Super Quick Paper Lanterns That Can Light Up!

This year my Purim decorations are all about the quick factor, as with the festive holiday just around the corner, in addition to many guests and food prep, quick is all there is really time for. Ah yes, and the truth is that the decorations I will hang in my house were mostly made for our community Purim party which already took place, so that is a huge help at this point. So where does the need for quick come into play? Well, for that Purim party on Sunday night I had only Saturday night to make the decorations and about 1 1/2 hours to hang them, just before the party. I’ve already shared with you my giant paper peacock, and simple cut paper floral garland, so in keeping with that loose garden theme, I now present paper lanterns! And mind you not just any paper lanterns, but rather those that employ a technique that I came up with on that very late Saturday night, and I just realized allows one to add a battery powered candle, which would be amazing. Okay, lets do it!

Now, if you look at my photos and think that maybe this craft is missing something, you might be right. If time had allowed I would have added something a little bit glittery or some strips of metallic paper around the top and bottom, but time did not allow and truthfully the lanterns looked just fine and did the trick of adding color and a festive feeling to the room. So, dear readers, decorations don’t always have to be the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever made, they just need to look happy! I just took a look at the lanterns I made for this same space years ago, and I did add a strip of gold then, whaddyaknow? You can find that post here, and take a look at the photo below for inspiration. I actually thing the string rather than the paper handle adds a bit more sophistication, note to self!

Now the lanterns above were made in many sizes and I made around 40, as I believe that was the decor, lanterns! (Not the same situation as this year, though they sure do look lovely……)  Check out the lanterns in progress on my living room floor here
way back when.

Now, back to the reality of this year’s much simpler looking lanterns who also deserve a little bit of attention, right? Plus that light up possibility that I just realized while writing this post truly brings them up a notch.

You’ll Need:

• colored paper
• plastic bottles
• double stick tape or low temp glue gun
• a pencil and a ruler

How To:

Check out my previous tutorial here, just make the width of the paper the same circumference as the plastic bottles you’ll use. Using the plastic bottle allows you to make shapes like the green leaves that might not ordinarily stay round, and the lanterns also keep their shape during transport, and maybe best of all, you can place a battery operated candle inside!

Cut off the top portion of the bottle such that you are left with a plastic tube. I left the bottom on the bottle as I had hope to have time to insert something into the bottle and I didn’t want it to fall out! I would cut a strip from a second color and simply place that inside the bottle, even something metallic, that you’d see when you look through the slits, or use something like tissue paper and then add a battery powered candle, wow, maybe next time?

Basically, if you make the leaf shaped lanterns you can use any size bottle, a you can adhere the leaves design in the middle, but if you make the slitted lanterns you’ll need to plan the height of your slits based on the height of the bottle, as you can only adhere the paper to the bottle at the top and bottom. Got it?

Okay, hope you enjoy making these lanterns, and wishing you a very festive occasion!