Paper Lanterns with Cut-Out Patterns

5 min read

Paper lanterns with cut-out patterns bring a warm glow to a room, and they cost almost nothing to make. A lantern takes under an hour, uses a sheet of paper and a battery candle, and looks far more impressive than the effort suggests. Cut-out patterns let the light shine through in shapes, casting stars, leaves, or geometric shadows on the walls. Paper lanterns suit parties, holidays, and quiet evenings alike, and they make a lovely handmade gift.

Start with cardstock or heavy paper in a color you like, a craft knife and cutting mat, a ruler, a pencil, glue or double-sided tape, and a battery-operated tea light. Choose paper heavy enough to hold its shape, about 65 pound cardstock, since thin paper collapses and printer paper looks flimsy. Pick a light color for your first lantern so the cut-out light shows clearly, and avoid real candles, since paper and open flame do not mix.

Choosing Paper and Patterns

Cardstock in a single color shows cut-out patterns best, because the contrast between the paper and the light makes the shapes crisp. White, cream, and pale yellow all glow warmly, while deep blue or red paper gives a moody, colored light. Avoid paper with a heavy texture, since the texture fights with the cut-out design and makes the edges look rough. Buy a few extra sheets, since your first lantern is a practice piece and a second sheet lets you fix mistakes.

Pick a pattern with bold, simple shapes for your first lantern, such as stars, moons, or leaves, since tiny details are hard to cut and easy to tear. A repeating pattern, such as a row of stars around the lantern, looks intentional and is easier to cut than a single large scene. Draw the pattern lightly in pencil on the back of the paper, or print a template and trace it.

Cutting Clean Shapes

Cut on a self-healing mat with a sharp craft knife, keeping the blade perpendicular to the paper for a clean edge. Cut the smallest shapes first, then the larger ones, since the paper gets weaker as you remove more of it. Change the blade when it starts to drag, because a dull blade tears the paper instead of cutting it. Work slowly and keep your free hand clear of the blade path, since craft knives are sharp enough to cause a nasty cut.

Rotate the paper rather than your hand when you reach a curve, which keeps the cut smooth and your wrist comfortable. If a shape tears, do not try to glue it back, since the repair will show when the lantern is lit. Instead, cut a fresh panel, which takes only a few minutes once you know the pattern.

Assembling the Lantern

Score the fold lines lightly with a bone folder or an empty ballpoint pen before you fold, since scoring makes crisp folds without cracking the paper. Form the paper into a cylinder or a box shape, overlapping the edges by half an inch, and glue or tape the seam closed. Hold the seam for a minute until the glue grips, then set the lantern aside to dry. A cylinder is the simplest shape, while a four-sided box lantern shows flat panels of pattern nicely.

Add a handle from a strip of the same paper if you want to hang the lantern, attaching it with glue dots on the inside of the rim. Reinforce the top and bottom edges with a strip of cardstock glued around the rim, which keeps the lantern from collapsing and gives it a finished look.

Lighting Safely

Use only battery-operated tea lights or LED fairy lights inside a paper lantern, never a real candle. Paper is flammable, and a real flame inside a paper lantern is a fire hazard even for a few minutes. Place the tea light on a small glass or metal dish inside the lantern, so the light sits centered and the paper does not touch the warm LED. Turn the lantern on in a dark room to check the pattern, and adjust the light position until the shadows look even.

Keep paper lanterns away from curtains, lamps, and heaters, and never leave them on overnight or unattended. If you use fairy lights, coil them loosely inside the lantern rather than bunching them, since bunched lights create hot spots. A paper lantern with an LED light is safe enough for a child’s room, as long as an adult checks the battery compartment.

Displaying and Storing Lanterns

Display paper lanterns on a shelf, a mantel, or a table where the cut-out shadows can fall on a nearby wall. A group of three lanterns in different heights looks better than a single lantern, so make a set once you have the technique down. Hang lanterns from the ceiling with clear thread for a party, spacing them so they do not bump into each other. A row of lanterns along a windowsill glows beautifully at dusk.

Store paper lanterns flat or nested inside each other to save space, since they crush easily if you toss them in a box. Slip a sheet of tissue paper between stacked lanterns to keep the cut edges from catching. Make a fresh set each season with a new pattern, such as snowflakes for winter or leaves for autumn, and keep the old ones for parties.

Do not stop here. More Paper Crafts ideas are waiting below, beginning with How to Fold a Pocket Notebook with Saddle Stitching and Kraft Covers.

Reference: Paper Lanterns — Wikipedia

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