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November 11, 2020
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November 11, 2020
St. Martin’s Day Lantern Festival
For many years, College Park Arts Exchange has sponsored a St. Martin’s Day Lantern Festival as a beloved annual tradition. Volunteer and CPAE board member Birgit Meade has led this craft from her home country of Germany, with traditional songs on her harmonica and lots of German cookies for a nice treat. The crafting part usually takes an hour to 90 minutes, culminating in a twilight walk outside, singing and carrying lanterns around the neighborhood.
Here is a step by step instruction manual based on Birgit’s time tested method of making a beautiful, handcrafted paper lantern for St. Martin’s Day, observed on November 11. St. Martin of Tours is a Christian saint who was a Roman soldier. Famously, he cut his cloak in half and gave half to someone in need. The pieces of his Roman cloak (cappa) gave us the word for “Chapel” in English.
You will need: A poster-board (preferably a dark color); pencil; scissors; stapler; gluestick; a piece of wire or chenille stem for the handle; a tea light; and hot glue (recommended).
Watch this short video to see how it is done!
MEASURING AND “STAINED GLASS” PROCESS.
- Measure the poster-board. You will cut a long rectangle lengthwise along the poster-board that is 7.5” wide. The lantern will be 7.5 inches tall. You can get 3 lanterns from one piece of poster-board. It’s good to use poster-board that is a dark color, but white will also work.
- Measure down 21” along the rectangle and cut off the end (a square). You will use the square for the bottom. Fold a one-inch flap first, and then fold the long rectangle into four sides, each 5”, for the lantern.
- Now you have four sides of the lantern where you can make designs. Choose a simple design at first like a star, heart, or tree. Draw your shape on the inside of the lantern where the drawing lines won’t be seen. Cut out the shape.
- Using tissue paper, make “Stained glass” across the shape. You can use nice German translucent paper, but you need to order that in advance. If you are curious, order some now (see links below) you can also use it to make beautiful symmetrical folded stars.
- Use glue on the INSIDE of the lantern to hold your tissue paper in place.
- Draw a design on each of the remaining three sides; cut it out; and fill it with colored tissue for the stained glass effect.
- Once you have decorated all four sides, you are ready to work on the bottom.
DIRECTIONS FOR BOTTOM AND ASSEMBLY OF LANTERN.
- Draw a five inch square box in the middle of the extra square of poster-board.
- Cut off the corners outside the box diagonally (you are cutting a small right triangle off the corner). You will cut four of them.
- Fold up the edges of the pieces about one inch, along the five inch square box that you drew.
- This is the bottom of your lantern.
- Fold your lantern so that the one inch flap is overlapping on the INSIDE. Staple the overlap to the first five inch panel to make the lantern.
- Insert the bottom. The folded sides should point down. Staple each folded side to a panel.
- Now you can add a wire handle (you can use a hole punch).
- Add a candle. We recommend you hot glue the candle in place. Do not let children use this lantern without supervision. You can also use a battery powered artificial candle, and tape it in place.
Bella Luna Waldorf Window Stars translucent paper:
Mercurius AMS Kite Paper 100 Sheets 11 Colors 6.25″ Squares
Frosted Glass Paper with imprinted autumn designs, at Dick Blick art supply company
