Paper Lantern Hot Air Balloon Craft

I’m throwing a baby shower for one of my best friends.  She loves hot air balloons so I decided to make these hot air balloons out of paper lanterns as decorations for her baby shower.  After the shower is over, she can use them to decorate the nursery.

Supplies need to make your own hot air balloon craft:

• Paper Lantern
• Tissue Paper
• Scissors
• Spray Adhesive
• Cardboard (to make template)
• Decorative String
• Hole Punch
• Brown Construction Paper or paper with wood pattern printed on (explained later)

To start out, I created a template for each segment.  Each hot air balloon will have 3 white segments that are leaf shaped.  You could freehand the segments or create a template using a large round bucket/pot/ basket (anything with a very large diameter).  The diameter of the object you use to make your template should be at least 2.5 times the diameter of the lantern.  Optionally, you could make a compass from string and a pencil.

After you have your template, trace the leaf shape onto the tissue paper.  I folded my tissue paper into fourths so I could cut four sheets at a time.

Using spray adhesive, attach each leaf vertically onto the lantern.  I just eyeballed the distances.

Spray adhesive is pretty forgiving so you can re-position without much issue.  Make sure to use enough spray adhesive on each leaf and use your hands to smooth over any bubbles.

Using brown construction paper or paper with printed wood grain (I just googled wood grain images and printed one out that I liked) cut out a 4 x 11 inch strip.  If you want the inside of your basket to be darker (not white from the print out), then glue a piece of construction paper to the back of the image before cutting the strip.

Tape or glue the edges of the wood strip together to form a box.  This will be the basket for your hot air balloon.

With a hole punch, punch out two opposing corners of the basket that you just assembled and attach decorative string onto the basket and bottom of lantern.

String up the lanterns and you’re ready to decorate for your next party!