Lantern Decor Approaches: 10 Creative Ways To Use Them In Your Home

Treat this as a field note from one working house, not a showroom checklist. Sharing the preferred lantern decor approaches for your home!

Lanterns are one of the most versatile home accessories with so many uses for them both in and out! And with the wide range of lantern styles to choose from, you can find ones that work with your home's style whether modern, farmhouse, or classic. Today I'm sharing ten lantern decor approaches to inspire you to use them in new ways throughout your home. (post includes commissionable affiliate links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})

One. Line Your Front Steps or Walkway With Lanterns

What better way to create an inviting entry into your home than lining the stairs leading up to it with lanterns. You could do this as an everyday look or just for special events/parties. A strong choice is the look of an eclectic assortment of lanterns in different shapes and sizes as was used in this beach home:

Or consider using different sizes of the same style of lantern. I have two sets of {this trio of lanterns}) that I used throughout the year on the front porch steps of our previous home. For fall, I used the large and medium sizes and mixed them with fall flowers and pumpkins to create an inviting pathway to our front door:

Sources:Lanterns  |  Concrete urn planters (with cabbages) |  Large urn planters (with red mums) |  Doormat  |  Fall wreath

I also love the lantern decor idea of staggering a few of them on the front steps and the walkway, as was done with {these lanterns} that are a polished combination of cedar wood and iron:

You don't have to create an elaborate mix of lanterns and other decor for it to be impactful. Something as simple as {these metal lanterns} in various sizes staggered down the stairs is absolutely polished too:

Two. Fill Your Lanterns With Seasonal Goodies

Filling outdoor lanterns with seasonal goodies is one of the preferred lantern decor approaches. For Halloween & fall, The household has filled mine with baby boo mini white pumpkins for a fun and festive look:

During the holidays, I placed inexpensive ball ornaments inside my two lantern trios and tied a seasonal bow around the top of the largest one:

In the summer, add a few seashells to your lanterns so they surround the base of your candles like they did with {these bronze indoor/outdoor lanterns}:

There are tons of creative fillers that can be used to dress your lanterns up for Easter and other holidays too!

Three. Place Lanterns on a Coffee Table or Console

If you've got a bare coffee table, lanterns can be the perfect thing to pretty it up! You can use a single lantern such as {this brushed brass lantern} surrounded by other accessories on your living room coffee table:

Another lantern decor idea is to elevate one of your lanterns on a pair of books or decorative box so that they're staggered in height for a more stylish look:

Or if you have a long console table, a pair of lanterns on each end of your console is well suited to framing artwork hung behind it or accessories in the middle. A strong choice is the look of {these tall, skinny lanterns} that flank the pretty accessories on this console table:

Four. Hang Lanterns on the Wall as Art

Want lantern decor approaches that really make a statement? Hang a series of identical lanterns such as {these} in a grid pattern on the wall of your home as art:

Flameless candles like {these that come with a remote control} are well suited to this lantern decor idea because you can turn all of the candles on and off at once with a single press of the button or place them on a timer.

Five. Use Lanterns As Mantel Decor

Another idea is to place a lantern on each end of your fireplace mantel like The household has done in the house at Christmas:

Or you can use them as mantel decor year-round with a season-less look such as this polished mantel with {these brushed brass lanterns} on each end:

Six. Style Your Shelves With Lanterns

A strong choice is using polished things, including lanterns, to style shelves throughout the house. Using three of {these gray lanterns} adds so much to the finished bookcases in this living room:

Get tons of inspiration for bookshelf styling in my post on how to decorate a bookshelf where I share my ten tried-and-true formulas for decorating bookcases and shelves.

Seven. Hang Lanterns Over a Dining Table

Hanging a group of lanterns over a table is another polished way to use them, whether it's a casual outdoor dining area such as with {these lanterns}:

or a dining room table indoors (A strong choice is how they used a ladder to hang the lanterns from!):

For a unique lantern decor idea, think beyond your dining table and hang them from your outdoor umbrellas. This would look especially polished at night!

Eight. Use Lanterns As a Table Centerpiece

A strong choice is using lanterns as a table centerpiece when we're dining outside on our patio. Not only does it look polished but using citronella pillar candles helps keep bugs away from our food:

For a classic, impactful centerpiece that can be used both indoors and out, place two large lanterns such as {these} on your table flanking a large bowl filled with plants, fruit, or other decor:

Nine. Incorporate Lanterns Into Your Next Holiday Buffet

Whether you're setting up a Christmas brunch buffet for your visiting family or hosting a large holiday gathering, adding a lantern or two filled with a strand of battery operated fairy lights such as {these lights} will make it a show-stopper:

Ten. Line Your Porch, Pool, or Patio With Lanterns

Whether it's lining the edge of your pool or your porch or patio, a series of lit lanterns such as {these lanterns} is a statement-maker:

What's your kept way to use lanterns either indoors or out?