Ever find a farmhouse lantern and you have no idea what to do with it?  Here are 4 ways to decorate with farmhouse lanterns.  These are simple, easy ideas for decorating your coffee table and your porch and your living room and your front porch.

Last night I hosted Pokeno at my house.

You know.

The game that is kind of like Bingo that you sit around and laugh and eat skittles and drink sweet tea and play with a game board and a deck of cards and your goal is to get five in a row or a postage stamp or a diagonal line or a full house.

Have you played it?

Or is it just a Texas thing?

When you win a hand in the game, you dance up and down in your seat and yell POKENO.  Why?  BECAUSE YOU ARE THE WINNER.  And then?  You get to pick a gift from the gifts that everyone has brought and eventually you can steal a gift from someone who has already opened one.

When you attend a Pokeno game, you have ONE GOAL in mind.  You want to find the most stealable gift you can bring.  You don’t want someone to open their gift and say awkwardly, “Ummm.  This is nice.”  Instead?  You want them to sigh and melt and hug the gift and say something like, “I have been looking for this gift all my life.”  You want everyone to look at the gift and make a mental note that they are going to steal that gift when it’s their turn to play.  And while they are all looking longingly at the gift and someone says, “Who brought that?  It’s amazing.”

You simply smile and raise your hand and grin to yourself and pat yourself on the back and sink back in your chair…

…and sip your sweet tea.

Misson Pokeno accomplished.

This?

This was my super, amazing, incredible stealable gift.

It’s a farmhouse lantern.

And the BEST PART OF THIS ENTIRE STORY?

It was only $9.84 at Walmart.

I was there to buy chips and dip and pretzels and fresh fruit and hot appetizers for the party and I saw this lantern on the end cap.  We have a $20 budget for the gifts, so I bought two.  It looks so expensive.  Seriously.

But I wanted to make the gift even better.  Even more amazing.  Even more stealable.  So I styled the lantern in my home four ways and told the person who opened the gift that the lantern came with 4 decorating ideas, too.

Here are 4 ways to decorate with farmhouse lanterns.

1. Decorate a side table

I filled the lantern with a small potted plant and placed it on a side table in the living room.  I like the green plant and I like the location and I love the idea of a lantern on the side table in the living room.

I wish after I looked at the pictures I would have stacked some books and placed the lantern on the stack.  I also thought that galvanized metal doesn’t really work with all the brass.

So I found this lantern for almost the same price in brass.

I love its clean lines and I could use it with a taller plant.

2.  Decorate the kitchen counters

I love, love, LOVE it in the kitchen so much.

I think I’m going to go back today and buy another one for myself and put it here and find the brass one for the living room.

Here, I placed a book page tree in the center of it.  I love the idea of keeping the door open.  And look at all the tiny nails where the metal is attached.

Super high-end looking.

3.  Decorate the porch

Here I added it to my grouping of lanterns that I already have on the porch.

I keep a set out there and they have aged with the weather and I love the look of the vintage patina on the wood and the metal.

I ususally just leave these lanterns empty.

I’ve tried to put things in them before and then I forgot about what I put in them….and well….

That’s an entirely different post with a story.

4.  Decorate a coffee table

I love this look, too.

I created this vignette on the coffee table in the living room.  I started with a metal tray and added the lantern with a wood bead strand.

The bead strand is just looped around the top and draped over with the jute tassels on each end.

You could put something inside the lantern door, but I liked it plain with the bead tassel.

Are you curious?

Was it stolen?

Did people sigh and exclaim and want to take it home and decorate with it in their own homes.

Yes.

And it made my night and my sweet tea…

….even sweeter.

disclosure:  Please note that affiliate links were used in this post.

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Comments

  1. Image for Loryl Loryl

    Pokeno, OMG, I haven’t heard of anyone playing that in ages. My parents used to host parties. It was a raucous time, but oh so fun. I’ve looked at those lanterns too and thought how adorable and the price was fabulous. The paper tree inside on your kitchen counter is my fav!

  2. Image for Leslie Watkins Leslie Watkins

    I have a thing for lanterns. I can see 4 on the screened in porch and one on my mantel from where I am sitting right now. My favorite is the battery operated candles that I can turn on with the remote...I would have helped that tea be sweeter. And prayed no one would steal it from me. And nope! Haven’t heard of that game yet, but sounds like I’ll be researching it and adding to our list!

  3. Image for Regina Merrick Regina Merrick

    I have a lantern on a tray on my coffee table, and I love it! I love the plant inside yours . . . may just have to steal that idea! :) I've never played Pokeno before, but it sounds AMAZING!! We do "dirty santa" with our Sunday School class every year (yes, the party is rife with jokes about a church group encouraging "stealing!"), but this is different! I like it!

  4. Image for Jenn Jenn

    Oooh I have never heard of the game, I must research it! I have that very lantern in black...funny thing is I got it at a white elephant gift exchange. It of course was one of the rare good gifts! I had mine on the table inside a tray filled with pinecones. They are so versatile!

  5. Image for Carrie Carrie

    HI! Never heard of that game, in our family, we call it the "white elephant' and do it at Christmas time~ everyone needs to bring something from their house they no longer use~ this year I 'stole' an thermos~ the old silver kind! FUN TIMES!!! What I wanted to say is this~ I picture the lanterns in my bathroom~ two or three with a glass holder in each one for cotton swabs, and cotton balls, etc.....I'd love to say more, but I really need to get to my Walmart and grab some lanterns!! HA HA....thanks for the inspiration!!!

  6. Image for TERESA GONZALES TERESA GONZALES

    Never heard of Pokeno. Sounds like fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Love your lantern gift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!So adorable in all the locations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. Image for Linda Miller Linda Miller

    I have the battery candles on timers in my lanterns in my living room. It is so cozy these long winter nights to see them automatically come on and flicker throughout the evening hours. I have the candles in my bookcases too. Just adds a special soft glow to my books and photos on the shelves. Love your plant idea for spring. I've also used a birds nest with eggs (Hobby Lobby) in mine.

  8. Image for Patricia Patricia

    Growing up we played Pokéno using pennies instead of the chips. Whomever won got to keep all the pennies on their board. Playing pokeno by the fireplace during winter breaks is a cherished memory. I was also so excited to see your lantern post. I have a gazillion lanterns left over from my daughters wedding and I do need to style them up and repurpose. You inspired me to get on it. Thank you!

  9. Image for JC at the uncommon pearl JC at the uncommon pearl

    I've never heard of this game!! How fun. I want to play! Your lantern is too cute in every way. Where did you get your huge lanterns on your porch? I'm on the hunt for some wood and metal ones. Have a fun day!

  10. Image for Laura Harrie Laura Harrie

    KariAnne, let me know when the next game is scheduled, I’ll be there in a heartbeat! Then I can play and see your house in person! Also, I will bring something fabulous as a prize!

  11. Image for Celeste Celeste

    When we began to put our outdoor Christmas decorations away, I decided to leave a lantern with 3 timer candles on a table on the front porch. I raised one candle with a box to stagger the heights. It is so welcoming to come home in the evening and see the flickering lights in the lantern. I plan to keep them there until Spring when the sun goes down later. I hope it cheers up the neighbors too.

  12. Image for Peg Peg

    We play Pokeno in Massachusetts, but I love the gift addition!! Maybe I'll host a "Gal-entine" girls night and play away!!! xoxo

  13. Image for Sandy Sandy

    Oh, I love lanterns. I have a pair of red ones, and a pair of blue ones that I switch off seasonally on our mantle. I use a flame less candle in each. Tall, metal lanterns with three flame less candles in various heights are on each side of the hearth in our family room. Will copy your idea of a faux plant in a lantern and place it on several books on a small table. Thank you. I have never heard of the Pokeno game. On Christmas Eve, we gather at my sister’s house and play a Christmasy Left-Right game with wrapped gifts of a particular cash amount. You can find these Christmas games on Pinterest.

  14. Image for Teresa Teresa

    We play BINGO each year at our family summer vacation, old and young. Pokeno sounds like a fun alternative. I've never played. Can you share a link to which one to purchase? I checked amazon and there were several different ones. Thanks for this great idea! Just might have to get some friends over to play too.

  15. Image for Becky Elkins Becky Elkins

    I play Pokéno w/11 other Ladies(same ladies) each month on the 3rd Saturday 6-9-we each take a Wrapped Gift-pkwy at a different house each month-provides the Food/Drinks etc..been playing for a Long time..my Sister/& 90 year old Mom also play in the Group..we Play last Game @ Christmas Pokeno as a”Blackout” we each put in $5.00..some one Wins the $60..also have ornament exchange & name exchange Love our Pokeno Group!

  16. Image for Dee Turk Dee Turk

    It sounds like so much fun! Do you ever play Bunco? That's what we've played, and there are gifts, but no stealing. Pokeno sounds fun, especially the prizes! Love the lantern and how you styled them! May l also ask about your cloches? So super cute!

  17. Image for MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!)

    We had never heard about Pokeno until be started spending our winters on South Padre Island! KariAnne, I love how you styled your lanterns -- so pretty! We love lanterns and it seems like I am forever finding another one that just has to come home with me!

  18. Image for Julie Briones Julie Briones

    Super fun and beautiful post, KariAnne! I love how simple the tips are, but so elegant. Very inspiring, girl! And I get the whole trying-to-bring-the-sigh-worth-gift. My mom makes AMAZING baby blankets and coordinating burp cloths. They are always the sigh-worthy gift at showers. Everyone looks forward to getting a Grammy blanket. ;-) Thanks for sharing at Homestyle Gathering... you don't know how much we appreciate it! Hugs, sweet friend!

  19. Image for Kim @Serving Up Southern Kim @Serving Up Southern

    Hi KariAnne! I just wanted to let you know that you are one of my features this week over at Homestyle Gathering. I love farmhouse lanterns.! You've have styled yours in such pretty ways. Thanks so much for joining us and linking up with us over at HG!

Comments are closed.