This craft can be found in Small Wonder magazine, Issue No. 2!

Photos are by the great and lovely and fantastic Janis Nicolay at Pinecone Camp

We were originally inspired to share this craft with you after we wrote our halloween story about a dog called Foggy who is afraid of the dark in our story Foggy's Big Fright. His friends get together and hold lanterns up to make him feel happy and safe. Your lantern should keep you happy and safe, too, all year round.

Supplies

· found bits of nature; ones that are not too heavy or might be slightly transparent, like leaves
· tape; we especially like colourful wash tape, but any tape will do
· crayons, pens, pastels
· cardboard — to make your shapes
· glycene or glassine paper or any colourful translucent paper pre-cut to 10" x 12" (255mm x 305mm)
· string or embroidery floss
· battery-run candle or small LED light

Steps

1) COLLECT NATURE

Have a nice run outside and find some small, light pieces of nature, like leaves and grasses. If it's the middle of winter, it's an extra challenge! If you're housebound, cutting out some colourful paper leaves is good, too. Everyone will also need one long stick to be your lantern holder. Have the kids think about transparency as they look for objects. Hold them up to the light. Can you see through them? Just a little. Not at all?

2) MAKE YOUR SHAPES

Cut your cardboard into the shapes:

1 circle, 4" (100 mm) diameter
1 small rectangle, 1" x 4" (25mm x 100mm)
2 long rectangles, 1" x 12" (25mm x 305mm)

3) MAKE YOUR BASE & YOUR TOP

Your base has the solid circle, and the top has the cross bar that you’ll later attach your string to. Wrap each of your long rectangles to form two circles the same size and tape in place. For the base, tape on the solid circle. For the top, tape the little rectangle across the middle.

The base has the solid circle to hold your candle, the top has the crossbar to hold your string

4) DECORATE YOUR LANTERN

Take your pre-cut transparency paper, lie it flat on the table and use your tape to stick on your found nature and/or draw whatever spooky or fun thing you’d like to draw.

5) PUT YOUR LANTERN TOGETHER

Turn your artwork upside down, so the “picture” is facing down. Take your base. Start on the bottom at one side of the paper. Tape the paper to the base to start, then roll the base along the bottom and tape it together when it joins. Then take the top piece and tape it to the top, with the cross bar at the top. Be generous with the tape, as this has to hold your whole lantern together.