Traditional luminarias

HOW TO MAKE PAPER BAG LUMINARIAS

Materials
• Mat board or piece of heavy cardboard; mat knife
• Dark-coloured paper bags
• Cookie cutters or stencils
• Light-colored paper bags
• Sand
• Votive candles

1. Cut piece of mat board or cardboard so it will fit inside paper bag. The board will protect your work surface and prevent you from cutting through both sides of the bag.

2. Trace designs or words on dark bag using cookie cutters or stencils as templates; trace with a pencil.

3. Insert mat board or cardboard into bag; cut designs out of bags with mat knife.

4. Remove mat board from bag. Insert light bag into dark bag, and unfold. Fill bottom of layered bags with sand; nestle candle in sand in bottom of bag.

5. Alternate method: Cut a paper doily slightly larger than cutout design on dark bag. (Edges should not be ragged, because their silhouette may show through bag.) Secure doily to inside of dark bag so that it is centered, using glue stick.