Make your own Recycled Chinese Lantern

Here is a quick, easy and fun craft that will make use of all that wrapping paper from birthdays or your winter holiday gift giving. You can also use color magazine pages for this or really any other type of paper too.

Chinese lanterns are usually in red or with red decor but don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to that.  No matter what color, the lanterns will be fun and your kids will love both making them and hanging them up for decorations.

Here is how to make the lantern.

(Don’t have the time to make your own lanterns? You can Buy Your Chinese Lanterns on Amazon

You will need:
-Recycled paper or paper that you want to reuse.
-Scissors
-Glue

1. Cut the paper you are using into rectangles, about the size of a piece of computer paper (9″x12″).

2. Fold one of the rectangles in half lengthwise, colored side out.

3. Starting about 1 inch in from the left side, cut the folded edge into strips or fringes about 2 inches long. End the slits about 1 inch from the right.

4. Unfold the paper.

5. Bend the paper into a cylinder shape by joining the short sides, printed side outward.

6. Glue the short edges of the paper. A glue stick works well for this.

7. While the lantern is drying, cut a strip of paper about 1/2 inch wide.

8. Glue the strip of paper across the top of the lantern, mounting the ends of the strip on the inside rim of the lantern. This is the handle to hang the lantern.

9. Depending on what recycled paper or items you have available, you can add streamers to the base of the lantern. Old hair ribbons, miscellaneous yarn pieces, or other lightweight materials make good choices.