Paper Lantern Tutorial

Hey I love having you tell me what you want to see on here, and a while back I posted this paper lantern, (this is a miniature version of the one I will be teaching you)and I got a nice message from Tammy H. and she said “I love this and would love to have a tutorial on this!”

This was actually taught to us at Leadership this year in Palm Springs.

Now most of us that took arts and crafts in school, or Sunday school, or Brownies probably made one of these as a kid…but it sure was way way way in the back of my brain, until I saw these made using Background paper, and then it was the old whoulda thunk it moment.

So here ya go, this one is for you Tammy.

 

You will need:

Background paper, brads, snail or sticky strip, bone folder, paper cutter, 1/16″ circle punch

 

 

Cut your background paper to 6inches by 9inches.  You want to score it along the long side 1/2″, and then turn it and score it again on the other long side 1/2″ too.

Please remember when scoring your background paper to use a light touch or you will cut your paper instead!!!

 

This is what you will have after your scoring.

 

 

Run your snail on the scored edges, or use sticky strip and glue these down.

 

 

Now you got this!

 

Now score down the center at 2 1/2″.

 

 

Now I want you to cut in 1/2″ intervals down the background paper, so that you are cutting from the green strip on the top to the green strip on the bottom.

See where I have the blade? See how the little arrows are pointing to the edge where the flowered paper meets the green paper? The little arrows are where the blade is.You only want to cut the center paper, (here it is the flowered design) NOT where you have the lip folded over.(the green design). I hope that makes sense.  Don’t be like me and start to make one as you read….read the WHOLE tutorial before you start, that way it will make sense….

 

Here I am working my way over the paper 1/2″ at a time.

 

 

See now you can see all the slits that were cut in the paper.

 

 

Just give it a gentle crease down the center score line.

 

 

Add snail or sticky strip to one edge of your lantern.

 

 

Now you are going to overlap and glue the edges together.

 

 

Give them a good pinch to make sure they hold. This is where sticky strip works good, or even the Tombow Multipurpose works really good too.

Cause ya know people are gonna be messing with it.

 

 

 

Now you can kinda get your scored middle doohickeys pushed out a bit.

So you made your base, let’s put a handle on it.

 

Cut a piece of background paper 1.5 inches by 6 inches.

 

 

 

Score this piece of background paper, 1/2″ on the long side, and turn and score it on the other long side at 1/2″.

 

Now you have this, since half the stuff I am typing I am hoping makes sense, that is why I have so many pictures.

That makes it much more clearer.

 

Glue the edges down, and you made your handle.

 

 

Using your 1/16″ hand held circle punch, make a hole for the brad.  I don’t like to glue the handle to the lantern cause then you can move it back and forth.

 

Here it is with the brad inserted.  Then do the same thing on the other side.

Side note: this is where I realized I had to re-take my supply picture as I had pulled down eyelets instead of brads, and did not realize till I got to this part.

 

 

There ya go…all done.

Now go get yourself a battery operated little light and they are adorable all lit up.  You could even hang them with light on a string too I imagine. Just make sure to remember it is paper, and paper is flammable.

It stands about 4 1/2″ tall with the little things pushed out and that does not include the handle.

To make the miniature lantern, you will start with a 4 x 6 inch piece of background paper instead.

Let me know if putting all the pictures down one side is easier for you.

Thanks so much for stopping in!

Hugs, Di