How to Make a Lantern With Simple Tools

How to Make a Lantern With Simple ToolsThe creative process for making any home-made item such as a lantern is fairly simple. There are only two skills you need to master when it comes to creating a lantern: cutting and gluing. The rest of the creative process is purely down to your imagination.Start by choosing an appropriate material for your lantern. As a rule, wood should be avoided at all costs. It is very dangerous and the sawdust you produce can catch fire very easily. Rather use some thin but sturdy cardboard tubes, or glass if you can find it.Choose a colour for your lantern based on the ambient in which you are working. If you have a clear light source, a warm yellow would be best. If you are painting your lantern or having a theatrical effect, you might want to choose a reddish shade. Make sure you avoid using orange, green or red colours as they tend to attract bugs.Cutting your cardboard tubes is the first step in the process. You will need to trim the tube in half along one side before cutting into it. Once you have created this cut, start gluing together the two ends of the tube, but use very little glue.The upper portion of the tube is not vital; you can leave it attached to the lower portion, especially if you intend for the lantern to hang from a pegboard. You could also attach the sides to the upper part of the tube, but if you are planning to reattach the tube later on, this would make it much more difficult to reposition the lamp.Adding a piece of wire, much like a piece of string, would be a good idea to help you create a fuse or indicator for your lantern. This would allow you to prevent the light from burning out, and you would also be able to safely and easily get to the fuses. Although this type of fuse is not necessarily required, many lantern manufacturers recommend their use because they do work, and there are no safety concerns associated with them.The most basic process in the creative process is actually cutting. If you cannot cu t your cardboard tubes yourself, use a utility knife and score the inside of the tube to create a groove in the inside to fit through. Cut three to four slits in the end of the tube for ventilation purposes.