Have you ever tried origami? These gorgeous paper lanterns are made with a few folds and add a stunning luminosity to your Christmas lights.
I’m so excited to share this idea with you! I originally saw this in a magazine, probably 15 years ago, and I have been using these little lovelies on my tree every year since. They add such a beautiful glow to the lights and I love that I made them myself.
Don’t let the word “origami” scare you. These are simply squares of paper, folded into a small balloon shape. Once you finish, there is a hole at one end, into which you blow some air. The structure of the paper will help it stay inflated and you just pop it on a mini lightbulb!
The best part is that once you are putting decorations away, you simply fold them back into their flat position and store them in an envelope until next year. We now have about 30 of these and I am still using the ones that I first made all those years ago!
Originally, I made these out of animal print origami paper, which added a sassy touch to my tree. I have since made more out of parchment paper, which is less expensive than origami paper and somewhat translucent, giving the lanterns a beautiful glow.
credit: Inhabitat
Here’s what you need to make these gorgeous and reusable paper lanterns:
- origami paper or parchment paper, cut into 8″ squares
- Mini Christmas lights (try LED if you are worried about lights overheating)
Visit Inhabitat for a how-to pictorial.
Please note, I have never had problems with the lights overheating and burning the paper. Possibly since I have used parchment paper, which is tolerant to heat. However, since LED lights don’t burn as hot, you may want to use those instead of traditional lights.
WATCH: Step by step video tutorial shows how to make luminous paper lanterns
credit: Lisa Needlecrafts
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