I really love making paper lanterns. These Japanese paper lanterns are really easy to make, and they look really pretty once lit. You can use tealights. However a safer option is the faux tealights that you can buy from most craft shops. This might be a safe option if you have small children or pets.

If you use the led lights you can make many of these and place them around your party room, for a really special vibe.

To start making these simple elegant Japanese paper lanterns, copy the template above or find a suitable paper lantern template online.  Either print it out or photocopy it. Then draw the shape onto some handmade Japanese paper. Ensure that your pencil marks are quite faint. Use them to mark the positions of the holes where they will be fastened.

Then cut out the paper shades. You can make multiples at once if you wish.

Next, place a small tab of masking tape at the back of the paper at each hole to work as a bit of strength and reinforcement to the paper.

Next, use a bradawl tool to pierce some small holes where you have marked them on the lantern paper.

Now, cut a short length of a willow twig that will become the fastener for the paper lantern. So bend the paper lantern into a cylinder to match up the holes. Then push the willow twig through them to hold the lantern in place.

For the petal shaped paper lantern shade, again find another template and draw the shape onto the Japanese handmade paper. Cut out the two pattern pieces that will make up the lantern, again making marks for the holes / slits lightly with a pencil.

And reinforce the paper here using some masking tape. Then lay the two pieces flat, overlapping them where needed. And attach the two pieces together using some double sided sticky tape.

Next, make the slits where you made the light pencil marks using a craft knife and cutting mat.

Now, cut out an elongated triangle fastener piece from a pine strip or some thin cardboard. Then push it through the slits to hold the paper lantern in place.

Then finally, bend the lantern into a cylinder shape and attach the overlap piece with double sided sticky tape. And then gently bend over the top of each petal shape to make the petal design.