Paper lanterns are a fun and unique craft that people people enjoy all year long.  Chinese paper lanterns have been around for thousands of years.  They can be dated all the way to 230 BC.  To the Chinese people, they symbolize longevity and good luck.  During the Lantern Festival, which started around 230 BC, the people of China would gather together and use lanterns to look for their deceased friends and family who were thought to be traveling to heaven.

The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar year in the Chinese calendar.  Many different cultures celebrate this type of festival.  Traditionally, during today’s festival, children go out during the evening carrying paper lanterns.  Many times they solve riddles on the paper lanterns.  The Lantern Festival ends the Chinese New Year.

While historically, the only ornate and extravagant lanterns were owned by the rulers of China, now, artisans from around world build lanterns using a variety of unique and colorful papers.

And so, as the years grew on, more and more people have started using paper lanterns for all sorts of celebrations.  They are often used to celebrate births, deaths, and even weddings.  For whatever reason why you want to make a paper lantern, even if it’s for fun, this guide will help you make a fun paper craft.

Materials:

• Letter sized (8.5 x 11) construction paper.  Choose your favorite color.
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Tape
• Ruler
• Pencil and colored pencils
• Decorations of any sort.  Use glitter, glue, ribbons, etc.

Instructions:

1. Using the ruler that you have, measure out 1 inch from the short end of your construction paper.  Cut that short end.  This will turn into the lantern’s handle.
2. Fold your paper in half “hamburger style” (lengthwise).
3. Using the pencil, draw a line 1 inch from the long edge of the paper that is opposite the fold.  This line will help you know where to cut.
4. Measure out a series of lines that 1 inch apart and mark them with the pencil.  These lines start at the folded edge and will stop at the “stop cutting line” from step 3.
5. Cut on each of these marked lines from step 4 and stop when you get to the line from step 3.
6. Open up the folded construction paper and match the short sides together.  Tape it.  This will end making the body of the lantern.
7. Staple the handle to the top of the lantern body.
8. Go wild and decorate!  Come up with your own unique design.  There are no rules for creativity.
9. Use yarn for hanging paper lanterns you create.