Heaven’s Daily

It will be great fun to make your own paper lanterns, there are several ways to make them, so I’ve included easy and intermediate versions of the craft, as well as creative ways to spice your lanterns up.

Remember, red is traditionally thought to bring good luck in China and is the dominating color during festivals. Gold is usually used as an accent and Chinese calligraphy is usually done in black ink. However, this is your choice, just do what looks good to you and have fun.

Easy Chinese Paper Lanterns

You Will Need:
Construction paper or thin poster board
Tissue paper
Pipe cleaners or ribbon

What To Do:
Cut the construction paper into rectangles. The height of your paper Chinese lantern will be the same as the width of your paper. (Note: this is the shorter side of your rectangle.) Using a knife or one side of your scissors, cut several long lines into the construction paper. Leave an inch between each one and at the top and bottom of the paper.

Now, roll the rectangle into a cylinder and tape or staple along the seam. Gently, squish the top and bottom of the cylinder a little bit to make your lantern’s “light-holes” open up a bit. Now, take gold, yellow or orange tissue paper and make a wad to resemble fire. Put this in the top of your lantern and push into the center. Add a ribbon or pipe cleaner for a handle. You will be able to the lantern’s “fire” through the slits. These add a lot of color and are super cheap and super easy to make.

 
You Will Need:
Floral wire (or wire you can mold and bend easily)
Tissue paper in large sheets

What To Do:
Use the wire to mold a shape for your lantern. Large spheres, eggs and cylinders are the most common shapes for Chinese paper lanterns. If you are doing a sphere, for example, make two small wire circles the size you want your lanterns openings to be. Now make a series of concentric wire circles each slightly larger than your openings. Make your largest circle the size you want the widest point of your lantern’s body. Connect them in your sphere shape using wire strips. The brace will be delicate, but should be sturdy enough to hold its shape when sitting gently on the floor.

When you are pleased with your lantern’s shape, you can add the tissue paper to the outside. It is best to use one solid color and then paint or add calligraphy. If you use glue on the entire brace you will see the lines melt through, so I do not recommend this. Instead, fold the top edge of a large square or tissue down around the top opening of your lantern. Glue or tape the seam here and then pull the tissue tightly down around the brace. Do the same thing on the bottom opening. If you are careful, cut your tissue large enough and pull it tightly around your brace, you will only have to glue the top and bottom seams and one seam along the side.

When the glue has dried, use a calligraphy brush to paint good luck characters on your Chinese paper lantern. Or use watercolors to paint a traditional scene - flowering cherry trees, ducks, or dragons.

Instead of using colored tissue paper to recreate fire, consider using real lights in your lanterns. Most craft stores have extension cords with light bulbs on one end. These work best in the larger, shaped lanterns. Or get a string of large white Christmas light and make small Easy Paper Lanterns for each individual bulb. Just remember, with all paper lanterns, never leave them unattended due to fire hazards.