The Lunar New Year is fast approaching and if you're eager to celebrate this traditional holiday, you’ll love our easy DIY lantern craft!
Lunar New Year celebrates the first moon of the lunisolar calendar which is traditionally observed in many East Asian countries however, has seen worldwide popularity with over 1.5 billion people across the globe observing the festival.
For 2024, the Lunar New Year celebrations will kick off on the 10th of February, marking the beginning of spring and the time to bid farewell to the year that has passed. The merriments typically last 15 days and finish with the Lantern Festival, a time when houses and streets are lined with majestic lanterns said to bring good fortune and symbolize the letting go of the past. Other festivities include traditional lion and dragon dances, parades, and fireworks.
The lunar calendar follows a 12-year cycle that corresponds to one of 12 animals, with 2024 marking the Year of the Dragon.
If you’re looking for a fun and easy craft to get the kids involved this Lunar New Year, check out our blog on how to make these playful paper lanterns below.
First, you’ll need to gather some supplies:
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Scissors
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Stanley knife
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Cutting mat
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Rope
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Glue stick
Product captions: Big W Marbig Cutter Knife $4 | Big W UHU Glue Stic $3.50 | Kmart 12 Piece Metallic Tassel $3 | Kmart 30cm Wood Ruler 50c | Kmart 50m Macrame Cord $6 | Kmart A3 Cutting Mat $9 | Kmart A4 Bright Paper 500 Sheet $12 | Kmart Scissors $3 | Target Paper Crane HB Pencil 5 Pack $6
Now let’s get crafty!
Step one
First cut a piece of red card 17cm long and 11cm high. Mark a 1cm gap along the longest edges of the paper (both top and bottom) and use your ruler to fold up to create a lip. Then use your ruler to mark lines 1cm apart along the length of the paper, these will mark what you will score out to create the lantern shape.
Step two
Place your paper on the cutting mat and use your ruler and Stanley knife to score out the lines, making sure you don’t cut into the lip you created earlier. If you’re doing this activity with kids, this step should only be done by a responsible adult.
Step three
Run a glue stick across the 1cm lips you marked out and glue down a 1cm thick stripe of gold paper on both the top and bottom. This will make the trim on your lantern!
Step four
Fold and then unfold your scored paper in half lengthways – making sure the gold trim is on the outside – to create small fold lines in each of your scored intersections.
Step five
Now, fold the card around into a circle and secure it with a glue stick, making your lantern shape!
Step six
Now you can decorate your lantern with tassels, glitter or tiger stickers! Use a strip of gold card to create a handle and secure it to the top of your lantern. Then use some gold rope to hang your lantern from the ceiling, in the garden or at the front door!
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