Make a paper Christmas lantern that stays unlit
Fold, cut and join one sheet into a small lantern-shaped decoration. Leave the rims whole and test the shape before adding a pattern.
A flat sheet can become a little lantern shape with bowed paper ribs. You only need ordinary paper, a pencil, scissors and tape. This version is an unlit decoration: it does not need a candle, a bulb or anything placed inside it. An adult can do all the cutting while a child chooses the pattern.
Keep two continuous rims
Place a rectangular sheet landscape. Fold the top long edge down to meet the bottom long edge. The fold runs across the middle of the original sheet. On the folded paper, draw a line a short distance below the joined free edges. That line is where every cut must stop.
Draw several wide, parallel strips from the fold towards the stop line. Leave a broad uncut margin at both short sides too. An adult cuts along the strip lines through both layers, stopping before the free edges. Avoid narrow strips for the first attempt. Open the sheet: the top and bottom borders should remain continuous, with slits between them.
Join the short sides into a cylinder
Bring the left and right short edges together with a small overlap. Match the top rims, then the bottom rims, and tape the overlapping seam. Keep the slit section open. You should now have a paper cylinder with complete rings at the top and bottom.
Stand it on a clear table and gently bring the top ring a little closer to the bottom one. The ribs bend outwards along the middle fold. If they twist, straighten the seam and try a smaller movement. Do not squash the rings together. A taller shape with only a slight bow is a finished lantern too.
Choose a place for the decoration
Draw a few stars or dots on the rims, or use a sheet you decorated before folding. Keep added pieces light. A handle is optional and unnecessary for a lantern that sits on a shelf; leave it out on this first version.
Check that the bottom rim sits steadily and no loose seam catches when you move it. Place the lantern away from heat and leave it empty. After Christmas, you can open the taped seam and store the paper flat if the joins come apart without tearing.
Both free-edge rims remain whole: Short side margins remain whole: Cylinder seam lines up: Ribs bow without being crushed: An empty, unlit display place:
