Manufacturing method
Making the frame
The simplest shape of a paper lantern is a cube or cylinder. It is best to use bendable bamboo branches or bamboo skins to build the frame. , the connecting parts are tied tightly with thin wire. If it’s hard to find, thin strips of cardboard or bamboo skewers used for barbecues will also work. They will lack in strength and flexibility, but they are also very good decorations when placed indoors.
Making the lamp body
Buy some sheets of white or red ordinary rice paper or gold-sprinkled rice paper at the Wenfangsibao store, cut them into lengths and widths that fit the lantern frame, and then you can design your own pattern. Calligraphy, painting, and paper-cutting can all be displayed on small lanterns. After pasting, you can also use narrow strips of imitation silk paper to border the upper and lower sides to make it look more elegant, much like an ancient palace lantern. If you are not very good at calligraphy and painting, there is a simple method for your reference. Use a piece of tissue paper to trace the desired words on the copybook, then overlap the tissue paper with the dark red rice paper, and dig out the writing with a single-edged blade. After removing the tissue paper, hollow writing appeared on the red rice paper. Use white rice paper to make the lamp body, and paste red rice paper inside. The candlelight or light is reflected from the hollow part, and the effect is quite beautiful.
Making a light source
If it is placed indoors, you only need to light an ordinary candle in the lantern; if you want to carry it out, it is best to use a light bulb and a battery to make a simple circuit.