21 Lunar New Year Paper Lantern Crafts

I have a soft spot for paper lanterns that feel handmade and a little bit nostalgic. Around Lunar New Year I often find myself pulling out scraps of red and gold paper, remembering the nights when lanterns swayed over narrow streets and warm light pooled on wet pavement.

That quiet urge to make something glowing and delicate led me into a dozen small experiments with Lunar New Year paper lantern crafts, each one teaching a little about texture, balance, and color.

Sharing these simple favorites feels like sharing a cup of tea. These Lunar New Year paper lantern crafts grew from curious afternoons, laughter over messy tables, and a few lanterns that refused to hang straight but looked lovely anyway.

Classic Red cylinder lantern with golden tassels

There’s a comforting rhythm to the look of a classic red cylinder lantern, its smooth paper skin warmed by a soft internal glow. I like the way the gold tassel swings quietly, catching light in a friendly way.

The surface often carries faint fingerprints from handling, which somehow adds character. When placed near carved wood or dark green plants, the contrast sings.

I remember a chilly evening on a balcony where the lantern’s warmth softened the air, and neighbors waved as their own lanterns bobbed like small suns.

Steps

1. Prepare a sheet of red paper and a thin strip of stiff paper for the crown.
2. Score and curl the red sheet into a cylinder and secure the seam with clear adhesive tape.
3. Create a circular crown from the stiff strip and fasten it atop the cylinder, leaving a hole for light.
4. Affix a length of gold thread or braided yarn to the bottom center as a tassel.
5. Place a battery tea light inside and hang with a loop of string through the crown.

Accordion-style lantern that breathes with air

An accordion-style lantern has a playful personality, expanding and contracting like a paper accordion that wants to hum. The ridged folds cast tiny shadows that shift when a breeze moves it, creating a subtle animation that feels alive.

I once hung a row of small accordion lanterns from a porch and watched as they fanned open after a rain, each one catching droplets along the creases. The tactile ridges invite fingers to trace along them, and the paper edges have that faint tooth of handcrafted stock.

Steps

1. Select long strips of lightweight paper and place them edge to edge for a continuous band.
2. Score evenly across the band and create tight mountain and valley creases to form an accordion.
3. Join the ends of the band into a ring and secure with thin double-sided tape.
4. Insert a circular paper top and bottom ring to retain shape and create a hanging point.
5. Suspend with fine string so the lantern can gently expand and contract.

Delicate rice paper globe with tea light glow

Rice paper gives lanterns an ethereal quality, almost like holding a slice of morning mist. The globe shape softens the light into a gentle halo, and the fibers create a subtle marbled effect when backlit.

I remember making one on a winter afternoon and being surprised at how the light felt like it belonged to the room, not just in it. The edges of the ribbing are faintly visible through the translucent skin, and at night the globe becomes a small moon that invites quiet conversation.

Steps

1. Gather thin rice paper panels and lightweight bamboo ribs sized for the globe.
2. Stretch rice paper over the ribs, smoothing wrinkles by hand to align fibers with ribs.
3. Join rib ends at poles and secure seams with thin adhesive tape applied inside.
4. Affix a small platform at the base to hold a battery-powered tea light.
5. Suspend from a slender cord to allow the globe to float in an evening nook.

Paper-cut silhouette lantern with traditional motifs

A silhouette lantern decorated with paper-cut motifs feels like wearing a patterned shawl of light. Intricate dragon, blossom, or character cutouts cast dramatic silhouettes that dance against walls.

When I slid a silhouette lantern across the living room, the dragon’s sinuous shadow curved like ink on rice paper. The negative spaces bring a crispness that contrasts against the lantern’s soft glow, and the edges sometimes reveal tiny raggedness that signals hours spent in careful crafting.

The overall effect is theatrical while still tender.

Steps

1. Trace traditional motifs onto red craft paper and score outlines for precision.
2. Remove interior sections to create negative space designs, keeping outer lantern skin intact.
3. Wrap the decorated sheet into a cylinder and secure the seam with clear tape.
4. Insert a reinforced top ring to support a hanging loop and a base for light.
5. Place a shielded LED inside so the motif shadows project clearly.

Koi fish lantern that seems to swim in air

A koi fish lantern brings motion into the sky, its curved body and flowing fins suggesting swimming even when still. The layered paper scales catch light in varied tones of orange and white, and dangling fins tremble like whispers when wind brushes them.

I recall dangling a koi lantern under a tree where the branches made mottled shadows across its back, adding a sense of movement. The piece felt playful and a little proud, like a small performance against the darkening sky.

Steps

1. Create a paper fish body by shaping two curved panels and reinforcing the spine.
2. Layer contrasting scale shapes along the sides, adhering edges with thin adhesive sparingly.
3. Form delicate fins and tail from lightweight translucent paper and join to body seams.
4. Mount a small protected LED inside the head cavity to illuminate scales from within.
5. Suspend by a center loop so the fish tilts naturally when hung.

Mini fortune scroll lantern with hidden wishes

A mini fortune scroll lantern feels intimate, like a little library for wishes. Tiny slips tucked inside rustle when the lantern sways, and sometimes I would lift one out to read a hand-written hope, smiling at its earnestness.

The lantern’s small scale concentrates detail; thin calligraphy lines look elegant beneath a soft glow. At dusk a cluster of these tiny lanterns produces a constellation of private lights, each with its own story.

The tactile act of unfolding a scrap of paper holds a private warmth that lingers.

Steps

1. Craft small cylindrical lantern shells from colored paper sized for tiny scrolls.
2. Write wishes on thin rice paper slips and roll them gently, securing ends with a tiny ribbon.
3. Insert one scroll into each mini lantern through the open top.
4. Seal tops with a delicate paper crown and create a hanging loop.
5. Arrange a grouping on a low branch or tabletop for an intimate display.

Dragon-shaped parade lantern for lively processions

Building a dragon-shaped lantern feels like choreographing a creature of paper and light. The segmented body allows it to ripple when carried, and the head often gets adorned with glittering eyes and paper whiskers that throw playful reflections.

I remember the chaotic joy of coordinating a few friends to carry sections down a lane, each segment breathing with the next. The colors can range from fierce crimson to playful pastels, and the layered scales catch every shift in direction, making the dragon feel unexpectedly heroic.

Steps

1. Design a sequence of body segments with matching rib frameworks for consistent dimensions.
2. Cover each framework with colored paper and decorate scales by layering small oval pieces.
3. Create an expressive head with a reinforced jaw and decorative eyes that reflect light.
4. Connect segments with fabric tape and flexible cords to allow coordinated movement.
5. Place protected LEDs in selected segments for balanced illumination along the length.

Paper tassel cluster for an elegant display

A cluster of paper tassels hanging from a simple ring feels unexpectedly refined. Each tassel whispers movement and collects tiny highlights where the paper edges catch light.

I once made a mobile of tassels in graduated reds and felt the room change tone as shadows stretched across the ceiling. The texture of the trimmed paper ends is soft to the touch, and the rhythmic repetition creates a gentle hum that compliments brighter lantern shapes.

Arranged under a doorway, they sway like a soft curtain of celebration.

Steps

1. Cut narrow strips of colored paper and fringe the ends uniformly along a length.
2. Roll each fringed strip into a tight tube near the uncut edge to form a tassel head.
3. Secure the rolled end with thin thread and spread the fringes outward.
4. Group tassels onto a circular ring and bind the top ends with decorative cord.
5. Hang the cluster so tassels can move freely and catch light.

Calligraphy-paneled lantern celebrating characters

A lantern paneled with calligraphy carries words like small songs. Black ink against red paper has a firm presence, and watching the strokes through a warm lamp feels meditative.

I often leave a panel blank to test different brushes under lamplight, enjoying how each brushstroke drinks the light differently. The arrangement of characters across panels draws the eye around the lantern, inviting slow reading and lingering.

Sometimes the characters are wishes, sometimes poems, and sometimes just playful doodles that read better in the glow.

Steps

1. Select sturdy red panels sized to form a multi-paneled lantern surface.
2. Practice characters on scrap paper, then render them with sumi ink onto the panels.
3. Allow ink to dry fully to avoid smearing, then arrange panels into a surrounding shell.
4. Secure panel edges at seams so characters remain visible and evenly spaced.
5. Insert a diffused LED to illuminate the calligraphy from within.

Lantern garland strung across a narrow alley

A string of lanterns draped across an alleyway turns ordinary architecture into a festive corridor. The repetition of shapes and the rhythm of light create a welcoming path, and I love how the garland blurs distance into a golden tunnel.

Each lantern shares the next’s warmth, creating a collective glow that feels communal. On damp evenings reflections multiply the effect, and the slight differences in each handmade lantern keep the garland from feeling uniform.

Walking beneath it has a small ceremonial quality that always lifts my mood.

Steps

1. Create multiple small lanterns in matching or complementary sizes and colors.
2. Attach a small hanging loop to each lantern top and space them along a length of sturdy cord.
3. Fasten lanterns by sliding loops over the cord or securing with thin wire ties.
4. String a sequence of battery LEDs along the cord for even light distribution.
5. Suspend the garland across the chosen span, checking for balanced spacing.

Planet-inspired orb with star cutouts

An orb sprinkled with star cutouts reads like a small personal sky. Pinpricks of light escape where paper is removed, and the pattern shimmers as viewers move around it.

I made one to hang over a low table; the constellation of tiny stars projected playful dots across cups and napkins. The tactile outer surface bears subtle pencil marks from pattern layout, which only adds to the handmade charm.

When the interior light warms it, the orb feels celestial and intimate at once, a night-sky tucked into a corner.

Steps

1. Form a spherical shell from thin stiff paper or multiple curved panels.
2. Arrange star shapes across the surface and remove them cleanly to create cutouts.
3. Reinforce the interior seams so the shell retains its roundness under light weight.
4. Install a small enclosed light source so the cutouts create distinct star points.
5. Hang at eye level to allow projected stars to dance on nearby surfaces.

Floral blossom lantern with layered petals

A floral blossom lantern mimics the soft architecture of a peony opening at dawn. Layers of petal-shaped paper create depth, catching light at different angles and creating subtle shadow play.

I once made a blush-pink blossom for a small window; morning sun and internal light met in a gentle conversation across the petals. The delicate edges sometimes curl slightly, adding a natural imperfection that looks like breathing.

When paired with small green leaves, the lantern reads like a suspended bloom, both fragrant in memory and purely visual in reality.

Steps

1. Cut multiple petal shapes from lightweight colored paper in graduated sizes.
2. Layer petals concentrically around a small domed framework, staggering edges for depth.
3. Pin or secure petal bases to the framework so the form becomes a rounded blossom.
4. Add a few green leaf accents around the outermost layer for contrast.
5. Insert a diffused warm LED at the core to illuminate petals softly.

Paper mosaic lantern with colorful tessellations

A mosaic lantern built from many small paper pieces feels like translating stained glass into a softer medium. Tiny tessellations catch the lamp’s glow and create a patchwork of color that looks lively from any angle.

I enjoy the slow pace of arranging each piece to form a larger pattern; it’s meditative and pleasantly methodical. The seams between papers create faint ridges that become part of the visual fabric.

Hung in sunlight the colors sing differently than under electric light, offering a small daily surprise.

Steps

1. Prepare a lantern shell and plan a color pattern for tessellated paper pieces.
2. Cut or tear small geometric shapes from varied colored papers.
3. Adhere each piece onto the shell surface in the planned arrangement, overlapping slightly for coverage.
4. Seal inner seams invisibly to prevent pieces from lifting near a light source.
5. Illuminate with a warm LED to showcase the mosaic colors evenly.

Shadow-play lantern with layered translucent panels

Layered translucent panels within a lantern create a depth that makes shadows feel sculptural. When light passes through varied opacities, shapes become ghosted and soft-edged, like watercolor washes.

I experimented with overlapping panels of thin vellum and noticed new colors where layers met, surprises that felt accidental and lucky. Tactile seams produce faint ridgelines that catch the eye, while the overall composition reads as both deliberate and dreamy.

The lantern becomes a quiet lightbox of shifting tones rather than a single bright object.

Steps

1. Cut translucent panels in complementary colors and sizes to layer within the lantern shell.
2. Arrange the panels inside so edges overlap at varied depths to create color blending.
3. Secure panel edges discreetly so layers remain stable but visually separate.
4. Provide a protected central light source that illuminates layers evenly.
5. Observe the blended hues and make small adjustments to panel spacing as desired.

Lantern with silk tassels and beaded accents

Silk tassels paired with small beads give a lantern a touch of rich texture and tactile contrast. The silk threads catch light in a way paper cannot, offering a subtle sheen that complements matte surfaces.

I attached a few vintage beads last year and enjoyed the tiny clinks when the tassels moved, which felt festive without being loud. The beads hold memories too, sometimes inherited or found at markets, and their presence adds a personal narrative.

When a breeze teases the tassels, the lantern seems to exhale.

Steps

1. Select silk tassels and small decorative beads that complement the lantern color palette.
2. Thread beads onto fine cord and secure the top of each tassel with a knot.
3. Affix tassel tops to the lantern base perimeter using discreet adhesive or fine wire loops.
4. Balance tassel placement around the lantern for even visual weight.
5. Hang so tassels are free to sway and catch ambient light.

Origami lantern built from folded paper modules

An origami modular lantern celebrates geometry and patience. Each folded unit interlocks to form a clean, faceted shape that feels architectural.

I spent an afternoon building a dodecahedral lantern, feeling oddly proud when the last module slipped into place and the form held itself without heavy reinforcement. The crisp edges catch highlights sharply at night, and the pattern of seams reads like a delicate lattice.

Handling the modules produces a faint rustling sound as light breathes through the form, a satisfying whisper of craft.

Steps

1. Fold multiple identical paper modules using an origami pattern suited for modular assembly.
2. Interlock modules by tucking flaps into pockets, forming the desired geometric shape.
3. Ensure connections are snug so the structure holds without heavy reinforcement.
4. Create an internal platform to carry a small enclosed light source safely.
5. Suspend from an apex point or set atop a low stand to display faceted geometry.

Lantern with delicate crepe paper flowers

Crepe paper flowers attached to a lantern turn it into a miniature garden. The textured petals have a springy softness that contrasts with smooth paper faces, and the assembled blooms offer a painterly density when clustered.

I once created a wreath of tiny crepe roses around a lantern rim and found the effect both lush and intimate. The petals refract light subtly, creating soft color gradients.

When held close, the lantern smells faintly of paper and glue memories, and the tactile edges of petals invite a gentle touch.

Steps

1. Craft small crepe paper flowers in varying sizes and hues to build a botanical palette.
2. Arrange blooms around a chosen lantern area to determine density and flow.
3. Secure stems and bases to the lantern surface so flowers maintain position.
4. Add a few leaf accents to create visual contrast and natural rhythm.
5. Light with a shielded LED so the flowers glow from below without heat risk.

Silhouette storytelling lantern with layered scenes

A silhouette storytelling lantern layers scenes that unfold as the light moves, like turning pages of a tiny theater. Each band of cut paper frames a moment—a boat, a willow, a distant pagoda—and together they create a panorama.

I enjoyed placing such a lantern on a shelf and watching the shadows crawl across the wall as evening deepened, giving the room a slow-motion narrative. The scenes feel nostalgic, and small imperfections in cuts add a hand-drawn charm.

It becomes a lantern that asks to be watched rather than merely admired.

Steps

1. Design a sequence of silhouette scenes on separate translucent bands.
2. Cut out scene details from darker paper and layer them onto softer translucent backing.
3. Assemble the bands into a cylindrical lantern so scenes read in order around the form.
4. Install a diffused internal light to ensure clear shadow projection.
5. Place the lantern near a flat surface to enjoy the unfolding shadow narrative.

Lucky coin lantern studded with metallic accents

A lantern decorated with coin-like metallic discs feels tactilely auspicious; the small reflections scatter light and suggest good fortune. The metallic accents rattle ever so softly when the lantern moves, and I’ve kept a few coins from previous years as sentimental additions.

Their cool gleam contrasts with warm paper tones, and the overall effect reads both celebratory and a bit nostalgic. Displayed near a doorway, the lantern catches morning sun in tempting flashes, like a tiny parade of gleaming promises.

Steps

1. Collect metallic discs or faux coins and plan their placement across the lantern surface.
2. Adhere coins with small dots of adhesive to ensure even spacing and secure hold.
3. Accent coin clusters with thin ribbon or micro tassels for added texture.
4. Reinforce areas with extra backing if coins create weight concentrations.
5. Hang the lantern where natural light can interact with the metallic surfaces.

Map-patterned lantern for a modern twist

A lantern printed with map patterns offers a contemporary counterpoint to traditional motifs. Roads and rivers traced across curved paper create an abstract geography that glows in new ways at night.

I enjoyed pairing a map lantern with plain neighbors so its lines could breathe visually. When backlit, the inked trails become softer and mysterious, like miniature illuminated continents.

The tactile feel of printed ink against paper adds a subtle relief, and the design prompts curiosity about journeys, past and planned, without demanding any explanation.

Steps

1. Print or transfer a map pattern onto lightweight paper sized for the lantern shell.
2. Form the printed sheet into the desired lantern shape and secure seams unobtrusively.
3. Add a top ring to support hanging and a base for the light source.
4. Place a shielded LED inside to softly backlight printed roads and rivers.
5. Position among other decorative elements to emphasize its modern contrast.

Lantern with braided handle and rustic accents

A braided handle and rustic accents turn a simple lantern into an object with a story. Natural fiber ropes and tiny wooden beads add an earthy note that contrasts with festive reds.

I like the way the braid feels under the palm, providing a reassuring grip when moving the lantern between rooms. Small scuffs on the wooden beads acquire a patina over repeated use, and the whole piece reads like something that has been carried home from a market.

It’s an approachable mix of craft and utility that fits quiet gatherings.

Steps

1. Form the lantern body and select natural fiber cord for a sturdy braided handle.
2. Braid the cord to desired thickness and add wooden bead accents at intervals.
3. Anchor handle ends to the lantern crown with reinforced tabs inside the top ring.
4. Add subtle rustic touches like thin hemp bands around the base for balance.
5. Carry or hang the lantern by the braided handle for a tactile, grounded presence.