Prepare your child for the lantern run on St. Martin's Day by making a pretty lantern out of a balloon! These instructions are uncomplicated and also a lot of fun. Try it yourself, but hurry, because there are only a few days left until St. Martin's Day!
Shortly before St. Martin you can find finished lanterns almost everywhere. That's no fun at all! It would be much better to make the lantern yourself and involve the child in the process. Promise, it's not complicated at all! In fact, you can do this quite easilyMaterials such as paper platesor use a balloon. Have I piqued your interest? Well then, roll up your sleeves and get to work!
Okay, work is a bit exaggerated because this project is super easy and very fun. Some mess is inevitable, but that's what the kids will love about it. The technique used is called papier-mâché and thereforeYou can create great crafts. Here are the necessary materials and instructions for making a balloon lantern.
Materials:
- Balloon (one balloon per lantern)
- Tissue paper, cut or torn into pieces
- white craft glue
- Water
- String or wire for the handle
- A battery operated tea light (for fire safety)
- A bowl or cardboard ring or wide-rimmed glass to stand the balloon up while you work (optional, but helpful!)
Directions:
- Prepare the tissue paper pieces and mix the glue with water in a 1:1 ratio.
- Inflate the balloon to the desired size and place it in the bowl or stand.
- Cover about 3/4 of the balloon with the glue mixture and then add the first layer of tissue paper. Continue until the balloon is covered with 3-4 layers of tissue paper.
- (Bonus step: Wrap a string around the width of the balloon, about 2/3 of the way from the bottom to the top between the first and second layers of tissue paper. This creates a tighter edge when you attach the handle. Cover the string with the remaining Layers of tissue paper.
- You can also dip yarn/leaves into the glue mixture and place them on top of the tissue paper to create an interesting effect.)
- When you are happy with the design of your lantern, allow the glue to dry. This can take up to a day.
- When the tissue paper is completely dry, pop the balloon. It should come off the tissue paper easily, but a little scratching is fine to remove it.
- Cut a clean edge around the outside edge of the tissue paper (about 5mm above the string edge if made).
- Poke two holes for the handle on each side of the lantern, about 1cm below the rim (or just below the string border if made).
- Thread string or wire through the holes for the handle.
- Insert your battery operated tea light and wait for the darkness to illuminate the magic of your tissue paper balloon lantern!
Decorate a balloon lantern like animals: ideas to try out
A colorful lantern is great, but oneAnimal lantern is even better! If you have the time and desire, you can further decorate your balloon lanterns and make lovely lantern animals! The selection of ideas is really large. Here are a few inspirations for you to consider.
- Monster Laterne:This idea is super cool and will appeal to every little boy or girl. Monsters are easy to make - all you need is a little imagination. The main characteristics of a monster are a large mouth and teeth, crazy eyes, ears and, if desired, hair. For example, you can make a monster lantern green or blue, but colorful versions are also suitable.
- Sheep lantern:A fluffy sheep is a very cute idea for the balloon lantern. To make crafts, you should first make a white lantern out of the balloon and then stick cotton balls to it. It's best to print out a suitable template for the head and you can simply use folded strips of paper for the legs. What a great idea!
- Piggy Lantern:Pigs are cute and also easy to make. You just need the right facial features (a snout, pointed ears, small eyes) and a curly tail, for example made from a pipe cleaner. The matching colors for this lantern are of course pink and hot pink.
- Penguin lantern:If you are looking for a simple alternative that does not require any crafting or gluing, then you can make a penguin lantern using just paints. First make the lantern with white tissue paper and after the glue dries and the balloon is popped, paint the lantern in the penguin's colors - white and black. Then use orange paint to paint the beak and feet.
Are balloon lanterns suitable for the garden?
Without any treatment, you cannot leave these lanterns outside. But a simple trick makes them waterproof so you can decorate your garden, balcony or house entrance with them. All one should do is spray the finished lanterns inside and out with a coat of clear varnish. Also don't forget: in this case, make a small drainage hole in the bottom of the lantern so that water that gets inside can drain away.
