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paper lantern

Remember back when I showed you that to-do list? Yeah, you know, back in January.

Well take a look at what I finally finished!!!
A while back (a.k.a. over a year ago) I saw this bad boy on Design Sponge. I loved it and wanted to make one, but procrastination got the best of me.  Then, a few months later, I saw these puppies on Style me Pretty, and it really got me ready . . . to start thinking about it even harder.

So a few months ago I finally told myself it was time.  I got a paper lantern, cut tons of triangles, and started the long process of gluing them one by one onto the lantern, it took forever but it was totally worth it because look how cool this thing is!!!!
I'm pretty sure the ones from Design Sponge and Style Me Pretty were made with wider strips, which probably made it both faster to put together and a brighter light.  The strips I cut were 1" wide at the top and 8 1/2" long (cut from old stationary we were going to throw out at the office). There are so many layers that the light barely shines through the paper lantern I bought.  It also doesn't help that I decided to buy one of the battery-operated LED lanterns, which don't put out much light at all, and the light that does come through has a weird green hue to it (I didn't check if the LED worked until after I was half done . . .oops).  I think I might put a light bulb in it afterall, especially since there is a socket in the ceiling right where I want to hang it In Our New Apartment!!!! I'll show you once everything is put together. I'm super excited to move, if you can't tell already.
I think I'll try another one with different sized strips, or maybe different colored strips!! This project was pretty time consuming but the end result was so gratifying, I'm happy I stuck to it.
If you want to give it a whirl just make sure to buy the lanterns with the continuing/parallel metal coil, as opposed to the ones with the crazy asymmetrical/criss-cross coil.  The parallel lines are your guide lines as you paste your strips and circle up the lantern.
And when you're done send me a picture! I'd love to see it!

1 comment:

  1. Oh my gie-awd your Aunt Judie would be so proud. what happens when ya have to clean it? Pretty spectacular lit or not - way to go! What would happen if you starched the paper?

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