Diwali is a festival of lights marked by five days of festivities. Celebrators see it at as the beginning of a prosperous new year. Each night, decorative lights are lit in honor of the new year and the victory of light over darkness. [1] X Research source [2] X Research source The lights are a crucial part of the celebration. They can be made of clay, paper, or metal. Diyas, or clay lamps, are placed near the entrance door and the windows. Diwali paper lanterns, usually handmade in the preceding weeks by members of the family, are lit and hung inside or outside of the home, with the other lights, to signal the power of light over darkness. [3] X Research source Paper lanterns can be bought pre-made, but making your own Diwali paper lantern with your friends and family is an important ritual that all who celebrate Diwali can share. [4] X Research source
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 4:
Preparing Your Diwali Lantern Supplies
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Cut bamboo sticks. You will need a total of sixteen bamboo sticks: four full-length bamboo sticks and twelve full-length bamboo sticks cut in half at the middle.- Bamboo sticks are usually sold for use in cooking, such as making kebabs, or for crafts, and the best ones for making a Diwali paper lantern are cylindrical, not angled. If you can't get your hands on bamboo sticks, you may be able to find suitable alternatives, as long as they're thin but sturdy.
- You can make this with any length bamboo sticks, as long as the electric bulb and socket you plan to use will fit comfortably inside without touching the sides of the lantern.
- Trim off any jagged or pointy edges at the break.
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Decorate the paper . Decorating your color/ tissue paper is a great way to make your Diwali lantern unique and reflective of your taste and interests. Don't be afraid to make your lantern bold!
- For more manageable sizes, cut the paper into 5-inch, 7-inch and 9-inch squares and rectangles.
- For stronger tissue paper, layer two sheets of the same color and glue their edges together.
- Color blocking, stripes, or diamond shapes will bring out the natural design of the lantern. Use a very thin layer of glue to glue edges together.
- Use tape if you like. Colored tape or even glittery tape can both stick the paper together and make them look good.
- Kids might enjoy drawing stories or scenes of their home and family on their paper.
- Crafty types might be interested in developing their designs even more, by using a penknife to cut out designs and layering two or more colors together.
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Cut ribbon into two and three feet lengths. You'll be using ribbon to decorate the top and bottom of your Diwali lantern, and there will also be a long ribbon fringe at the bottom.
- Using ribbons can make your lantern stand out.
- You can use thin strips of paper, satin or even colourful lace if you don't have ribbons.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:
Building Your Diwali Lantern Frame
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Arrange the supplies. Gather full- and half-length bamboo sticks. Gather full- and half-length bamboo sticks, tape for measure/ruler, heavy duty thread, exacto-knife or sharp blade, and strong glue.
- Lay everything out on old newspapers so you don't damage the table you are working on.
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Make twelve corners. Create V-shaped frames. To do this, place two half-length bamboo sticks at 90 degree angle (a right angle) to one another, so that their ends overlap by ¼ of an inch.
- Repeat twelve times.
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Glue them securely. Use a drop of glue in between each stick to secure the corners. This little dot of glue will keep the bamboo sticks positioned correctly at a 90 degree angle for assembly.
- Repeat twelve times for each of them.
- Make sure you have strong glue that sticks objects in seconds. Regular craft glue may take hours to dry.
- Be patient and let the glue dry completely before beginning the next step.
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Tie the corners. The glued frame has to be secured with thread. You can use heavy duty thread to secure each of the twelve corners. Cut about twelve inches of thread, and with thread taut, secure each corner by wrapping thread around the arms of the angle close to the join in a figure eight motion.
- Tie off in a couple of slip knots.
- Dot thread with glue.
- Let glue dry completely.
- The length of the thread may vary depending on your exact design.
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Make a square-shaped framework with the V-shaped constructions. Take four pairs of the V-shaped corners, and repeat steps 3 and 4. Glue the tips of these and tie them to form a square-shaped frame. By the end of this step you should have two squares of equal size.
- Let glue dry completely.
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Make more squares. Since this is a square shaped lantern, you will need to make a cube shaped frame. Take the remaining eight pairs of corners and make four more squares. To do this, repeat ONLY step 4 (omit the gluing step) to secure joins.
- By the end of this step, you have four squares of equal size with one pair of threaded, glued corners diagonal from each other, and one pair of thread-only corners with no glue.
- The flexible, thread-only corners allow the square to bend, slightly, along this axis, which is an important feature for the final Diwali lantern design.
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Mark each of the full-length bamboo sticks with pencil, one to two inches from each end. These sticks will form the central frame for the Diwali lantern.
- Marking ensures consistency, and will help you line up the corners of the squares and angles that you have already made.
- If you line up all four sticks together, you can mark them at one time.
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Glue one full-length bamboo stick, positioned perpendicular to and touching the interior of one corner in one square at the mark.
- You can support the new angle you have made while it's drying, using a drinking glass or two, or other handy support.
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Glue each of the three remaining full-length bamboo sticks to one inner corners of the original square.
- Be sure to line them up at the marks, and support them in perpendicular shape while they are drying.
- Let glue dry completely.
- By the end of this step it should look like you have an upside down bamboo stick table with bamboo stick "legs."
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Glue each of the four table "legs" to inner corners of second square. By the end of this step, you should have a rectangular box frame with four, one to two inch legs sticking out at each end.
- Let glue dry completely.
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Attach the flexible, thread only corners of the flexible squares to each of the four full-length bamboo sticks. This creates a series of flexible diamonds that add dimension and prismatic depth to your Diwali lantern.
- Positioning the thread-only corners against the full-length bamboo sticks at the mark and upper bamboo edge already in place, use a length of heavy duty thread to attach the thread-only corner to the frame.
- It's perfectly fine for this to require a little squeezing and stretching of the angles.
- You actually do not want them to lay completely flat, or to stick out straight.
- Tie off thread and dot with glue.
- Let glue dry completely.
- Affix one flexible square at a time. Repeat with three remaining flexible squares.
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Tie each pair of floating corners together with heavy duty thread. By the end of this step, your frame will be complete.
- Let glue dry completely.
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Hang an electric bulb. Affix a nail or hook and feed the electric cord with bulb through it, and note the distance between the bulb and nail/hook.Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 4:
Attaching Decorative Paper to Your Diwali Lantern
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Attach decorated paper to center areas. Starting with the central areas is easiest, and you can use your larger sheets of decorated paper here.
- Beginning with frames of the central squares (the ones made by the flexible squares) apply a very thin layer of glue to bamboo sticks.
- Lay decorated paper over it. Gently tap down.
- Repeat for remaining central squares.
- Let glue dry completely.
- Trim edges of paper with sharp scissors or sharp blade.
- To hide uneven sides, you can also stick stickers, glitter or decorative tape on them.
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Attach decorated paper to upper triangles with a thin layer of glue. Tap down.
- Let glue dry completely.
- Trim edges of paper with sharp blade.
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Attach paper to lower triangles with a thin layer of glue. Tap down.
- Let glue dry completely.
- Trim edges of paper with sharp blade or scissor if you like.
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Wrap ribbon around the top legs of lantern. Wrapping the ribbon will give the lantern a finished look.
- Secure with a knot and trim ends.
- Feel free to decorate the lantern how you like using different style of ribbons or strips.
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Wrap ribbon around the bottom legs of the lantern. Wrapping the ribbon here also finishes the look and provides a horizontal support to attach a fringe of ribbons.
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Make fringe on all four sides. Attach ribbons to lower strands of ribbon wrap. If tying the ribbon, use a cow-hitch knot. [5] X Research sourceAdvertisement
Part 4
Part 4 of 4:
Hanging and Lighting Your Diwali Lantern
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Use heavy duty thread to hang lantern from nail or hook. This is the same nail or hook you are using to hang the electric cord and light socket.
- Adjust length so that the light hangs in the center of the lantern.
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Light it up! Now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, and think about the triumph of light over darkness symbolized by your lantern!
- Use color-changing lights if you have them. This can make your white paper lantern look splendid. Use ones that aren't very flashy but are elegant and classy.
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Tips
- Make sure to let the glue fully dry after each application so that you can continue the project without risking the corners falling apart.Thanks
- Don't use a light bulb that touches the paper walls of the lantern. This could present a fire hazard.Thanks
- If you don't have bamboo sticks available, use any other thin, light sticks that'll get the job done.Thanks
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Warnings
- The light bulb can burn or ignite the paper of the lantern, so be sure to use the lower wattage light and make sure there is air flow between the bulb and the paper walls.Thanks
- If you're making these with small children, do not leave them unattended with sharp implements like scissors, razors or pen-knives. Give them kids' scissors and let the adult do the finer cutting.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Sixteen bamboo sticks. Bamboo sticks are usually sold for use in cooking, such as making kebabs, or for crafts, and the best ones for making a Diwali paper lantern are cylindrical, not angled.
- Several meters of ribbon
- Colored and/or patterned tissue/ color paper
- Ruler or tape measure
- Strong Glue
- Sharp scissors
- Penknife or sharp razor blade
- Heavy duty thread
- Decorative pens, glitter, or sticker
- Heavy duty string
- Bulb - white or colourful
- Plain or colorful tapes (optional)
References
- ↑ http://www.diwalifestival.org
- ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/diwali-2014-what-is-the-festival-of-lights-and-how-is-it-celebrated-9810212.html
- ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/diwali_b_4172058.html
- ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vineet-chander/a-diwali-reflection-the-e_b_6035692.html
- ↑ https://bowsprite.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/cowhitch.jpg
About this article
Article Summary
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To make a Diwali paper lantern, start by placing 2 bamboo sticks at 90 degree angles to each other so their ends overlap. Repeat this pattern 12 times, gluing and tying the corners together. Then, take 4 V-shapes at a time, and glue and tie them together to make squares. After you connect the V-shapes, attach the squares to one another by gluing bamboo sticks perpendicular to each corner of the frame. Finally, attach the decorative tissue paper to the outside of the frame. To learn how to hang and light your Diwali paper lantern, keep reading!
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