Burst of Sunshine

Filed under: Color, Fun Stuff, Crafts & Projects

Dress up the deck for your next summer party with these colorful paper lanterns.

Megan Reardon of Not Martha is one of those ladies who always comes up with clever ideas, the kind of ideas you wish you came up with. From recipes to technology to crafts, she doesn't miss a beat, and she's been at it almost a decade!

We spotted her party lantern project on Make Grow Gather, another blog that we adore. Megan agreed to share her crafty wisdom here on ShelterPop and show us how to make our very own colorful paper party lanterns, just in time for those August barbecues. We love these little bursts of color; they're easy-to-make, decorative and they ensure that your party will have light late into the night.

For this project, Megan used paper lanterns that she had left over from her wedding reception, but you can get them at any craft store or party store.

Here's what you'll need:
- Glue sticks (or a glue gun)
- Colored tissue paper, your choice of colors
- Three objects with round, flat ends that range from 2 to 1 inch in diameter such as a large knitting needle, tube of mascara and pill bottles or votive holders
- As many paper lanterns as you wish (Megan used 8-inch diameter lanterns) Tip: Don't forget to check to make sure your lanterns all work before decorating them.

Now, it's time to get started -- This project is as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Cut your sheets of tissue paper into about 6-inch squares. You can choose how many colors you'd like to use for your lanterns. As a reference point, Megan used three colors and about four sheets of each color (twelve sheets of tissue paper for each lantern).

2. Wrap a square of the base color over your widest object to shape it, apply glue to the end, then stick to your lantern, just like you used to do as a kid when you wrapped it over a pencil eraser. Repeat this, spacing each one about an inch apart.

3. As you place the next layer, use the middle-sized object to glue the color #2 tissue paper into the center of color #1 (which is already on the lantern). Next, do the same with color #3 using your smallest object, placing it in the center of color #2. Repeat this until you've covered the lantern.

For Megan's instructions and tips in their entirety, see the full post on Make Grow Gather.

 

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