Styrofoam Cups

• For a simple Chinese lantern for teens to make, you will need two Styrofoam cups (any size), acrylic paint, craft glue, scissors, pipe cleaner and felt. Poke two holes in the bottom of one of the foam cups and glue both ends of the pipe cleaner in each hole. This will create a loop so you can hang the lantern. Use craft glue to glue the mouths of the cups together and allow to completely dry. After the cups are dry, use any color acrylic paint to paint the cups. For added decoration, use glitter glue to decorate the cups. Cut a piece of felt and wrap it around the bottom cup. Cut fringe in the felt that is hanging from the cup for decoration.
  
  

Tissue Paper

• Make a Chinese lantern out of colored tissue paper, glue, a stapler, thread, black card stock and a pencil. Use a pencil to design windows on the black card stock. Cut the windows out and glue tissue paper over the windows to cover them. Roll the black card stock in a cylinder shape and staple the ends together. Poke two holes near the top of the cylinder and put thread in the holes to hang the lantern. For more decoration, add glitter, beads, paint and strings hanging from the bottom of the lantern.
  
  

Wrapping Paper

• Create a Chinese lantern using wrapping paper or construction paper. Fold the piece of paper in half so it makes a long, rectangle shape. Cut 1/2-inch strips in the paper going towards the top, but do not cut all the way through the edge of the paper (leave about 1 inch at the top). Do this all the way across the paper and then pull the paper apart. Roll the paper in a cylinder shape and glue or staple the ends together. Make a paper handle out of construction paper and glue or staple it to the top of the lantern. Create several lanterns in a variety of colors and string them on a piece of yarn or wire to hang up. For added decoration, use paint and glitter pens to decorate the lanterns.
  
  

Craft Wire

• Use craft wire and tissue paper to make a Chinese lantern. Make several different sized circles using the craft wire. Create small to large and then large to small rings so the lantern will be in the shape of a ball. Use origami paper or tissue paper to glue around the wire rings. Wrap the paper tightly around the rings and decorate the outside of the lantern balls. Attach a piece of string or craft wire to the top of the lantern to hang for decoration.