Thursday, August 22, 2013

DIY Fish Lantern

Mooncake festival is round the corner again.  I made a traditional lantern for my girls last year (DIY Lantern for Mid Autumn Festival).







 It came across me that such design is not really suitable for a little boy.  As such, this year, I decided to make a fish lantern instead.   Here's the step by step guide :


Materials :

Wire
Glass paper (orange, blue and yellow)
Cellophane tape
Glue
Poster color
Thread
Stick




Steps :

1) Make 2 circles of about 25cm diameter and wrap the end of each with cellophane tape.  (The circles can be made free hand but both must be identical.  Bend the circle into an elongated shape, resembling the body of a fish,



2) Similarly, make 4 circles of about 13cm diameter each and another 2 circles of 8cm diameter.  Bend the 13cm diameter circles to resemble fins while the 8cm diameter circles are to be made into tails.



 
 
 
 
3)   Join the fins and tail to each side of the fish's body using cellophane tape.


 
 
 


4)   Bend the centre of the fish so that it is a little curvy.



 
 
 




5)  Placing both side by side, join the pointed end of the fish and at the tail









6)  Thread a string of wire around a candle to make the candle holder and secure it in place at the bottom of the lantern.



 
 
 
 
7)  Cut 2 pieces of yellow glass paper to the size and shape of the body and glue in place.  Be careful as the glass paper tears easily.  However, once wet with glue, the glass paper will soften and can be folded easily.
 
 

 
 
 
 

8)  Similarly, glue the red glass papers to the fins and blue glass paper to the tails.




 
 
 
 
9)  Once the glue has dried, paint the fish's features using poster colors.
 
 
10)  Thread a string of thread to the fins and tail of the fish and tie the end to a stick which serves as the holder.
 
 
The lantern is now done.
 
 
I lighted the lantern at our garden.  The way it rotated around makes it look like a real fish swimming around.  
 
 
 






 
 
 

 
 
 
 

















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