Handmade lantern ideas. Let's make festival decorations!

[Donburi] Goldfish Lantern

I made a goldfish for the Goldfish Lantern Festival. I used a 100-yen shop bowl. Cute. Summer. A folk craft from Yanai City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. ❤︎ Goldfish / Disposable container / Craft ❤︎ #772

Have you heard of the goldfish lanterns, a folk craft from Yanai City in Yamaguchi Prefecture? These goldfish-shaped lanterns are so charming they look like they could be Pokémon characters.

There’s even a large-scale Goldfish Lantern Festival where they take center stage.

Videos of the festival are uploaded to video sites, so check them out if you have time! You can actually make these goldfish lanterns using empty styrofoam noodle bowls.

There are many steps involved, so it might be best for those confident in their fine motor skills, but a bunch of goldfish lanterns hanging together is truly a spectacular sight.

It would be a lot of fun to make them with friends, too!

[Origami] Bon lantern (Obon paper lantern)

Introducing the improved way to make hanging paper lanterns! Why not try making decorations for Obon, summer festivals, or Tanabata using origami? [Tsukuru-mon]

Bon lanterns are displayed near the entrance or the household Buddhist altar during the Obon season.

They serve as guides for ancestors returning home for Obon and are also displayed as offerings.

Because Bon lanterns evoke the summer season when Obon takes place, they are also recommended as indoor decorations for summer festivals.

By cleverly cutting and assembling origami, you can make beautiful Bon lanterns.

Origami comes in many patterns, but the key is to use traditional Japanese designs.

This enhances the atmosphere created by Bon lanterns, which have a long history in Japan.

Finish by attaching an origami tassel to the bottom of the lantern.

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Nakajima Junko

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[Construction Paper] Perfect for wall decorations! 3D Lanterns

[Wall Decorations] How to Make a 3D Paper Lantern!

Here’s how to make an easy “lantern” out of construction paper.

It’s a three-dimensional piece that looks dynamic when displayed on a wall, so it’s highly recommended.

Take two sheets each of white and your preferred color of construction paper, and cut them into lantern shapes.

Fold them in half, then apply double-sided tape along the fold line.

Reserve one piece without tape to use as the base.

The key tip is to crease the edge where you applied the tape so it bends easily.

Attach the pieces alternately in white and your chosen color, and finish by adding black rectangles at the top and bottom.

Done!

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hanauta obasan

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[Drawing Paper] Chinese-style Paper Lantern

[Construction paper] How to make a Chinese-style paper lantern | How to make Chinese paper lantern | AyaWangPaper

When you think of Chinese lanterns, you probably picture red ones, right? There’s a theory that Japanese lanterns came from China, and that they were red from the very beginning.

Let’s try making the familiar red lanterns you often see in Japan using construction paper.

Cut slits into a sheet of red construction paper, then decorate it with gold paper.

Attach the slit red paper onto another sheet of red paper so that it bulges outward.

Form the two red sheets into a circle to create the shape of a lantern and glue them together.

Even just that makes a lovely lantern, but adding a string at the top gives it a more authentic, hangable finish.

If you use items from a 100-yen shop, the prep is easy—give it a try!

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Nakajima Junko

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[Construction Paper] Foldable Lantern

[Construction Paper / Papercraft] A 2020 Paper Lantern That Can Be Folded While Keeping the Chenille Stems Attached

Crafts are fun because you can take them home and display them in your house or room after making them.

But even a lovely project can be hard to take home if it’s too big or fragile.

Wouldn’t it be convenient if a piece could be neatly folded after you make it and then returned to the same shape again? Here, we’ll introduce a lantern that can be folded even after it’s made.

Measure the dimensions of the inner construction paper and make a hexagon.

For the outer construction paper, also measure the dimensions and cut six evenly spaced slits.

The key is to attach the inner and outer sheets together without gluing the lower part of the outer sheet.

Doing this allows the lantern to be folded after it’s finished.

Attach a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) to the top of the lantern to complete it.

It can still be folded even with the pipe cleaner attached.

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Nakajima Junko

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Ocean Lantern

@bisaikawagoe

What are the lanterns to be displayed at the Bisai Kawagoe number summer festival?After-school day serviceChild DevelopmentinstructorNow hiring part-time staffNow Hiring StaffSaitama PrefectureKawagoe#Autism ADＨＤ instructor

♬ summertime – Maggie Mugi

Here’s a refreshing lantern idea.

This design evokes the sea, making it look like fish are swimming inside the lantern.

First, use origami to make fish and seaweed pieces.

Next, stick masking tape to the top and bottom edges of the laminating film that will form the lantern body, and attach the seaweed to the lower inside area.

Roll the laminating film into a tube and secure it, then punch holes on the left and right sides of the top.

Thread string through the fish you made and place them inside the tube, then tie the handle string to the fish string.

Pass the handle string through the holes you made, tie it to your preferred length, and you’re done.

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sasashina

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Milk carton lantern

[Lantern Making] A simple milk-carton craft for preschool use (Target age: 5-year-olds)

If you’re planning an event that combines SDGs, ecology, and a festival vibe, milk-carton lanterns are a great idea.

They cost virtually nothing to make and are mostly made from milk cartons, so they’re eco-friendly.

All you need are milk cartons—1-liter ones work best—plus a permanent marker and some string.

The process is super simple: just cut slits to create strips.

That said, milk cartons are fairly thick, so cutting them may take a bit of strength.

Place an LED light in the center and you can use them at night.

These milk-carton lanterns would be handy in many places, such as senior facilities and schools.