How Can I Personalize a Paper Lantern?
Chinese paper lanterns offer a warm glow to an area, allowing you to see without any harsh glare. They can hang from walls, ceilings, trees and porch eaves, making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor events. Though colorful and patterned lanterns cost more than plain white ones, you don't have to spend extra to match them to your color scheme. Instead, try decorating the lanterns yourself. You can get white lanterns in bulk for just a few dollars and paint for even less. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- White paper lanterns
- Semi-transparent spray paint
- Watercolor paint
- Paper plate
- Paintbrushes
Instructions
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Divide your white paper lanterns into two groups. One group will be colored and the other will be patterned.
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Separate your colored group into different color groups. Perhaps you want four orange lanterns and three blue ones or five pink and seven red.
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Hold your paint can about 6 inches from the first lantern. Spray, moving the bottle constantly. The coating should be even, but very light. Too much paint will cause the light to look dim when lit. Let the spray-painted lanterns dry overnight.
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Line up your patterned lantern group and decide on a pattern. Cherry blossom trees are popular, as are Chinese characters, lotus blossoms, ocean waves and celestial bodies. Squeeze a small bead of each color you'll need onto a paper plate.
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Dip your paintbrush into water first, then roll it gently in your first paint color. Move the brush quickly over the paper lantern so the lantern is damp but not soaked. Soaked paper tears easily. Finish your pattern and let the paint dry overnight.
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Tips & Warnings
Use stencils for watercolor lanterns to make things easier on yourself.
Attach white stickers or paper appliques to spray-painted lanterns before painting. The areas under the stickers and appliques will remain white and create a pattern.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
