apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Prep: Since the light is outdoors and underneath a system of decks, there is plenty of web decoration. The first thing we did is sweep all the cobwebs and eight-legged pals from the light and its surroundings.

Purchase: Then we bought a very standard paper lantern. Lanterns come in all kinds of sizes, colors, and shapes so you should easily be able to find one to accommodate your situation. We purchased our lantern at J. Toguri Mercantile Co. for under $20 but we discovered a good online source at PartyLights.com. The assembly is very easy but you must be somewhat dainty because it is, after all, made of paper.

Fit: Once the lantern is constructed, all we did is fit it up and over the emergency light. There's no need to for brackets or fasteners because the metal framework rests right on top of the light fixture.

Finish: Voilà! Our vertical rectangular lantern fits perfectly over the bright light. The large lantern effectively diffuses the light in a soft and dramatic way. Not only does it look good but it takes only minutes to remove or put back up. It's even survived a few rainstorms!