As the evenings begin to draw in, there's something rather lovely about making a lantern to brighten up the darker months.
Willow lanterns are a simple and enjoyable craft, whether you're making one at home with the children, preparing for a school lantern parade, or just fancy trying something a little different.
With a handful of willow rods, some tissue paper and a few everyday craft materials, you can make all sorts of shapes and designs. And the nice thing is, they don't have to be perfect. In fact, some of the most interesting lanterns are the ones that turn out a little differently from how you first imagined!
If you've never made one before, here's a simple way to get started.
What you'll need
You don't need a great deal of equipment to make a willow lantern, and we've put together a selection of materials on our website to help you get started.
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Lantern Willow – Mixed Willow Bundles – A selection of willow rods in mixed lengths, ideal for shaping into lantern frames. Our lantern willow is a mixed craft grade, so the rods will vary in colour, shape and thickness, which is perfectly fine for this sort of project.
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Willow Soak Bags – Handy for soaking your willow before you begin, helping to make the rods more flexible and easier to bend without breaking.
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White Wet Strength Tissue Paper – Ideal for covering your frame. This specialist tissue holds together better when wet with glue and gives the lantern a lovely soft glow when lit.
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Tissue Paper in 10 Assorted Colours – For adding colour, patterns and a little character to your finished lantern.
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Masking Tape – Used to hold your willow rods together while you build the frame.
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Washable PVA Glue – For attaching the tissue paper to your lantern.
You'll also find a pair of secateurs, some scissors, a paintbrush or sponge, a small bowl and a battery-operated LED light useful.
How to make your willow lantern
Step 1 – Prepare your willow
Before you start shaping your lantern, you'll need to make sure your willow is flexible enough to work with.
Dried willow can be quite stiff, so soaking it in water helps soften the rods and makes them easier to bend.
Our willow soak bags are particularly useful for this. Simply lay the bag on a soft, flat surface, secure one end, place your willow inside and fill with enough cold water to cover the rods. Close the other end and leave the bag lying flat while the willow soaks.
The time needed will depend on the type and thickness of your willow. Once the rods bend comfortably without cracking, allow them a little time wrapped up damp to mellow before you begin.
Step 2 – Make your lantern base
For your first lantern, we'd suggest starting with a simple pyramid shape.
Choose four suitable pieces of willow and trim them to a similar length. Around 25–30cm each makes a manageable base for a small lantern.
Lay them out in a square and use masking tape to secure the four corners.
Don't worry if the square isn't absolutely perfect. As long as it's reasonably sturdy, you're off to a good start.
Step 3 – Build the frame
Next, choose four longer willow rods to form the sides of your lantern.
Attach one rod to each corner of your square base using masking tape, then bring the four rods together at the top to create a pyramid.
Tape the rods securely where they meet.
You can add a few extra pieces of willow around the frame for strength, or gently bend thinner rods to create curves and different shapes.
This is where you can have a bit of fun experimenting.
Step 4 – Cover your lantern with tissue paper
Now for the slightly messy part!
Pour some PVA glue into a small bowl and add a little water to make it easier to spread.
Cut or tear your white wet-strength tissue paper into manageable pieces and use a brush or sponge to apply the glue mixture.
Carefully lay the tissue over your willow frame, overlapping the edges as you go. Smooth it down gently so it follows the shape of the lantern.
Continue until you've covered the sides, leaving an opening at the bottom for your LED light.
There's no need to worry about the odd wrinkle. The paper will tighten a little as it dries.
Step 5 – Add a little colour
You can leave your lantern white for a lovely soft glow, or use coloured tissue paper to give it a bit more character.
Try adding colourful shapes, simple patterns or overlapping colours to create different effects when the lantern is illuminated.
Our assorted tissue paper comes in ten colours, so there's plenty of opportunity to try something different.
For best results, use the white wet-strength tissue as your main covering and add coloured tissue as decoration. It's worth testing a small piece first, as some coloured tissue can bleed or tear when wet.
Step 6 – Leave your lantern to dry
Once you're happy with your design, put the lantern somewhere warm and dry, away from direct heat, and leave it until the paper and glue have dried completely.
Leaving it overnight is usually a good idea.
As the tissue dries, it should become firmer and help hold everything together.
Step 7 – Light it up!
And there you have it, your very own willow lantern.
Place a battery-operated LED light inside, switch off the room lights and enjoy the results.
Always use battery-operated LED lighting rather than candles or naked flames. Willow, tissue paper and glue are combustible, so traditional candles aren't suitable for these lanterns.
A lovely project for schools and community groups
Willow lantern making is particularly popular with schools, craft groups and community projects, especially in the run-up to Christmas and the winter celebrations.
It's a nice way to bring people together, and everyone can make something a little different.
Once you've mastered a simple pyramid, there's plenty of scope to experiment with stars, animals, flowers and all sorts of other shapes.
You might be surprised at what you can make from a few willow rods and a bit of imagination.
Everything you need to get started
If you fancy having a go, we've got the materials to help you get started.
Our Mixed Lantern Willow Bundles are a practical choice for lantern making and other small craft projects, and you'll find soak bags for preparing the rods too.
We also stock white and coloured tissue paper, masking tape and PVA glue, so you can pick up the main materials together.
Whether you're making one lantern or planning a larger group project, we hope you'll enjoy giving it a try.
And if you do make something, we'd love to see how it turns out. You're always welcome to share your creations with us.
Browse our lantern-making materials
Happy making!
The team at Somerset Willow Growers
