Make a Lantern or Candle Lamp Shade

Sometimes you may need a small lantern enclosure for a candle. 
This helps the candle from getting blown out easily 
and catches melted candle wax. To do this, you can poke holes or cut
 shapes in the sides of the can to let the light out.
 This can be a very fun and creative process. 

Once in an antique store, I saw a tin can lantern

from the great depression. Someone had
 painstakingly cut out shapes of deer and other

wild animals into the can.

When using candles, you get better lighting with

a reflective surface. 
For tin can lanterns, use cans with exposed metal on the 
inside—some have a

plastic white interior liner. 
This way the shiny metal surface can reflect the light better. 
To direct the light, just open up one side of the can
 like the old style directional lanterns.