Paper Lantern Craft
Here are a couple of paper lantern ideas for you, one simple, one a little more sophisticated. With some glittery decoration or fancy colouring they can make a great party decoration. Particularly popular in Asian cultures, these are fun to make but please don't try lighting candles in them!
You will need:
- A4 or letter sized paper
- Stapler or glue
- Any decorating supplies you choose
For the simple paper lantern, fold a piece of A4 or letter sized paper in half, folding along the short axis of the paper.
Make a series of cuts in the paper 1 - 2 cm apart. Start each cut from the folded edge, and cut until you get to about 2-3 cm from the other edge of the paper.
Unfold the paper and bring the long edges of the paper together to make a tube shape. Staple or tape the edges together. Cut another strip of paper about 2 cm wide and staple or tape each end to either side of the top of the lantern as a handle.
For a more decorative paper lantern, colour or decorate the paper before you start cutting.
For the second paper lantern design you will need
- 1 or 2 sheets of A4 or letter sized paper
- 2 split pins
- 4 circles of cardboard about 5 cm or 2 inches in diameter
- A hole punch may be useful
For this paper lantern design cut an A4 or letter sized piece of paper lengthways into strips 1.5cm or about 1/2 an inch in width. You will want 8 - 12 strips. Stack the strips of paper on top of each other. Punch a hole through the centre of the stack, and a hole through each end of the stack.
Cut out 4 circles of cardboard about 5 cm in diameter. Push a split pin through the center of one of the circles and sit it on a table with the pin pointing upwards. Now sit the strips of paper on the split pin so it goes through the center hole. Fan out the strips so they are evenly spaced, then put the second circle of cardboard on top of the pile with the split pin again passing through the center of the circle. Spread out the split pin so it holds the two pieces of cardboard together firmly
Now repeat the process for the top of your paper lantern. Push a split pin through the center of the third cardboard circle and hold it with the pin pointing upwards. Push the free end of each of the paper strips onto the splitpin, then put the last circle of cardboard on top and spread the pin out to hold everything in place. Attach a piece of string to hang the paper lantern with.
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