Chinese Lanterns

Febuary 12, 2021 the official date of the Chinese New Year. Part of the celebration includes the Lantern Festival which falls this year on Febuary 26th. Traditionally, people eat rice dumplings, guess lantern riddles, and of course, watch lanterns. Your challenge this week is to create your own Chinese New Year's lantern with just a few supplies from around your house.

What You'll Need:

- Colored paper (construction paper preferred)
- Scissors
- Tape or stapler
- paint, ribbon, pens (optional)

Directions:

Make the Handle

Cut a 1-inch wide strip off on one short side. Set this aside for the handle.

Fold the Paper

Fold the paper lengthwise. (Hotdog style!)

Draw a Horizontal Line

Draw a horizontal line one inch from the long edge opposite the fold.

Cut the First Slit

Starting from the folded edge, cut a straight line about an inch from one short edge, all the way up to the horizontal line.

Cut More Slits

Continue to cut more straight lines about 1 inch apart until you reach the opposite short edge of the paper. Remember that the horizontal line marks the point where you stop cutting each straight line.

Unfold and Decorate

Unfold the paper. The paper will have several vertical slits along the middle. Decorate the top and bottom bands with paint, pens, or even ribbon!

Form the Paper into a Lantern

Transform the paper into a lantern by forming it into a tube shape. Overlap the long edges at least ½-inch. Staple or tape at the top and bottom of the overlap. Next, staple or tape the handle to the top.

Hang and enjoy!

Thanks to FirstPalette for this great art project idea! https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-lantern.html