tin lantern

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Pattern page: Make your own tin lantern.
Pattern Pages help you make great projects! This project requires careful adult supervision but children can enjoy helping with color selection, pattern design and, of course, the glitter decorations! Select a tin can to recycle. Be sure the inside edges are perfectly smooth and safe by placing a thin strip of masking tape along the inside top edge. Paint the can. While the paint is drying you can sprinkle on glitter, or you can add the glitter later by "painting" a coat of glue over your colorful paint. For the simplest tin lantern, just place a small votive candle inside the can and voila - a colorful lantern. Paper lanterns.

A more elaborate suggestion for grown-ups to demonstrate (children observe from safe distance, preferably holding hands at their sides or gently behind their backs so no fingers get hurt!) -- use a hammer and nail to pierce the tin. (Grown-ups should also avoid hammering accidents -- try placing the can around a sturdy piece of wood or log. One successful lantern-maker has suggested placing the can in a vice (if you happen to have one!). If you pierce the tin with a nail, be aware that you will have created many sharp places that can easily cause injuries. A pierced lantern should be hung out of reach from children (as should any candle-lit lantern). You can provide for this by adding two holes at the top of the lantern and securing a wire handle to the top of the can. This is not simple to make but if you are very determined, you can create a very special lantern.

Pattern ideas: Simple holes in a random pattern can look like little twinkling stars. You can create a star shape, circle or heart shape without too much difficulty. We tried a caterpillar & (not having a vice available) found it very difficult to control the placement of the nail, hammer, etc. Our 'pattern' mostly looked like little twinkling stars. A perfectly fine result! As with many ambitious projects, we found that by adding lots of glitter everyone was happy. Visit storytelling to share the Bright Pink Bunny's lantern party and try our Illumination Night add-art pages: lantern & Illumination. For more, visit celebrating ideas.