Lanterns are always a beautiful thing to make and enjoy; whether it’s for celebratory times like Chinese New Year, remembering someone you love, or for just making your room feel a little more cosy in the winter. They are also incredibly easy to make, and all you need are white paper bags and a few other items that you will most likely already have at home.
What you will need
- White paper bags
- Scissors
- A hole punch
- Double-sided tape
- Small glass jars (make sure they have been washed, you don’t want smells coming from your lantern as the jar warms up)
- Tea light candles (or electric alternatives)
How to make Paper Bag Lanterns
- Put your white paper bag down on the flat surface that you will be working at.
- Cut out the section of the bag that you want to use for the lantern. This is the middle section of the bag.
- So you need to remove the top of the bag, as that section will be somewhat frayed or weakened after being used.
- Then cut off the bottom of the bag, so you are left with a band of material which will wrap around the glass jar.
- Cut the band of paper along the seam, leaving you with a strip of material to work with.
- Cut the length of the paper down to size, about an inch longer than you need to wrap around your glass jar.
- It is now time to apply a design to your lantern. Using your scissors and hole punch, you can cut out sections of paper to allow bits of light to come through your lantern.
- Once you have decorated your band of paper to your liking, you can then wrap your piece of material from the white paper bag around the glass jar and then secure it with double sided tape.
- Place a candle at the centre of the glass.
Then light your lantern and enjoy it’s soft glow, or you can use an electric tea light if you are worried about the fire hazard.
