Simple Chinese lantern craft for kids | printable template

Lanterns come in many colors and shapes. We have made a simple round Chinese lantern craft with paper and paper roll.

This beautiful lantern craft comes with a free printable template which you can cut out, fold and simply stick onto a paper roll. It is an easy Chinese New year craft to do with kids including preschoolers, kindergarteners, and school-age kids.

Decorate your classrooms and home by hanging these colorful balloon-shaped lanterns everywhere and get in the new year spirit!

If you are looking for more fun Chinese craft ideas for kids, you shouldn’t miss our dancing accordion dragon puppet and dancing handprint dragon crafts.

Supplies you need to make a Chinese lantern craft for kids

1. Two toilet paper rolls
2. School glue/ glue stick
3. Hot glue(to be used by adults only)
4. Scissors
5. Printable Chinese lantern craft (You can get access to our free printable by signing up for our newsletters below).
6. Four Red A4 construction paper
7. One Yellow A4 construction paper
8. Marker (optional)
9. Ruler (optional)
10. Yarn/thread

How to make a Chinese Lantern craft for kids

Here is a step-by-step tutorial on making a simple ball-shaped Chinese lantern craft.

Step 1

First, download the Chinese lantern printable pdf. You can get access to the printable template by signing up for our newsletters below.

In the pdf, page 1 has got three circle shapes and page 2 has two rectangle shapes. Print four copies of page 1 on red A4 construction papers and one copy of page 2 on a yellow A4 construction paper.

Step 2

Cut out all the circles and rectangles shapes. We will need 10 to 12 circles shapes to make this lantern craft.

Step 3

You will see small dashed lines on the circles. Make two folds on the circle along those lines with the lines coming at the back. You can use a ruler to make the folding more precise.

Step 4

Fold all the circles the same way.

Step 5

Get an empty toilet paper roll. We are going to stick the folded circles around this paper roll. (These circles are of 10 cm diameter which is the same height as most of the paper rolls).

Apply some glue from top to bottom of the paper roll. Stick a folded circle there with the middle part coming on top of the glue.

Now, stick the second folded circle near the first one, then the third circle, then the fourth, and so on. While sticking, make sure to stick the flaps of the circles to the ones next to them.

Step 6

Stick all the circles around the paper roll until the paper roll is fully covered and gets a 3D lantern look.

Now, cut out two circle shapes of around 1 cm width from another paper roll.

Stick these circle shapes, one on the top and one on the bottom of our ball-shaped lantern using hot glue. Please note, adults should do the hot-gluing.

Step 7

Now, let the kids draw some designs using markers on the yellow rectangle paper strips. Stick these paper strips around the top and bottom circles which we hot glued just now.

Cut out thin paper strips from yellow construction paper and stick them at the bottom of the lantern.

An adult can now hot glue a small yarn or thread on the other side of the lantern for hanging it.

Our beautiful Chinese lantern craft is ready!

Now, make several colorful lanterns, hang them near the door, at the entrance, on the trees, and have fun! 🙂

You may also want to check out these fun crafts for kids:

Hanging paper chain Jellyfish craft for kids

Accordion fireworks craft

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