Our family loves stargazing! While packing away Christmas lights, I had the bright idea of reusing them to make a moon lamp for our kids’ room. All you need is an empty cereal box, a string of LED Christmas lights, and little bit of paint, and you have the perfect craft for astronomy lovers big and small.

• One piece of cardboard
• Empty cereal box
• LED string lights (approx. 20 bulbs)
• Large plate (11″ circle)
• Acrylic paint (black, yellow)
• Painters tape
• Black tape
• 4 wooden blocks
• Craft knife
• Reamer
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Stapler
• Craft glue
• Low heat glue gun
• Picture of your favorite constellation

Step 1
Place the plate face down onto the piece of cardboard. Trace the circle and cut it out.

Step 2
Cut out one side of the cereal box. Trace both the full and crescent moon onto the back and cut it out.

Step 3
Cut 1 1/5″ wide strips from the cereal box (as many as you need to go around the circle, plus 2-3 smaller strips for the wall attachments).

Step 4
Paint the circle black and the moon yellow (don’t use water, just the paint). Let dry, then glue the ends of the two strips together to make a long band.

Tip: sunlight or a hairdryer will speed up the drying process

Step 5
Glue the yellow crescent moon along the edge of the black circle. Heat up the glue gun.

Step 6
Turn the cardboard circle face down onto the blocks. Place the long band around the circle and tape the ends together with painters tape. Use the hot glue gun to attach the band to the circle. Let dry. Make 2-3 holders out of the cereal box strips by folding them around the wooden blocks into similar segments as shown above. Staple the ends of the holders together.

Step 7
Close the gaps between the band and cardboard circle with black tape so that the light will only escape through the holes and back onto the wall. Glue the holders to the cardboard. Cut a space in the band for the electrical cord to run through.

Step 8
Mark your chosen constellation onto the black painted cardboard and use the reamer to punch holes. I chose the Big and Small Dippers and the Dragon.

Step 9
Tape the string of LED lights to the back of the lamp and run the electrical cord through the designated slit. You can have either indirect light or poke the lights through the holes to make for brighter stars.

Place it on a shelf or hang it on the wall. Turn down the lights and look up at the sky!

Happy gazing :)