Super easy paper lantern project

When you're going through boxes that have remained largely untouched for several years, you're bound to find a TON of crap that makes you scratch your head. I've recently been puzzling over why I have acquired multiple paper lanterns. They've been stashed away for years and it makes me wonder why we even bought them in the first place.

But a couple of weeks ago I spotted this cute tutorial for a lantern makeover over at ohdeedoh.com, and I was inspired to give one of my useless boring white paper lanterns a little facelift and maybe have something cute to add to baby's room. Yes, the bunting lantern in the tutorial is completely adorable. But I was feeling pretty lazy and didn't feel like sewing my own bunting, and even if I wanted to, I'd have to go out and buy a few new supplies. I was determined not to have to buy anything new. So what could I use that I already have laying around the house?

Yes. Oh yes.

A few months ago, I snagged a bag full of vintage rick-rack from a local thrift store for about a buck, and it has been sitting patiently in my sewing box, waiting. Finally, a chance to use it!

I used a hot glue gun and slowly started working my way around the lantern, using the wooden lantern frame as a guide. Hot glue guns make me feel like a total old school "crafter" (hello, early 90s midwest craft fairs filled with lifesaver candy trains, potpourri wreaths, and painted santas), but I put my pride aside and remembered how much I love hot glue. It's so much fun! And smells like burning plastic...mmm. Since the yellow trim was so skinny, I used some white buttons from my old timey button jar to anchor everything together and tidily hold the glue globs.

And that's pretty much it. Super simple, took a little over an hour, and the possibilities are endless. You could use just about any lightweight material to decorate a lantern: simple jute rope, colored yarn, feathers, strips of old fabric. What a great way to customize an otherwise-boring object that was destined for the Goodwill pile.

(And you get to use a hot glue gun!!!)