Thursday, May 10, 2012

Paper Party Lantern

In our family, we have quite a few birthdays in the spring and early summer.  That means a couple of things.  There is a lot of shopping that needs to be done.  Presents need to be wrapped and, oh, how I love wrapping presents!  Then, there's the decorating!  Decorating for a birthday is fun!  However, decorating for a party doesn't mean you have to go out and buy balloons, streamers, and other fancy things.  You can make your own fancy things!  You can make paper party lanterns!  

Let me show you how.


You will need to gather your supplies:

12 inch x 12 inch paper (having print on both sides makes the lanterns extra special)
Ribbon
A hole punch
A pencil
A stapler
A ruler
Scissors




See?  This paper is double-sided.  Fancy, indeed.


Fold the paper in half.


On the fold, make a mark every 1/2 inch.


Using the ruler and your pencil, extend the mark, stopping at about a half inch before the edge of the paper.  You don't want to your line to go all the way to the edge.


Cut along the line.


Open up the paper.


Beginning at the bottom, start rolling up the paper.


Staple the edges together at the top and bottom.


Punch two holes on the opposite top sides of the paper lantern and thread the ribbon through the holes.  Hang your lantern and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!


I can imagine many uses for these lanterns.  For example, making them out of vellum and hanging a bunch of them in a lit tree would make for a magical evening, outdoor party.  Or, making some in various sizes and in soft pastels would be pretty for a baby shower.

Thank you for reading!

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