|
|
|
Beautiful Autumn Leaf Lanterns (Show 1319)
It's autumn in Zucchini Land! Why not make some beautiful autumn leaf lanterns? (no matter what season it is in your home town!)
You will need:
* some pressed autumn leaves (gather some fallen leaves from the ground, and put them inside a thick book for about a week)
* wax paper
* a corrugated cardboard box
* an iron
* scissors
* a piece of orange or red cardstock or constuction paper
* glue (either a hot glue gun or white tacky glue)
* a hole punch (if you have one)
* one handle from a paper shopping bag, or brown-wrapped florist's wire from a craft store, or raffia, or brown construction paper and two metal paper fasteners
* a votive candle or tea light
* masking tape or double-sided tape.
STEP 1: The Base.
Cut out 2 circles, 5.5" in diameter, from the corrugated cardboard. Cut out one circle (the same size) from the wax paper. Glue the two cardboard circles together, one on top of the other. With a few drops of glue, glue the wax paper on top of the top cardboard circle. Place a few heavy books on top of the stack as the glue dries. This is the base of your lantern.
STEP 2: The Sides.
Cut out two 18.5"-wide by 9"-tall pieces of wax paper. Place one piece on top of an ironing board (or on top of a pillowcase-covered table surface). With a grown-up's supervision, turn iron on to lowest setting. Arrange pressed leaves on the wax paper, with their most colorful side facing you. When the leaves are arranged as you want them, carefully place the second piece of wax paper on top of the leaves. Carefully iron over the wax paper, to fuse the two pieces together. (Keep the iron moving; don’t let it stay in any one place for more than a second!) At this point, you may want to trim the edges so they're even and straight.
STEP 3: Putting It Together.
Cut a few 3/4"-wide strips from the orange or red cardstock or construction paper. Glue a strip along the entire bottom and top edges of the wax paper, making sure the strip is glued to the side that shows the leaves' brightest colors. Next, attach the wax paper to the base by lining up the bottom of the wax paper flush with the bottom of the base. (Make sure the side with the cardstock or paper strips faces outward.) Carefully glue around the edges of the base, and roll the wax paper around it. (A hot glue gun makes this step easier.) You'll end up with some overlap between the two wax paper edges, so dot glue from bottom to top at the overlap, to close the lantern into a circular tube shape.
STEP 4: Attaching a Handle.
Make 2 holes with a hole punch or a pencil point close to the top of the lantern. The 2 holes should be opposite each other. Attach whatever type of handle you're using, through the 2 holes. If you're using a paper shopping bag handle or wrapped wire, either twist or glue each end together, to securely fasten. Attach a votive candle or tea light to the lantern base by using a small piece of double-sided tape or masking tape.
When nighttime comes, enjoy your lantern, and maybe take a walk with your lantern when the moon's full! |
|
©2003 The Zucchini
Brothers | site design by guerrillawebsites
Additional design by Sam Zucchini
|
