How To Make Chinese Wire Lanterns

No official Chinese holiday required to craft colorful wire lanterns

Even if the only experience you've had with Chinese culture was learning to eat lo mein with chopsticks, it's hard not to fall in love with the romance and color of China's splendid heritage. Of particular note are exotic paper and wire lanterns made to decorate community celebrations. Channel your inner mandarin by crafting your own wire lanterns using tips from those who have been down this well-lit road before.

Things You'll Need

• Large round balloons
• Thin masking tape
• White glue
• Water
• Red tissue paper
• Craft wire
• 3- by 3-inch candles
• Cardboard circle
• Aluminum foil
• Gold cord (optional)
• Paper punch (optional)
• Gold paper paint (optional)

Instructions

1. Inflate one round balloon for every Chinese wire lantern you plan to make, plus extras for accidental blowouts.

2. Stripe each balloon with thin lines of masking tape to create a pattern that resembles the latitudinal and longitudinal lines on a globe. The taped lines will guide you as you shape wire lantern frames, so space them evenly.

3. Replicate the masking tape lines with bendable craft wire. Control the wire ends to avoid puncturing balloons (the tape offers just so much protection).

4. Leave open circles at the bottom (at least 6 inches) and top of the wire cage (at least 4 inches). Carefully tuck in wire ends to avoid cut fingers.

5. Mix white glue and water to achieve a thin paste.

6. Quickly dip hand-torn sheets of red tissue paper into the glue mix and layer the strips over the wire cage to cover the frame. Add multiple layers of paper if you like, but the thinner the finished lantern covering, the more light it will emit.

7. Allow the lantern cage to dry thoroughly. Pierce the balloon from the bottom or top of the cage and remove the remnants of the rubber.

8. Cover a circle of cardboard with foil---make it a bit larger than the circular opening you created at the bottom of the lantern cage.

9. Light the candle and allow the wax to drip onto the center of the foil circle. Quickly invert the candle, blow out the flame and depress the candle bottom into the foil so it adheres securely to the base.

10. Hang your lantern(s) by stapling gold cords to the top of the wire cage and wire the foil base to the bottom of the lantern. As a table decoration, simply lower the lantern cage over the candle and let the celebration begin.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply due diligence when you dip the tissue in your glue mixture; saturate it and the paper will decompose. Decorate the paper-covered lantern cage by painting it with gold touches and a small brush. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly. Alternately, make decorative cut outs in the lantern using a paper punch. Craft glue doesn't stick to metal very well, so make sure you overlap pieces of tissue paper when you shape the lantern covering. Substitute cylopone paper---available at craft stores---for tissue. You'll pay more, but it shrinks as it dries, so you'll wind up with a taut paper covering when the lantern is done. Opt for red tissue paper for authenticity. The Chinese believe that red is the luckiest color of all, which is why you see so much of it in photos of holidays and celebrations.

• Always be wary of your lit lantern; paper is highly flammable.

References

• Kwintessential

Resources

• Make Your Own Chinese Lanterns
• Lantern Creations