Homemade Decorations: For Christmas, Birthday or Everyday

I might be late to the party but I think I am in love with paper lanterns! I recently purchased four 20cm white paper lanterns from an online party supplies store and thought Immy and I could have fun decorating them for the playroom.

After all, creating for the home doesn’t just have to happen on canvas and involving children makes it extra special 🙂

The first lantern Immy and I painted together with cotton buds and diluted food colouring. To stabilise each lantern as we decorated it, I sat it in an ice cream container, a large bowl would work just as well.

Our second lantern is decorated with strips of coloured tissue paper glued on with diluted PVA glue. This process was the most time consuming and delicate and would be a great way to involve older children.

The third lantern doesn’t look quite how I imagined it would but it was fun to make. We used a small cosmetic spray bottle to spray on diluted food colouring – yellow first and then an orange/red. A tip – the process was messy and so we took it outside!

Finally, Immy helped me sort through a packet of self adhesive letters to find the letters we would need to make the words joy and peace. These letters are very sticky and hard to manage so I stuck them onto the lantern while Immy experimented with some of the other letters and a piece of cardboard.

I love that you can decorate paper lanterns with all sorts of creative processes and to suit your chosen colour scheme, whether it be for Christmas, a birthday or a child’s bedroom.

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Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.

Read more of Christie's adventures at https://childhood101.com.

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

Sue says
November 3, 2011 at 6:54 AM

They look great. I'll have to do this with my kids. We've had paper chains up all year that they spray painted with food colouring, and which they refuse to let me take down. They'd look great with the lanterns
- Christie Burnett says
  November 3, 2011 at 4:22 PM
  
  We quite often end up with seasonal decorations that seem to hang around all year :)
Kirrily says
November 3, 2011 at 6:56 AM

Love! Thank you for another brilliant idea.
- Christie Burnett says
  November 3, 2011 at 4:19 PM
  
  Thank you for saying so :)
sarah says
November 3, 2011 at 7:06 AM

these are amazing! I actually really like the third one! cool idea!
Heather says
November 3, 2011 at 9:07 AM

Love it!! We will have to try this out. I love the Joy one :)
Rebekah says
November 3, 2011 at 9:47 AM

Pretty! I am going to suggest this project to decorate for an upcoming festival at my daughter's preschool.
- Christie Burnett says
  November 3, 2011 at 4:20 PM
  
  What a great idea, Rebekah :)
Cathy says
November 3, 2011 at 10:35 AM

They all look fabulous and what a great decorating idea for kids rooms! Might have to give this a try with the kiddies ;)
Megan @ Writing Out Loud says
November 3, 2011 at 12:55 PM

They look great, Christie!
- Christie Burnett says
  November 3, 2011 at 4:20 PM
  
  Thank you, Megan.
Elise @ Inspiration Surrounds Creativity Abounds says
November 3, 2011 at 2:37 PM

What a team you and Immy make! These look fantastic - so bright and fun. Big balls of happiness.
Christie Burnett says
November 3, 2011 at 4:21 PM

"Big balls of happiness." I like that :)
katepickle says
November 3, 2011 at 5:50 PM

oooh these are sooo cool! Makes me wish my girls had a proper light fitting in their bedroom (they have a fan with a light, as we have in pretty much the whole house) cause they'd LOVE these. Pinning for future reference!
Vanessa says
November 3, 2011 at 5:55 PM

These look amazing, wondering where you purchased the plain lanterns?? Thanks
- Christie Burnett says
  November 17, 2011 at 7:31 PM
  
  Our lanterns came from Occasions By Design (online store), Vanessa, but I imagine many of the online party supply stores stock them :)
Rebecca says
November 3, 2011 at 6:08 PM

Great idea! We too don't have the right fittings (we have halogen down lights everywhere which I ignore and use side lights) but I reckon you could just hang these from the ceiling in an 'artistic cluster' and they'd still look fab - well done! Actually I just got pinterest so thanks for reminding me to 'pin' them, Kate ;0)
- Christie Burnett says
  November 17, 2011 at 7:34 PM
  
  We have just grouped them for effect too, Rebecca. Though I have seen battery powered tea lights that might work as well if you just taped or hot-glued them to the inside.
wordplayhouse® says
November 3, 2011 at 7:56 PM

We love paper lanterns here because they are so inexpensive—a wonderful craft material. You've made creative creations with yours!
vanessa @ silly eagle books says
November 4, 2011 at 3:20 AM

very pretty--I especially like putting words on them. :)
kelli-AdventurezInChildRearing says
November 4, 2011 at 12:24 PM

you know what? i have 2 lanterns hanging over my dining room table & meant to decorate them & just couldn't get to it- I think I just hadn't wrapped my head around what I was going to do with em & this is perfect- my boys will love it- thanks for the great ideas!
- Christie Burnett says
  November 17, 2011 at 7:34 PM
  
  Have fun with your creating :)
Bron says
November 4, 2011 at 3:17 PM

Hey this is such a clever plan...they look great to hang for longer than just the festive season.
- Christie Burnett says
  November 17, 2011 at 7:35 PM
  
  I imagine ours will stay hanging for a good long while. I even have a Valentine's bunting that I made the year before last still hanging in our lounge room!!! :)
Kakka says
November 4, 2011 at 5:26 PM

Can Grandma put in an order for 2 for Christmas? Option 3 is my favourite and could I have them in lime and yellow for my Study. I won't let Immy know that I know so she gets the fun of giving them to me on Christmas Day. xxx
Brooke says
November 4, 2011 at 6:02 PM

Great idea. I love the spray bottle one. I bet it would fetch a packet on Etsy...hehe.
Cathy says
November 5, 2011 at 11:57 AM

This is now really on my to do list! Can normal paint be used? Just wondering why you went the food colouring and earbud route? Could I just give the kids some acrylic paint and brushes?
- Christie Burnett says
  November 17, 2011 at 7:36 PM
  
  I thought the food colouring (or watercolour) would give the lanterns a more translucent look than acrylics. I am sure the acrylics would work just as well and you could water them down a little if you wanted to :)
Ali says
November 6, 2011 at 5:37 PM

What a great idea, they look great. I like the spray bottle one too.
Andi says
November 6, 2011 at 11:30 PM

My kitchen is currently crowded out with all the paper lanterns from around the house, drying, ready for re-hanging. :) They all match the house colours now lol.
- Christie Burnett says
  November 17, 2011 at 7:37 PM
  
  I would love to see them, Andi, I bet they look great :)
Suzy says
November 4, 2013 at 7:46 AM

How do you hang them from the ceiling? Do you put hooks in the ceiling? Am thinking of doing lanterns like these to put over the dining table for Christmas but not sure if hubby will agree to having hooks in the ceiling permanently. (Ditto in the girls room). Suzy.
- Christie Burnett says
  November 4, 2013 at 8:08 AM
  
  We use the smallest removable 3M hooks, Suzy, they are clear so you can't notice them at all.

Homemade Decorations: For Christmas, Birthday or Everyday

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