How to make paper lanterns

J spent the morning with Jantje and I at the studio the other day. We had some nice sheets of large construction paper kicking around so I asked her if she would like to make a paper lantern.

"Yes!" was all I needed to hear.

To make a paper lantern, you first need a good sized sheet of paper. Ours was around 11" x 17". First you need to fold it in half lengthwise. I did this while J snacked on a carrot.

Next, you need to cut slits in the paper about an inch from the top. I did this while J began decorating what would become the center of the lantern. For that, she used an 8-1/2" by 11" sheet of construction paper and markers.

Here's the paper with the cuts shown. Notice that the cuts don't go all the way across - there is an inch on either side.

Meanwhile, J, while continuing to snack on her carrot,  was busy putting her touches on the inner part of the lantern. In addition to markers, she also used a really neat product from Elmer's called Shimmer N Shine Glitter Glaze. 

When she was finished, we rolled the paper up and taped in into a cylinder shape. (See the glitter glaze?)

Then, we added some shredded paper to one side of the larger sheet of construction paper. For this we just used a glue stick.



Finally, it was time to put our lantern together. J helped with the tape while I rolled the larger sheet into a cylinder as well.

When we then put them both together - a paper lantern was born.

This is a great sculptural art lesson to do with kids of all ages. The older then children, the more they can attempt without assistance. Here's a lantern Jantje and I did a number of years ago with a group of grade 5 students. In that case, the kids used paint to decorate their lanterns. Very effective.

These would be a lot of fun for Halloween. Give it a try and remember... keep creating!

~Andrea