How to Make a Lotus Flower Lantern With Pictures

Use your favorite photos for a lantern.

Whether you are Buddhist or enjoy the look of lotus flowers, make a lotus flower lantern with pictures. Many Asian countries, including China, Korea and Thailand, use lotus lanterns in daily life as well as for annual lotus lantern festivals. Lotus flower lanterns are frames covered with semi-transparent paper that allow light to reflect through them. A tea-candle or small light bulb is placed inside the lantern to provide the light. Decorate the outside of the lotus lantern with your favorite pictures to make a functional photo album.

Things You'll Need

• 20 plastic straws
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Eight 3.5-by-5-inch pictures
• Semi-transparent paper
• Tea candle or small flashlight

Instructions

1. Cut 14 straws to 3.5-inch lengths, using a ruler and scissors. Cut six straws to 5-inch lengths.

2. Position two 5-inch straws parallel to each other. Position two 3.5-inch straws perpendicular to the 5-inch straws so that the straws form a rectangle. Attach the corners of the straws together using a hot glue gun. Let the hot glue dry for 20 seconds. Repeat to make three 3.5-by-5-inch straw rectangles.

3. Place a 3.5-by-5-inch straw rectangle horizontally on a flat surface. Position four 3.5-inch straws vertically on the corners of the straw rectangle. Attach the bottom of the 3.5-inch straws to the corners of the straw rectangle, using a hot glue gun. Let the hot glue dry for 20 seconds.

4. Place a 3.5-by-5-inch straw rectangle horizontally on the top ends of the vertical straws of Step 3. Attach the top of the 3.5-inch straws to the corners of the straw rectangle, using a hot glue gun. Let the hot glue dry for 20 seconds. The glued straws make a cube.

5. Position four 3.5-inch straws vertically on the top corners of the cube. Attach the bottom of the 3.5-inch straws to the top corners of the cube, using a hot glue gun. Let the hot glue dry for 20 seconds.

6. Place a 3.5-by-5-inch straw rectangle horizontally on the top ends of the vertical straws of Step 5. Attach the top of the vertical straws to the corners of the straw rectangle, using a hot glue gun. Let the hot glue dry for 20 seconds. The glued straws make a frame of two stacked cubes.

7. Print eight 3.5-by-5-inch photos on semi-transparent pieces of paper. Cut the photos from the paper, using a ruler and utility knife. Glue the back side of the photos to the straw frame. Position one photo for each side of the cube.

8. Insert a tea candle or small flashlight in the center of the lantern.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not leave the candle unattended.

• Warm the hot glue gun for 3 minutes.

• The nozzle of the hot glue gun is extremely hot and burns skin on contact.