Make Easy Chinese Paper Lanterns in 5 Steps (Template + Video)

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Making lanterns for Chinese Lunar New Year: a special tradition

We’re not the only ones who love making these lanterns. In fact, many of our friends share that making paper lanterns is a big hit for Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations at school, church, and local communities.

Chinese lanterns go as far back as the Han dynasty and are still very popular for celebrations today. They represent the hope for a bright future and good luck, but your family can create your own meaning, too!

Typically, traditional lanterns are lit with a tiny flame and launched into the sky, left to float on water, or hung for decorations. This lantern craft is a much simpler and safer version to use with kids. Plus, they’re much better for the environment. They require no fire, and you can properly dispose of them once you are done with the festivities.

They are also extremely low cost – all you need are scissors, tape, and paper, along with our convenient template.

Benefits of a template for Chinese paper lanterns

Although many people can learn how to make paper lanterns independently, a template can be a big help, especially for younger kids, seniors, and those with developmental challenges.

The lines on the lantern template guide cutting and folding, simplifying the craft while helping your child practice working with scissors and developing hand-eye coordination.

As an added bonus, our printable template has labels in both English and Chinese. Whether or not you’re raising bilingual children, it’s a subtle way to introduce Chinese characters.

What age is the Chinese lantern activity for?

The Chinese lantern craft is very versatile for a wide age range from preschool through elementary school and even adults! I developed the template to help people of all ages and abilities.

Before I created the lantern template, several of my children’s classmates had trouble following instructions.

Although making this lantern takes only 5 steps, a template with dotted and solid lines would have helped guide the struggling students. After offering the lantern template, teachers and parents have told me that students had a smoother, more enjoyable experience.

Since sharing the lantern template a few years ago, I also received a lovely message from a nurse who created beautiful Chinese paper lanterns with senior citizens in a nursing home.

I was also grateful to hear from an occupational therapist who raved about the fun her patients had making paper lanterns. It really is a wonderful way to combine fine motor skills and culture during therapy.

I hope the DIY paper lantern template can help your family, school, and community celebrate Chinese festivals!

Download lantern template for Lunar New Year crafts

Other recommended supplies to make this lantern craft

• Printer
• Colorful 8.5″ x 11″ printer paper or card stock
• Scissors and/or paper cutter
• Tape or staples
• Optional:
  • Stickers
  • Gold paint pen
  • Decorative washi tape (eg, sparkly, assorted)
  • Cotton twine string for hanging lanterns

How to make Chinese paper lanterns in 5 steps

• Cut the bottom edge of the paper (at the dotted line). This will be the future handle.
• Fold the paper in half “hamburger style” (at the solid line).

• Cut along dotted lines through both sides of the paper. Make sure to stop before you get to the end of the paper to keep the strips all connected.

• Unfold the paper and loop both edges together. Seal edges on both ends with clear tape (or a stapler).

• Tape or staple on your handle.
• Optional: Decorate and hang as desired!

How to decorate paper lanterns

For decorating, you can get as creative as you like. I keep mine fairly simple with washi tape and a gold paint pen. But the kids can go wild with stickers, stamps, drawings, and whatever else they like.

Tip: It’s easier to make the drawings and patterns on the paper before you cut it, especially if it’s something a little more complicated.

What color should I make my lantern?

You can make these lanterns in any kind of color, not just the typical red and yellow you might see. This makes them a great craft to make and decorate with for any holiday, birthday party, or simply a rainy day activity!

Write a riddle

Traditional lanterns for the Lantern Festival at the end of Chinese New Year come in all kinds of shapes. People write riddles on them, and trying to solve them is one of the beloved activities during the festival.

How long will it take to make this lantern?

Teachers who are planning Lunar New Activities for school often ask how long it will take to make a paper lantern. As with any activity, the time it takes depends on the child’s developmental milestones and how many extra decorations they want to add.

Elementary school kids and skilled crafters can make a paper lantern in less than a minute! Preschoolers might need around 5-15 minutes to make one lantern.

If you’re preparing for a Lunar New Year celebration that is a half hour or longer, you can add another simple activity, such as our popular printable Chinese Red Envelopes.

DIY Chinese lantern video tutorial

While these Chinese paper lanterns are pretty easy for big kids and skilled crafters to make, I know how confusing they can be for people who are developing fine motor coordination.

Make your lanterns along with me in this video, and use the template as a guide for cutting and taping.

Get the printable lantern template here

Extension activity: counting paper lanterns

Want to get even more fun out of this paper activity? Here’s an adorable “DIY abacus” that my 3-year-old son loved because it was fun to slide across the mini lanterns!

To make the lantern abacus, we followed the same instructions as our nature leaf abacus to secure the string onto a piece of cardboard.

Please note that folding mini lanterns is more difficult than larger lanterns. For this reason, I didn’t create a template for the tiny size.

Once kids are comfortable cutting larger lanterns without a template, they can create lanterns of any size! Just use larger or smaller pieces of paper to make them smaller or bigger. You can really get creative with them.

Have you made Chinese paper lanterns?

If you try this activity, please let us know in the comments below! What age(s) are your kid(s), and how did it go? We’d love to hear about your learning experience!

More ways to celebrate Chinese culture