How to make a Vesak Lantern

Gearing up for the weekend’s celebrations, I thought it would be fitting to make a Vesak Lantern for our office cubicle. This was my first attempt at making one, although I must admit I did cheat a tad bit here and there in order to speed up the process. I will now share an easy, step by step guide on how to make a Vesak Lantern.

Below is a list of materials that you will need:
24/25 Strips of bamboo
Thread
Thin tissue paper/ crepe paper
A pair of scissors
Glue/ Paappa (traditional glue made out of plain baking flour and water)


Making the frame

Alright alright, I didn’t make the frame- I bought it off the roadside. But if you wish, you can make one on your own using bamboo sticks (as they are easily bendable) that are cut thin to around 0.5 inch/ 1 cm in diameter. Each stick should measure roughly around 15cms in length making it a manageable size to start off with. Lanterns range in shape and size from simple rectangles or prisms to highly elaborate structures.

All you need to do is take your thin strips of bamboo and tie them tight together with some sturdy thread to form the shape you desire. Let your imagination run wild and come up a whimsically, unique design! (Unlike me)


Making Paappa


This disgustingly gloopy stuff is thoroughly fun to play around with! All you need to do is mix baking flour and water and heat it over the fire until it becomes suitably gooey. Why paappa over glue? The thick paste aids in handling the thin Tissue paper that could easily tear when using glue.



Decorating the frame


Easily the most fun part! Traditionally white tissue paper was used; however you can jazz it up by using various bright colours just like I did. Try not to stick to one colour!

Step 1: Trace the outline of the frame onto the paper leaving about a 1cm leeway, which can be trimmed off later.

Step 2: Apply the thick paste onto the frame and slowly place the cut piece of crepe paper onto the bamboo.

Step 3: Let the lantern dry out and then slowly trim away the excess tissue paper off the edges.

Step 4: Cut thin long strips of paper.

Step 5: Apply paappa to the edges of the lantern and then slowly scallop the thin strips of paper over, neatening out the entire look.

The final step: making tentacles for the lantern!
Step 6: Fold a long strip of paper up several times. Instead of cutting clear through the folded paper, leave some room at the top, and nip the folded part many times to create thin strips. Afterward gently shake the folded paper out and paste the tentacles onto the insides of the lantern!

Voila! You’re done!