2011 Lantern Festival Photos
Bamboo Lanterns
Hundreds of people construct bamboo and tissue paper lanterns each year. Boxes and pyramids are our basic learning lanterns. More advanced learning lanterns are the ever-popular stars, which build three-dimensional skills that benefit from the tensile strength of the bamboo and the papering prowess of the creator.
Hooked on these foundational lanterns, volunteers and workshop participants begin to develop a creative eye for new structures, specialized adaptations and better effects each year. New lantern builders absorb the know-how of past lantern-builders, and design innovations become design traditions.
A simple bamboo lantern (box or pyramid) usually takes at least 2 evenings to make. More elaborate bamboo lanterns take more time, so plan your designs based on the time you can commit. Try to be as creative as possible within a realistic time commitment.
Building a bamboo lantern requires the use of a hot glue gun and bending wires that can poke. The hot glue is very hot, so parental supervision is required for children.
Repair a Bamboo Lantern
A good way to learn the does and don’ts of solid bamboo lantern making is to take on a repair project. We have many abandoned lanterns that we re-make, patch up, re-paper, re-glue and the sell in our merchandise tent to raise money for the festival. We also have large installation lanterns that always need a good clean-up and a few patches. Repairing a lantern lets you see how a lantern is put together and helps build your skills so you can embark on your own creation. Doing lantern repairs is a great help to the festival, too!
