paper lanterns
Monday, April 11, 2011 at 7:07AM 
we had either rain or slushy freezing rain falling from the sky all weekend...
so... we wanted to make a little homemade sunshine.
bring about a little color!
do you remember making paper lanterns?
i do!
so simple... so easy... and so pretty!
i think we folded... and cut thirteen in all.
then the girls started punching and cutting out fun shapes to attach...
to make them even better.
i hate that i have allowed us to get so far away from crafts
since our house has been on the market.
my clean freak... what if someone calls... have to keep it show ready all the time...
mama mode tends to take over.
hearing lil bit say while cutting out a polka dot star...
"i loooooove crafting"
i have to say... made my heart hurt.
made me smile and laugh of course first but... then it made me feel awful!
ohhhhh.... the finding the balance of "house on the market" life once again!
SO glad we decided to make a paper and glue mess!
darn house!
their smiles are way more important!
i thought it was awfully sweet that lil bit said they could go in campbell's room!
then they could sleep in there together under the string of lanterns.
great idea!
once we strung then up...
and they were dancing there all in a row...
campbell said "that is sooooo cool" with a big 'ol grin!
gotta love that coming from the mouth of a nine year old.
i'll just add that the paper & glue...
nothing... compared to messes that occurred this weekend!
yikes!
it was a cooped up wild time!
and just like it flew by... the weekend was a blink wasn't it?
here's to monday!
and here's to the start of something good!
ReAlly good!
the week ahead... i'm convinced... is loaded with it!
♥
carissa
hopping back on to share more on the lanterns.
yes... they ARE fun to make.
and... super easy!
any size paper will do really.
as a matter of fact... plain white paper...
with your own drawings and designs on both sides works great!
then you can see pattern on the inside too!
that's cool.
if it's square... just fold in half...
if it's 8 by 10 or like... fold in half down the long side.
then... this is the "important" part...
ha... important as far as paper lanterns go i guess...
you're going to cut along the FOLDED side.
all along... that folded side.
approximately an inch or so...
in the strip thickness and stopping from the top.
does that makes sense?
just keep in mind...
when we made our last batch they were ALL different...
far from perfect AND all good!
when you're done cutting the folded length...
it will basically look like a mini grass skirt!
aloha!
now all you have to do is roll it the opposite way of the fold.
you'll see... it will take that neat lantern shape.
we used double sided tape but... we've used a stapler before too.
just fasten/adhere both ends.
they now look like this!
did one 8 by 10 and one 12 by 12... so you could see the difference.
handle time!
grab whatever scraps you have...
basically you just need a strip of some sort.
we used the double sided tape again to fix them to the lantern...
glue works great too!
once the handle is on...
if you want you can add a bit more fun by attaching pretty cut outs.
the girls really got a kick out of this part!
then...
they're ready to find some string & hang!
don't have any string...
they make great earrings!
♥
Reader Comments (10)
carissa, i love those lanterns! could you email me the directions sometime? i think they could be a wonderful craft for our young friends in Alaska this summer...let your light shine...jesus is the light of the world! oh, and then YOU and the GIRLS could be a part of our ministry in the Last Frontier! xoxo
I forgot about making those when I was a kid... I bet my hoodlums would LOVE that idea, and Ava's birthday party is this weekend, so maybe I'll try those... I hear you on the house showing clean freakishness... we've been at this a year next month, and I've been like that for a year!! My kids are so over it. (Well, really, I am too) I think I need to break out their craft stuff.... Thanks for the reminder! HOping this week is the best. Prayed for you this weekend as my house was showing...
Blessings,
Sasha
Oh wow! I love those! Thanks for the idea! I will be using this for my craft table at my church's Easter egg hunt next Satuday! I am convinced this week will be grand too, nothing is mighter than God's plan this week :) We'll see where He takes us. Hope you have a great Monday!!!
~Molly P
I totally forgot about making these!! Oh my..and how cute would it go with the Rapunzel theme of watching the lanterns float at night?! I think my girls will be drifting away to that wonderland if we make some! You are so cute with your crafting!
Hang in there with the house stuff...oh my...that sounds like a lot to balance but I bet you're doing awesome!
These are darling especially for a yucky day outside! How cute that she let her big sis have them in her room! So could you let me know the directions to these. I think my little girl would love to make these.
I find myself doing the same thing about things that make a mess. But when you see the smiles and hear the laughter it just doesn't matter!
Megan
So cute and what a great idea!!
Oh, those are so cute! Would you mind giving us the directions! I think my Julia would love those!
I do remember these! Yours are beautiful! Mine we're construction paper lanterns, nearly 50 years ago!
i just made one! your instructions were perfect. your model helped me through each step! xoxo
Getting ready to make these with the girlies!!!
Thanks so much for the steps, I think they're going to go gaga over them : )