{"title":"How to Make a Paper Lantern","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/paper-crafts/how-to-make-a-paper-lantern","category":{"slug":"paper-crafts","name":"Paper Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Brinkman Crafts","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2QY1JGIRuK9mZZWMR7rDYA","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gohuGFT9rIg"},"tldr":"How to make a paper lantern from rattan cane and tissue paper, shaped over a bin. Ten photo steps, paper swaps and how to hang it over a bulb.","totalDurationSeconds":235,"difficulty":"medium","tools":["Round bin or tub to use as a mould","Spring clips","Small sharp scissors","Flat paintbrush","Cutting mat"],"materials":["Rattan cane, about 2 mm","Japanese tissue paper","PVA wood glue","Masking tape","Linen thread"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Lift the inner tub out of a bin to use as the lantern mould","text":"Erik uses the inner container of a pedal bin. It is straight sided, rigid and exactly the diameter he was after. Pull yours out and stand it upside down on the table so the closed base is uppermost. A bucket, a stock pot or a tall tin all work the same way. Measure the height and diameter before you start, because that is the size of your finished lantern and there is no changing it later."},{"number":2,"title":"Wrap rattan cane around the mould and clip the ends","text":"Start the cane at one end of the mould and spiral it around, keeping the rings roughly evenly spaced. Four or five rings across the height is plenty. Hold the loose end with a spring clip while you work your way along, then clip the far end too. The cane wants to spring back the entire time. Leave it clipped for a minute before you reach for the tape and it settles into the curve on its own."},{"number":3,"title":"Tape the rattan rings to the mould with masking tape","text":"Tear thin strips of masking tape and bridge each cane ring to the mould. Erik puts a strip every few inches around the circumference. The tape is doing two jobs at once: holding the spacing while the glue dries, and letting go later without taking the paper with it. Keep the strips short. A long strip has far more grip than you want when it is time to demould."},{"number":4,"title":"Bind the cut rattan ends with linen thread","text":"Cut both ends of the cane on a long diagonal so they overlap without leaving a bump. Hold the overlap closed and wrap linen thread around it several times, then tie it off. Erik picks linen because it is strong and vanishes under the paper, and he says any kind of thread could work. Repeat at the other end of the frame. These joins are the only place the whole thing can spring apart."},{"number":5,"title":"Brush diluted wood glue over the rattan frame","text":"Thin the wood glue with water until it brushes on easily. Paint it along every cane ring, all the way around the mould. You want the cane wet with glue but not dripping, because anything that pools will telegraph through the tissue as a hard line. Work at a steady pace and keep the pot within reach. The glue skins over faster than you would expect on a warm day."},{"number":6,"title":"Wrap tissue paper around the frame and press it into the rattan","text":"Cut the paper oversized, taller than the frame and long enough to overlap itself. Lay it on and roll the mould across it, pressing the paper down onto each glued ring as you go. Your fingertips will find the cane through the tissue. Glue the overlapping seam last of all. Then leave it completely alone until it is bone dry, because wet tissue tears at the lightest pull."},{"number":7,"title":"Push the rattan loose and slide the paper lantern off the mould","text":"This is the nervous part. Work around the lantern nudging the cane a couple of millimetres at a time, breaking the grip of the tape ring by ring. Do not try to pull the whole shade off in one movement. Once every ring has shifted, the drum lifts away from the mould in one piece. Peel off any tape still clinging to the cane and throw it out."},{"number":8,"title":"Fold the trimmed paper edge back over the rattan rim","text":"Trim the overhanging paper at both ends so only a couple of millimetres stand proud of the top and bottom cane rings. Wet that narrow strip with the same diluted glue, then fold it back over the ring and press it against the inside. The rim goes from a raw paper edge to a rolled hem that locks the ring in place. Do both ends the same way."},{"number":9,"title":"Glue a paper ceiling with a reinforced hole onto the lantern","text":"Cut a disc of paper a little larger than the top of the lantern and make a hole in the middle sized to your light fitting. Glue a second patch of paper around that hole underneath so it cannot tear under load. Brush glue around the top rim, drop the disc on and press its edge down over the cane. That small disc is what carries the weight of the whole shade."},{"number":10,"title":"Hang the finished paper lantern over the light bulb","text":"Push the paper collar over the fitting so the lantern hangs straight. Erik's pendants use a decorative bulb cover that the hole grips neatly. Yours might be a threaded shade ring, a bare lampholder or a cord grip instead. Crush the paper gently between both hands first if you want the softly distressed surface he finishes on. Switch the light on and check the shade sits clear of the bulb."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-09-17T14:33:46.012Z","published":"2026-09-17T14:32:24.385Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}