DIY Lanterns {Kids Craft Idea & Party Decoration}

It’s the middle of summer. The kids still have 7 weeks before school starts back up. My usual go-to activities such as sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and even the water table have lost their luster. You know what that means? We are STARVED for kids’ craft ideas and activities. Thankfully we found oodles of kids’ craft supplies to invigorate our tired little art cart at our local Jo-Ann Fabrics so we’re rolling out more projects than ever. However, you know me– I’m not a huge fan of clutter, so I like our crafts to do double duty. These DIY foam lanterns did the trick; they were the perfect kids’ craft to decorate my daughter’s recent Rapunzel party and she had a blast making them!

Maybe too much of a blast, they’re hanging all around the house. 😉

Many thanks to Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores for sending along a gift card to purchase the supplies for this fun Foamies Lantern project.

Materials:

large rectangular Foamies foam sheets (2 per project)
metal brads
scissors
ruler, pencil
clothespins (optional)

Step #1: Cut an inch off the length (the long side) of the INNER color (I used yellow). Save the extra piece, that will be your handle.

Step #2: Roll the inner piece into a cylinder, and overlap the edge. Secure with clothespins (if you don’t have clothespins, you can go ahead and secure with three brads down the side but don’t spread the prongs just yet.)

Step #3: Fold the outer color–I used purple– in half length wise (the long way). I clipped it closed with clothespins to help keep it folded. Leaving a 1″ margin at the top, cut slits every inch across the folded side. REMEMBER TO STOP BEFORE YOU REACH THE EDGE, DON’T CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH! {that’s my most stern teacher’s voice}{which never was very stern}. If you are doing this with a young child, you can use a ruler and pencil to measure and mark the lines, and then they can cut.

Step #4: Wrap the outer foam piece around the inner foam piece (the cylinder). Secure along the top with brads spaced every few inches.

Step #5: Balloon out the outer piece, match the bottom edges of the two pieces, and secure around the bottom with brads. Then, attach the two pieces down the side with three brads.

Step #6: Use your scrap piece of inner foamie to make a handle. Secure to the inside with brads.

Now hang it up, and enjoy it all summer long! Preferably with some yellow streamers to look like Rapunzel hair wrapped all around your house (as seen in the above pic).

So pretty. Pretty easy. And it’ll keep the kids busy instead of ransacking my house for the pure enjoyment of seeing that vein pop out on my forehead!

{7 weeks ’til school starts. I’ve got this.}

Go ahead and pin it, you’ll thank yourself the next time you hear the dreaded words: “I’m BORED!”

For more summer kids craft ideas, check out the Cape Discovery catalog. And because I love you, here’s a link to JoAnn’s Preferred Customer program so you can receive a 20% off coupon when you sign up. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the catalog version and mine; it’s always fun to put your own spin on things: