You lantern can be fancy or rustic, depending on the paper and pattern you use.
Chinese flying paper lanterns do more than add romantic light to an event or ceremony. The history of these fly-by-night ghosts began over 2,000 years ago, but modern versions of the lantern have improved upon material, fuel sources and sentiment. They once served as a communication tool among the army, now they mark the end of the special days in our life: birth, death and success. Give them a modern twist by adding printed graphics, or make yours look rustic with some tea-stained and textured rice paper.
Instructions
Create the Structure
1. Bend a 7-inch strip of bamboo into a circle, which will be the frame, and fix the two ends with glue. Hold the bamboo circle until the glue is firm.
2. Cut two lengths of the wire, about 5 inches long. Place one piece across the bamboo frame and wrap the ends around the bamboo. Repeat with the second piece of wire, so that they make an X across the frame.
3. Measure a 7-inch wide paper. Cut and roll it into a cylinder. Glue the bottom edge of the paper around the outside of the bamboo frame. Let the glue dry completely.
4. Make a cotton ball equivalent to three regular cotton balls put together. Soak the cotton with ethanol and wrap it around the width of a a 5-inch bamboo strip. Hang the bamboo strip on the crossing point of the wires and fix it with a small piece of wire.
5. Hold the lantern from the top end, opposite the bamboo frame and cotton ball. Light the ethanol-soaked cotton and slowly let go when you feel the lantern lift on its own.
Tags: bamboo frame, bamboo strip, cotton ball, piece wire