I’ve got a colorful Chinese Paper Lantern Suncatcher craft to share with you today. This is perfect if you are you looking for something different to do for the Chinese New Year. Designed for elementary aged children, they are a bright and festive way to decorate the classroom or hang in a window.
It’s interesting that the Chinese used paper for their lanterns, but Paper Lanterns were common during the Tang Dynasty (AD 690 – 705).
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This Chinese Paper Lanterns craft includes a printout for the black lantern as well as an outline of the lantern that can be printed directly on colorful printer paper. Clear contact paper can be used, but I found it was easier to use white tissue paper, diluted glue pieces of colorful tissue to make the ‘lighted’ interior of the lantern.
Supplies Needed
- White printer paper for the black paper lantern
- Colored printer paper for the outline of the paper lantern
- Different colors of tissue paper.
- White tissue paper
- Craft glue diluted (half water, half glue) in a small bowl.
- Medium width paint brush
- Scissors
Select the black paper lantern or outline of the paper lantern. Note: the black paper lantern will use additional black ink to print. Both printouts will print two lanterns print per page.
Start by cutting the lanterns out. On the outline template, cut where notated. On the black lantern template, cut out the white sections. With both printouts, start cutting at the bottom of the lantern. This area can be cut apart since the rectangle base of the lantern will be glued on last. Cut out the rectangle piece that is to be used as the base of the lantern.
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Cut out a section of white tissue that is about the same size as the lantern. You don’t need to measure exactly since you will be re-cutting the piece later on.
Tear up or cut up small strips of different colors of tissue paper. Lightly brush the white tissue paper with the watered down glue mixture and randomly adhere the colorful pieces of tissue paper scraps.
Before the glue dries, attach the paper lantern over the top of the tissue paper. Apply a little extra glue to the bottom of the lantern and attach the rectangle base.
Once the Chinese Paper Lantern Suncatcher is dry, trim off any excess tissue paper from around the lantern.
Hang up and enjoy. On a window the light will show through showing off the different colors.
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