I saw a Turkish cloth lantern that has a metal piece on the bottom and the top and cloth along the sides. This lantern is designed to have a candle in the interior center sitting on the metal bottom. I thought that I could do something similar in crochet. The bottom of this piece is a clear plastic lid from a quart container. The top is also a plastic lid with the center cut out so it is finally just the rim. Inside is a solar light where I removed the post and turned the light upside down so it would really illuminate the lantern. The solar light can spend it's days back on its proper post in the sunlight. At night, the top part, the light, can be in my lantern.

What's really cool is that as it grows darker, the crochet part of the piece picks up the light and really makes the whole lantern glow with a soft, happy light.

I like that this can repurpose old plastic lids. And that I can use solar lights rather than candles or electric lights.

This piece uses a simple double crochet stitch. There isn't a lot of detail to it. I used a pair of scissors to poke holes into the plastic lid on the bottom (you can see this in the photo on the right). I simply looped over the top rim and that was pretty much it.

Good luck with this idea - I think it is a good one. I'd like to make quite a few of them to hang around the patio for a summer night. And I really like the idea of the solar lights.

Here are some ideas for crochet that use simple double crochet and incorporate some beading. Fun and pretty. Think of your favorite pocketbook or handbag and give some thought to making a crochet project to reproduce it!

I bought necklaces on sale at a department store, took them apart, and used them to add a little interest to these bags.

Inside the bags are the same little pockets that you would find in your favorite handbag. I made little pockets for my wallet, for my change, for my keycard for work, for my cell phone. Hey, when you're designing it yourself you can make it your way!