Chinese New Year Crafts: Mini Lanterns (from TP Rolls!)

Let’s celebrate Chinese New Year with this some Chinese New Year Crafts ! Every year the Chinese New Year will be on a different date, but it is usually late January to mid February. And I thought it would be nice to share another TP Roll craft… one that we made ages ago, but never shared with you on the blog – TP Roll Lanterns – make set of these and string some fairy lights around them?! (I have more Chinese New Year Crafts for you to browse, just click through).

(BTW make a multi coloured set of these and they also make a nice decoration for Carnival!)

Lanterns are a symbol that signify the reunion of people. In China, when the new year comes or people have a happy event like a wedding, they  often hang many beautiful red lanterns in celebration.

Materials: The Paper Roll, red paint, gold paint or gold foil or gold ribbon, scissors (I find nail scissors best or a Stanley knife – but do not let the children do this bit), if using foil, glue, red ribbon for hanging, staples for attaching ribbon

Step 1 Paint the paper roll red, paint the inside too if you feel like a perfectionist

Step 2 Once dried mark two rims approximately 1cm from either end – either leave until last or paint gold now – or add gold foil or wrap a golden ribbon around it.

Step 3 Cut strips from within these two rims approximately 0.5-1cm apart. This is fiddly and I find nail scissors work, better still a Stanley knife. This should be done by an adult. And yes, it is a little fiddly!

Step 4 Once all the strips are cut, push the ends together like a concertina. Make sure the “bend” in the strips is in the middle of the roll

Step 5 Paint tops and bottoms gold or glue on god foil if you didn’t already do it above

Step 6 Staple on the ribbon for hanging

Step 7 Repeat and then add all the lanterns to one long ribbon.

Done!

Happy Chinese New Year!

I do hope you liked our TP Roll Craft, we have many more TP Roll Crafts for you to explore.