These gorgeous lanterns made out of sun art paper will add a beautiful glow in your home or outdoor area. I will share three ways to make these gorgeous lanterns. They vary in difficulty, so I know you will find something that works for you!
Have you ever experimented with sun art paper before? By placing objects on special paper and exposing the paper to sunlight, early photographers created blue images, called cyanotypes or sun prints. It’s such a fun process to observe! I decided to turn these cool pieces of nature art into various types of lanterns and they turned out so pretty!
Supplies for your Sun Art Paper Lantern:
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Sun print paper kit. We used the Tedco brand and purchased it on Amazon. We have the 5×7 pack, but recommend purchasing the 8×10 pack if you plan on making a larger jar lantern. You can always cut the paper if it’s too large.
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Pieces of nature. Look for a wide variety to experiment with!
Depending on the type of lantern you want to make, you will need the following supplies in addition to the items listed above.
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Lantern #1- Stapler
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Lantern #2- Jar, twine, scissors, and tape
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Lantern #3- 16 craft popsicle sticks, hot glue gun or tacky glue, pencil, and scissors
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Related: Check out 25+ Summer Activities for Kids
How to Use Sun Art Paper:
Follow the instructions on the package of the particular type of sun print paper that you purchased. Here are basic instructions and a few tips:
Step 1:
Arrange your nature finds on a piece of sun art paper out of the reach of the sun. We set our paper on a clipboard so it was easy to transport back indoors for the fourth step.
Step 2:
Place the acrylic pressing sheet on top to flatten and keep your items in place.
Step 3:
Take your sun paper outside and lay it in direct sunlight for 2-5 minutes. If it’s cloudy, keep it out a bit longer. Clouds are okay, just make sure there are no shadows on your paper. The paper is finished once it turns a very light blue.
Step 4:
Rinse your sun paper in water for 1-5 minutes.Watch the white turn into blue and the blue turn into white. Magic!
Step 5:
Lay your sun paper flat on an absorbent surface and allow it to dry. I like to press the paper in a book for 10 minutes once completely dry to flatten it out.
How to Make Lantern #1:
This is the easiest lantern to make! Besides making the sun paper art, there is no prep work. Just roll the paper over, staple or tape the ends together, and set it on a flameless tea light candle!
Try making different lantern sizes by rolling the paper length wise and crosswise or using a variety of paper sizes. These are so easy to make, but look just as pretty as the next two lanterns!
How to Make Lantern #2:
The handle on this jar lantern makes it perfect for nature walks!
If you are nervous about using a glass jar, you can also cut off the top of a plastic water bottle to make a shatterproof lantern.
See how to take the label off your jar and make a handle in my last blog post called, Jar Lantern with Pressed Flowers .
Once you complete those 2 steps, tape your piece of sun paper to the lantern and add a flameless tea light candle. You are all set for a nature walk!
How to Make Lantern #3:
This lantern will WOW visitors! It’s so beautiful and with just a little extra work, you will have a true piece of art for your home.
First, glue your craft sticks together to make a square. Repeat this process until you have four squares.
Next, cut out a piece of sun paper according to the size of the square formed with the craft sticks and glue it on the frame. Repeat this process three more times.
Last, glue the sides of the craft stick frames together. I suggest adding a little dab of glue at the top and bottom of each frame or you will have a gluey mess!
Set the lantern on top of a flameless tea light candle and you have a gorgeous summer decoration. You can turn the cube around to show different sides of the lantern!
I hope you enjoyed making these beautiful lanterns and feel inspired to make more throughout the year! Try them during any season by using specific pieces of nature to that time of year. The possibilities are endless with this gorgeous nature craft!
Pin it and save it for later!
I hope you try making these sun art paper lanterns! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.
∼Tara