Quick Start Guide for Making UUFCC Imagine & Dream Lanterns

EXAMPLE TECHNIQUE 1. JAR COATED WITH TISSUE PAPER

• Remove labels from clear plastic (empty) mayo jar (try peeling and scraping after hot water)

• Tie both ends of a 16-inch string onto a single rubber band at separate points

• Secure the band around the neck of the jar (leaving string as lantern handle)

• Optionally decorate the jar surface with light blocking cutouts, leaves, etc.

• Gently saturate a strip or two of colored tissue paper with glue:water (1:3) in a saucer

• Artfully apply a VERY THIN layer of strips to the surface of lantern and fold over rim

• Pat dry and allow to dry upside-down and slightly propped up on one side

EXAMPLE TECHNIQUE 2. JUG OBSCURED BY REPEATING CUTOUT PATTERN

• Remove labels from a translucent (empty) 1-gallon plastic milk jug

• Tape together two ‘landscape’ sheets of office paper to form a double-wide landscape sheet

• Measure and cut enough just enough of the width of the long sheet to wrap around jug

• Cut off the top of the jug just below the paper height with scissors

• Use a hand paper punch to create two holes 180-deg apart near the top edge of the jug 

• Secure a wire lantern handle to holes and make it safe by bending the sharp ends down flat

• Fold the long sheet in half, then half again and again until as narrow as you want

• Cut and/or punch holes in the folded strip like you were making cutouts for a paper snowflake

• Fully open the folded strip and wrap pattern around the jug, securing with tape 

EXAMPLE TECHNIQUE 3.  TEA LIGHT TAPED INSIDE TEXTURED PAPER CYLINDER

• Cut printer paper to make a 5-½ in by 4-⅞ in rectangle (later a 5-½ in tall cylinder)

• Tape the upper end of the paper cylinder, momentarily using the tea light to set the diameter

• Then tape the tea light (flame pointing in) to the lower end of the cylinder as you form it fully

• Secure the cylinder by taping the length of the vertical paper seam

• Tape on a ribbon as a handle/hanger

• Decorate the surface of the cylinder before or after taping (jelly-rolled with bubble wrap in this case)

EXAMPLE TECHNIQUE 4.  LUMINARY BAG WITH DRAWING ON COLORED WINDOW

• Cut a circular window hole in the small paper bag

• Cut a slightly larger circle out of colored transparent plastic

• Tape colored window pane on the inside of the bag

• Back the window pane with waxed paper or white tissue paper

• Tape an tilted half-sheet (4-¼ in wide) of printer paper inside the bag to reflect light toward the colored window

• Draw on the window with dark ink

• Weight-down bag with a plastic sandwich bag containing sand

EXAMPLE TECHNIQUE 5.  LUMINARY BAG WITH REPEATING CUTOUTS

• Cut and crease a wax paper sheet so it can line a small white paper bag

• Temporarily remove the wax paper

• Flatten the bag along the usual folds, except fold both bottom corners’ edges downward

• Now fold the bag along two vertical lines into a Z, forming a strip ⅓ as wide as the flat bag

• Cut and/or punch holes in the folded strip like you were making cutouts for a paper snowflake

• Unfold the perforated bag and tape the wax paper liner inside

• Weight-down bag with a plastic sandwich bag containing sand