how do i craft a lantern in minecraft properly?

If you want it hanging, place it on the underside of a block, or on the bottom of a chain for that dangling look. People assume they only sit on the floor because that's what you get when you click the ground.

torch in the middle, 8 iron nuggets around it. one iron ingot breaks down into 9 nuggets, so it's an ingot a lantern. soul torch gives you the blue one.