Chinese people have used paper lanterns for centuries to celebrate festivals and other special occasions. These were made by hand from rice paper and lit with small candles or, occasionally, fireflies. These simple but elegant light sources have enjoyed a steady popularity through the centuries. Lanterns made of silk with an electric light bulb can be found in home fashion stores. Handmade paper models are a good choice for parties.

Choosing the Look

Choose your design from a few different models of lantern available on the internet. Plans for two very traditional styles can be found at the Rice Paper and Infused Goods (Blogspot) websites. Decide how many lanterns you want to make before purchasing the materials. You may want to try both styles to see which is easier for you, and which will help present the look you are going for. You will need craft sticks (frozen pop sticks), glue, twine, and tissue paper. The tissue paper can be as simple as sheets of gift bag filler from the dollar store, or you might experiment with decorative origami papers from your local craft store. Tissue paper is probably easier to work with while you are learning the technique, and it is certainly cheaper. The method at Rice-Paper.com involves bending bamboo sticks to create a rounded framework held together by twine. The other method is a series of craft stick squares. Both will be covered with the paper after the forms are finished. As for the light source, the blogger at InfusedGoods suggests small battery-powered tea-lights, or LED string Christmas lights if you plan to hang them in groups. If you choose to use the cheaper tissue paper, you can still make your lanterns fancy. Before gluing the paper to the frame, cut out shapes from other colors of paper and glue them on to create pictures and designs. You can go with traditional Asian designs, flowers or cartoon characters. The only limits are your imagination and party theme.

Tips

Do stick to the old adage, "Measure twice, cut once." Be sure the paper is the correct size to cover your lantern. A few balls of modeling clay or poster tack will help you keep the frames in place while you work on other parts. You only have two hands! This sticky stuff will also come in handy to keep the lights from falling off their supports once you hang your beautiful lanterns.

Source:

InfusedGoods.com: Folding Paper Lantern Tutorial

Rice-Paper.com: Rice Paper Lantern

ChinaHighlights.com: Lanterns