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| Fabric lanterns |
| Add a splash of colour and some eastern spice to your home with a traditional fabric lantern. |
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The best thing about making your own is it can be decorated to suit your style. Make a decadent lantern with shiny fabric paints and coloured glass beads or a simple, stylish light.
STEP BY STEP
Lantern:
1 Cut the cotton voile from the pattern and the facing for the bottom trim. Some cotton voile is delicate and more difficult to work with than others. You can adjust this pattern to any size lantern you want but be careful not to make it too small (it should not touch the bulb). We recommend using a 40w bulb.
2 Using the sewing machine, stitch the facing to the bottom trim (right sides together).
3 Trim the edges and points and turn right sides out.
4 Sew an upturned pleat on the top of the trim and the top of the frame placement (right side). We also sewed a pleat along the middle of the lantern for decoration.
5 Sew a 2cm pocket seam around the top end. This will hold the cord to make the top a drawstring.
Decorating:
1 Cardboard will act as a firm surface on which to lean when applying your design and paint. Laying the lantern flat will allow you to paint two sides at once. Sketch a faint outline of your design onto the lantern with a pencil so your design is evenly spaced. You can use our Sun design or make a stencil of your own.
2 Paint over your sketch with the desired colours. The drying time for the paint varies depending on the thickness of the application, but for best results, should be left to air dry for 24 hours. You can make your square frames and tassels while the paint is drying.
3 You can also decorate with glass beads by sewing them individually or into a flower shape. To make a flower, thread the coloured glass beads onto a length of thin necklace wire and bend into shape.
4 When the paint is dry, sew the side seam. You will need two opposite corners open on the top pocket seam for the hanging cord, so don't sew the side right to the top. Cut a little slit in the opposite side of the seam.
Making tassels:
1 Cut a small piece of cardboard (3cm or 4cm wide) to the length required for your tassels. Wind enough cotton lengthways around the card to create a tassel of the thickness you prefer.
2 When you've finished winding, leave a tail of cotton about 30cm long. Take the wound cotton off the cardboard and wind the tail through the end of the loop and tie. Bind the end of the tassel with the remaining cotton or a contrasting colour.
3 Using a sewing needle, take the end of the cotton up through the centre of the binding. The remaining cotton can be used to sew the tassel to the lantern.
4 Cut the remaining loop to form the tassel. Tassels can be hung from the end of each triangular trim.
Making and inserting wire frames:
1 Make square wire frames by cutting two lengths of 80cm wire. Bend with pliers to make each side 20cm long. For a neater finish, make sure the end joins of the wire are in the middle of a side. Do not join the ends yet.
2 Sew two thin tubes from the left over fabric to cover the wire frames. This will make it easier to sew them into the lantern and secure. Insert the wire frameworks into the tubes and secure the ends with tape, then pull the fabric over the join.
3 Sew the frames into the lantern, positioning behind the pleats on the inside. Using slip stitching, sew small stitches on the outside, along with a coloured bead for decoration, and larger stitches on the inside to attach the frames.
Drawstring for hanging:
1 Choose two or three colours of stranded cotton and plait together to make the cord. Remember to make it long enough to hang your lantern.
2 Thread the twisted cord through the top pocket for hanging.
Loosen the drawstring top and bring the lantern over the bulb. Mark the height on the electrical cord for the lantern to hang and wind some thread around the cord to act as a stop. Tie the drawstring cord just above the stop and let your lantern hang.
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Materials
MATERIALS
Galvanised wire
Cotton voile fabric
Glass seed beads
Fashion dimensional fabric paint
Stranded cotton
Cardboard
Masking tape
If you are making a round lantern you also need metal hoops.
TOOLS
Sewing machine
Wire cutters
Pliers
Sewing needle
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More Info
Fabric paints, threads and glass beads available from DMC Australia. For stockists or product information on their wide range of fabrics, beads, threads and paints call the toll free number or visit the web site.
Ph: 1800 684 144
www.dmc-cw.com
A range of pure and Blended linen fabrics are also available from DMC. Blended linen costs approximately $50 and more for Pure.
Cotton voile fabric and metal hoops available from Spotlight.
Galvanised wire and join clips available from Home Timber & Hardware.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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