DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Chinese New Year's Lantern Craft

You can hang up just one paper lantern or make a bunch and string them up to decorate the house or classroom.

There is a template for each of the Chinese New Year zodiac animals.

Print out the template of choice and color the B&W template if that's the one you picked.
Cut out the template pieces.
Set aside the handle piece, for now, but don't lose it!
Fold the lantern down the center (there's a faint line on the template to give you guidance) and crease firmly
Use the scissors to snip the dotted lines (there are 5). Make sure you don't snip all the way through. Stop snipping at the top and bottom borders .
Unfold the paper and use the tab to glue the edges together forming a tube shaped lantern.
Glue the handle on either side of the lantern.
Optional: string a number of paper lanterns in a row and hang them to decorate.
Optional: use the blank template to decorate your own winter themed lantern.

Close template window when done printing to return to this screen.
Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).