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For this project you will need:
- White paper lantern set
- Black hat, buttons, clay, etc. to adorn with (White paper lantern set)
- Wood clothes pins (the kind with springs) <– get these at Walmart. They are grossly overpriced online and in craft stores.
- Hot glue gun
So the first time I used these things and they didn’t come with instructions I totally jacked the things up. Maybe it’s common sense and you’re like, why are you covering this, are you an idiot? but I’m still going to share how to put them together right quick…
There is a larger hole and a smaller hole. The smaller hole is the bottom. There are these metal forms and one end will have a hook type of thing. This goes on the top. Now see how there are two loops on either side of the larger hole at the top of my lantern? The little areas on the metal form that look like itty bitty cat ears actually rest inside of those holes to keep the lantern together. The paper of them stretches really taut and you might feel like you’re about to break the thing, but slide the form into the middle through the larger hold and push so that the metal catches on that opening. Pull the paper up and kind of push the metal down until the “ears” click into the metal eyes. You’re done!
Snowmen needs hats. It’s a fact of snowman life. This was a felt hat that came with my kit. Apparently they are envisioning a beady eyed snowman with a boho type sensibility with a huge, floppy hat.
I wound up pinning my hat to make it smaller and that worked just fine. I had initially found a little cute hat in the kid’s department I was going to snap up but this was included so it’s what I did instead!
My snowman kit has little black eyes, like way little, a wooden carrot nose and beads for the smile. There are also blue buttons and a length of felt to act as a scarf. My initial plan was to make my own carrot out of orange clay and that would have been just as well, really. This nose is a bit on the large side but I say it gives my guy character!
I hot glued my bits and bobs onto the smallest of the 3 paper lanterns and then I realized it was upside down. Yup. Oops.
Since I did my middle the right way and my top the wrong way I had to maneuver the thing so that my two hooks would both hang out together. It was a pain in the royal behind. You will just put the top and the bottom together and be set!
To keep our head from tipping over we need to add weight to the back. We’re going to keep our top and bottom together and weight the back all in one go with clothes pins. Use 2-4 pins to clamp together the metal inserts from the top and bottom lanterns. Make sure they’re both turned the right way. This may go without saying but this ain’t my first rodeo and I did get it all mixed up before I hit it with the hot glue, thank goodness!
Place hot glue on the back side of the the middle paper lantern and push the clothespins down to connect. Hold until the glue sets.
Glue the top paper lantern to the tops of the clothespins wherever they easily and naturally will touch.
Oh, wow! This is really working! GO us :)
Glue the bottom and last paper lantern onto the bottom.For this one you can just glue paper to paper. You’ll need to squish both lanterns to get it to fit that way. Use clothespins if you have to but it should be doable without them.
Now it’s time to add your length of felt around the neck to hide that ugly seam and warm your chilly snowman right on up. Fringe the ends if you like or leave as is!
To hang run a pipe cleaner around the wire holder of the head lantern a good 2 or three times.
Now that is one heck of a schnoz is it not?
It turns out that my ceilings are so dang high that it was difficult finding a place to hang this guy. I guess he’s going to be our new centerpiece hanging out on the dining table’s light :)
Isn’t my paper lantern snowman cute, cute, CUTE? And he’s made withstand these warm South Texas winters, too :)
