Illuminate your home with this pretty lantern.
THE transparent colour paper used for this lantern is known as “glass paper”, a direct translation from its Chinese term.
It is a popular material used in teaching art and craft to children as it guarantees effective and beautiful end results.
Teardrop lantern This is an easy recycled art project to do.
In fact, most of my designs for this space are not as complicated to produce as they appear.
I am always baffled when folks tell me otherwise as they shake their heads.
But what stumped me most was a call from an ex-schoolmate, after my lantern design was published at the same time last year.
He had the gall to ask if I could give him the lantern so that his precious primary-school son could take it to school as his craft project. Unbelievable!
Paper lantern
From toilet rolls, old CD and disposable chopstick
You need:
12 toilet rolls
Transparent colour paper (assorted colours)
Scrap paper – 12x10cm
Old CD
PVA glue
5 florist wires – No. 20 (each 36cm long)
Disposable chopstick
Scissors and pliers
Pencil and ruler
Black acrylic paint
Brush
Small candle
Thin cardboard – 3cm wide (optional )
Making the paper lantern
1. Fold scrap paper into half lengthwise. Follow the measurements in the diagram to mark the positions for the template and draw guidelines to join them. Then draw curved lines outside of the line to obtain the teardrop shape. Draw another smaller teardrop inside the shape, 1.5cm from the outline. Cut out the template.
2. Flatten the toilet roll slightly. Cut it open along one side. Place the template over the folded side. Draw and cut out the shape, with a teardrop hole or window. Make 12 pieces of frames in the same way. Keep aside one small teardrop piece.
3. Unfold the toilet roll frames and reshape them. Paint both sides of the frames black.
4. Use the small toilet roll teardrop piece as a template to cut out 12 pieces with a 0.8cm seam allowance all round, from the different transparent colour papers. Place the toilet roll frames with the insides facing up. Apply glue around the frame next to the window and stick the transparent colour paper onto it. Do the same for all the frames.
5. Use a pair of scissors to cut out strips from the CD. Cut the strips into small squares about the size of a five sen coin, before trimming them into discs. Glue one CD disc onto both sides of each transparent colour paper window.
6. Bend the tabs inwards perpendicular to the frames. Glue the tabs of six frames together and join them into a ring. Make another ring with the other six frames.
7. Position the two rings together so that the pointed tips meet. Apply glue onto the tip sections of one ring and place the other overlapping it to stick them firmly together. Pierce a set of holes, 0.5cm apart, at the bottom of a teardrop frame. Do the same for the frame opposite it.
8. Cut the florist wire into two. Poke the wire into a hole of the two opposite teardrop frames to connect them. Bend each end into a small hook and push them into the adjacent holes. Attach the other half of the wire in the same way, placing it across the first, forming an “X”.
9. Cut a florist wire into half. Twirl it a few times around a pencil like a spring. Then attach the piece to the centre of the two wires where they cross. Weave the end over and under the wires round and round until it sits firmly. This is the candle holder.
10. Attach the other half of the florist wire across two opposite frames at the top of the lantern in the same way as for base.
11. Place the remaining wire under the wire at the top of the lantern. Bend it into half so that the ends are at the top. Twist the two parts together all the way up and join the ends together into a small loop. Pass the chopstick into the hole and give the wires a twist to secure it firmly. If it still slides, tie a short strip of wire by the sides of the loop.
Light a small candle and fit it into the holder.
Optional: Glue a round piece of cardboard to the wires below, to catch the candle drips
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