Add a dark gothic touch to your decor with this Rib Cage Tea Light Lantern — a hanging skeleton-inspired lantern designed with a rib cage body, ornate top, and decorative ring for display. It works beautifully as a gothic candle holder, Halloween decoration, dark home decor accent, or a fantasy / spooky shelf piece.

The design has a strong silhouette and looks great both as a standing display and as a hanging decorative lantern. It pairs especially well with LED tea lights, giving the rib cage structure a dramatic glow while keeping the piece practical for indoor decor. This model is perfect for gothic interiors, witchy decor, dark fantasy displays, Halloween setups, or even miniature scene styling if scaled down.

Features a bayonet for tealight insertion.

Scaled to fit 39mm max tealight.Scale for bigger.A flickering LED light inside can make the ribs cast really nice shadows, which adds a lot to the overall effect.

Printing Instructions

Recommended materials:

PLAPLA+PETGResin for smaller decorative versions or sharper detail

Suggested print notes:

A 0.16–0.24 mm layer height works well for most prints.The rib structure has open sections, so print orientation matters for getting clean results.Supports are needed, especially around the upper decorative section, inner lantern details, and hanging ring.A brim can help with stability if printing upright.Use enough walls/perimeters to keep the thinner decorative elements strong.If printing smaller, reduce speed slightly for cleaner details.If printing larger, check that the ribs and cage structure remain sturdy.

Best use tip

This model is best suited for LED tea lights / battery candles.

Because most 3D printing materials are not meant for high heat, this lantern is not intended for real flame candles.

Finishing Tips

This model looks especially good in:

matte blacksatin blackaged boneantique bronzedark silverweathered ironstone greydistressed gothic finishesClassic gothic black

Prime the print.Paint it matte or satin black.Add a subtle grey dry brush on edges and raised details.Keep the recesses darker for more depth.Bone / skeletal finishStart with a dark brown or black base coat.Layer bone or ivory over the ribs.Add a wash into the recesses.Dry brush the edges lightly for a worn skeleton look.Aged metal finishPrime in black.Apply dark silver, gunmetal, or bronze.Add black or brown washes into crevices.Highlight edges with lighter metallic dry brushing.