Not yet registered? Create a OverBlog!

Create my blog

How to make a lantern?

Making paper lanterns is a popular craft activity for children. They are so simple to make that children can make them as soon as they are able to use scissors. Hanging paper lanterns can be made just for fun, but they are also used in celebrations such as Halloween or in Chinese New Year.

Gather your materials

What you need for lanterns? You will need a thin card, a pair of scissors, a pencil and a ruler. Moreover, you will need either a glue or staples along with coloured pencils or paints if you want to decorate the lantern.

Step one

Folding of the paper Lie an ordinary sheet of thin A4 sized card (the kind used to make greetings cards, which come in many different colours, is ideal) down on your table and fold it half length wise.

Step two

Drawing of lines Draw a line across the top of the folded card, away from the crease line, at about 2cm down from the edge.

Step three

Drawing out dots and cuts Use your ruler and pencil in order to make dots along the folded edge that are half an inch apart.
Take your scissors and make cuts through your pencil dots, from the folded edge up to the pencil line you drew across the open edge.

Step four

Painting the card Unfold the card, and if you want to decorate your lantern, now is the time to do it. You can paint each of the strips in a different colour, or alternate colours to make the lantern striped. You could also add glitter, or glue on beads and buttons for extra decoration. If you do not want to decorate your lantern, then you can go straight to the next step.

Step five

Sticking the paper Roll up the card so that the short edges meet and run a line of glue down one of the sides. Overlap the two sides in order to glue them together. Hold the sides of the lantern together with either paperclips or pegs until the glue has dried.

Step six

Cutting the handle Add a handle by cutting a 1-inch strip from another sheet of card. You can cut the handle either length ways or width ways across the card. This depends on how long you would like it. You could also cut the handle from a different colour of card.

Step seven

Gluing the handle Either glue or staple the handle across the top of the lantern. Hence, this will fasten the two strips inside the lantern so that they are opposite each other.

Same category articles Arts & Crafts

A guide to making edible fruit and flower arrangements

A guide to making edible fruit and flower arrangements

A unique idea for a dinner party would be an edible fruit arrangement for the centre of the table. use this centrepiece as an unusual desert or as delicious individual edible gifts or fruit gifts for your guests to take home at the end of the night. in any case, creating an eatable arrangement is fun and relatively easy to do.
How to make a potato gun?

How to make a potato gun?

A potato is often referred to as the most versatile of all vegetables. the following article provides potato gun instructions. this is meant only for fun and should never be used as a weapon. here's how to make gun guide - follow the plans for a gun design as a spud cannon.
How to build a light box?

How to build a light box?

A light box is used to highlight details of the objects in the most pleasing manner. in other words, it can be said that it is a small enclosure having translucent walls. it is commonly used for showing details of small objects and act as vital tool for pro studio photographers. making a light box is an easy and cost-effective process.
How to paint a guitar?

How to paint a guitar?

In this guide, we'll show you how to paint a guitar so that your personality will shine through!