Glowing new fall trend: 6 crafters share their easy and fun paper plate lanterns
Crafters have been hard at work, folding round lanterns out of paper plates. They make perfect table decorations for festivities or for setting the mood on dark evenings. You’ll find the instructions at the end of this article.
In Facebook crafting groups, a cozy, spherical lantern trend has emerged. In crafters’ pictures, these adorable lanterns decorate dining tables or beautifully illuminate window sills. A closer look reveals that the glowing mood-setters are actually made from paper plates.
This clever idea is easy execute, and you might already have the necessary supplies at home. You only need paper plates, a glass jar, and an LED light, plus hot glue for the crafting. An empty pickle jar works perfectly, and you can use either an LED tealight or a small decorative LED light string as the source of illumination.
Six crafters shared their creations with us:
Beaded finish
“I follow crafting websites online for inspiration. I saw a photo of this lantern and decided to make one for myself to brighten dark evenings. The beaded rim came about because I wanted the lantern to look eye-catching even when the lights are off.” —Tarja Toikka
Better together
“I spotted this idea in a crafting and interior design group, and I thought the lantern looked impressive and, above all, simple to make. After the first one, I wanted to make another with smaller plates. My husband wasn’t entirely sure what plates to buy, so he picked up two different sizes. That turned out great because now I have three lanterns in different sizes.” —Minna Mönkkönen
My very own treasure
“I’m into crafting. I saw someone in a crafting group make this lantern, and I also wanted one for myself.” —Mirja Kauhanen
Gift with a gold lining
“Using hot glue, I attached three folded paper plates to each side of a hexagonal glass jar and placed a battery-operated LED candle with a timer inside. I gave the lantern to my brother in place of a birthday bouquet, so I wanted slightly fancier plates. Initially, I considered lace-edged plates or sturdy coasters, but I found these gold-edged ones in a store.” —Aino Kyllönen
Sharing crafting tips
“To make the process easier, I made a small hole in the center of one plate and used it to mark the centers on the others, so the outer edges line up when folded. I also used a ruler to help fold each plate along its diameter. It’s worth noting that glue sticks can differ: with my friend’s glue, the plate only stayed on for a few seconds.” —Ritva Romppanen
Switch it up with colored lights
“I love trying out new things. A coworker sent me a photo and asked if I’d made these lanterns yet. I always keep glass jars, and there were leftover disposable plates from the summer—I never throw anything away! Making it was easy and fun. I have LED lights in different colors that I can switch out depending on my mood.” —Sirpa Pitkänen
Lantern from paper plates—instructions
Materials:
- Paper plates, about 30 pieces (the exact number of plates depends on the size of the jar)
- A glass jar whose height is slightly less than the plates’ diameter
- An LED light, for example an LED tealight or a battery-operated LED light string
- Hot glue sticks and a glue gun.
Here’s how to make a lantern from paper plates:
- Fold a plate in half. Apply glue along the fold and attach it to the glass jar.
- Fold the next plate and attach it close to the previous one. Continue one plate at a time until the jar is fully covered.
- Place the LED light in the jar. You’re done!
