
Leave the weaver on its ball and work it around the ribs rather than cutting it first. Go over the first rib, under the second, over the third, and so on, then reverse the pattern on the next pass so the weaver does not stack on itself. Pull each pass snug enough that the rib spacing stays even all the way round: the most common fault is a net that is tight at the front and loose at the back.
Closing the base
Once the net reaches below the widest part of the jar, gather the ribs and bind a 3 cm wrap around all eight. Place the wrap so the jar rests with about 1 cm of net underneath it, which keeps the glass from sitting directly on the table when the lantern is put down.
Hanging safely
This is a lantern for a small LED candle, not a wax one. Cotton cord chars at around 200 degrees Celsius and an open flame a few centimetres away will reach that. Use a battery tea light, hang the loop from a hook rated for 2 kg, and keep the fringe clear of anything hot. The hanging loop itself is a 90 cm cord folded and mounted at four points on the ring so the load spreads.
Where it goes wrong
- Cutting the weaver before the last pass, leaving no way to loosen an uneven row.
- Pulling the first pass very tight and the last three loose, which makes a cone instead of a cylinder.
- Hanging the lantern with a real candle inside; cotton cord is not a heat-resistant material.
Check before moving on
- The net slides over the jar with about 1 cm of clearance all round.
- All five horizontal passes are at even heights.
- Hanging the lantern, the loop sits centred and the jar hangs level.