How to Make Paper Lantern Crafts
Paper lanterns are a tradition during the Chinese new year. Create paper lanterns with children, to teach them about different cultures and traditions. Paper lanterns, made from various-colored construction paper, can add a cheerful display to any home or classroom. In China, the owner of the lantern will place a riddle on a piece of paper inside the lantern, and the person who answers the riddle correctly will get a small gift, according to the China.org website. Children can place a riddle in the lanterns and have fun guessing at the answers to the riddle.
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Instructions
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Place a piece of the colored construction paper in front of you, on a flat surface.
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Fold the paper in half, lengthwise, so that you create a long, thin rectangle.
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Cut a series of straight lines along the folded section of the paper. The lines that you are cutting should not go all the way to the end of the paper. Leave about 1/4 of an inch space at the end. You also should not cut the lines close to the edges of the folded paper. Leave about 1/4 of an inch away from the edges of the folded paper line free.
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Unfold the paper that you cut the lines through, and lay it flat. You will see long lines cut across the center of the paper. Place the paper that is full of cut lines in front of you, so that it looks like a long rectangle.
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Bend the paper into a circle, and apply glue or tape to stick the edges of the circle together.
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Cut a long strip of paper, 6 and 1/2-inches long and a half-inch wide. Use a ruler to measure the strip, to make sure it is the right size.
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Glue the strip of paper that you cut across the top of the lantern. This strip can be used as a handle for the paper lantern.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit chinese lion image by Luisafer from Fotolia.com
