A simple paper lantern craft for Chinese New Year

My attention is mainly focused on Christmas at the moment, but our crafting is looking a little further ahead. The theme for this month’s #BostikBlogger craft box is Chinese New Year. This falls on 16th February 2018 marking the start of the Year of the Dog. The Lantern Festival is held on the final day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The red lanterns symbolise good luck and the letting go of the owner’s past selves.

 

We made a simple paper lantern from some shiny red paper, decorated with gold glitter. This is a simple craft, suitable for children of preschool age and above. Younger children may need a little help with cutting out the lantern and glueing the edges.

 

A red paper Chinese lantern - "A simple paper lantern craft for Chinese New Year"

 

You will need:

  • Shiny red paper
  • Gold glitter glue
  • Scissors
  • Glue (we used Bostik White Glu)

 

 

1) Mark out the cutting lines for the paper lantern on the back of the paper as shown below. You need a wide horizontal band at the top of the paper for the handle. The rest of the paper will make up the lantern. Draw a box inside the remaining space, allowing about a 3cm border outside it. Finally draw vertical lines inside the box, approximately 2.5cm apart.

 

A template for the Chinese paper lantern showing a strip of paper at the top for the handle and vertical lines for the slits in the lantern

 

 

2) Turn the paper over (red shiny side up) and decorate the lantern with gold glitter glue. You can draw shapes with a Bostik White Glu pen and shake gold glitter over it. We found it easier (and less messy!) to use a glitter glue pen. Allow to dry.

 

The red shiny paper decorated with gold glitter patterns

 

3) Cut off the strip of paper for the handle.

 

4) Fold the rest of the paper in half (with the lines outermost). Cut along the vertical lines to make the slits for the paper lantern.

 

Sophie cutting the vertical lines for the Chinese paper lantern

 

5) Unfold the lantern and curl the paper so the two short edges overlap. Glue the two edges together to make the main body of the lantern.

 

The unfolded lantern showing the cut slits

 

6) Glue the ends of the remaining strip of paper to either side of the lantern to make the handle. Leave to dry.

 

The finished paper lantern

 

 

Sophie enjoyed making the lantern with only a little help from me with the glueing. We used clothes pegs to hold the lantern together while the glue dried which worked well. Cutting the slits for the lantern is great for helping with scissor skills. I was quite impressed with how well Sophie stayed on the lines.

 

We were sent a box of Bostik craft materials as part of being a Tots100 #BostikBlogger

 

3 thoughts on “A simple paper lantern craft for Chinese New Year

  1. Creative way to create paper lantern. Thanks for sharing Louise. So nice of you.

Comments are closed.