How to make a pyramid lantern

7 October 2021

Materials required to make a pyramid lantern

• Willow rods x 8 (5ft rods are ideal. Use either lantern or buff willow)
• White wet strength tissue x 5 sheets
• Run resistant mixed colour tissue (optional)
• PVA glue
• Masking tape
• Soaking bag (or use an old bath, paddling pool or trough)

Other useful items

• Scissors
• Small sponge
• Plastic bowl or bucket
• Side cutters or pliers
• A bamboo cane (to hang the lantern from)
• LED lights (and batteries)
• Tape measure
• String
• Floristry wire
• Water

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How to make a pyramid lantern

The first task is to soak the willow rods. This will make them easy to bend and less likely to snap. Put the willow rods into a soaking bag (or other vessel such as an old bath or paddling pool) and add water. (Read our tips on using a soaking bag and the correct amount of water to add.) The willow will need to soak for 1 hour. After an hour, carefully drain the water and leave the rods in the bag for a further hour to mellow. Mellowing is a really important part of the soaking process as it enables the inner parts of the rod to become fully pliable. The soaking bag can be reused. If you aren’t using a soaking bag, wrap the rods in hessian or an old blanket to mellow.

Working with willow

• The willow rods can be used individually or in pairs. Pairing the rods will make the lantern stronger
• The pairs can be made to a specific length by pulling the 2 butts away or towards each other before taping them together
• If a willow rod snaps, breaks or is too short, offcuts can be used to splint or extend. Keep all your trimmings as they may come in handy!

Making the lantern frame

Using 8 withies, create 4 pairs (see Fig.1 above) roughly 110 cm long.

Take 1 pair and make 4 kinks or bends 22 cm apart.

Overlap and tape the ends together to make a square. Repeat this process, with another set of pairs, but this time making the kinks 13 cm apart, to create a smaller square. Trim off any excess. (Fig.2). Set the smaller square to one side.

Take the remaining 2 pairs and tape them together in the middle to make a cross. Place the cross under the larger square, as shown and then tape the 2 together at the corners (Fig.3).

Kink up the ends at each corner, bringing all 4 ‘arms’ together to make a pyramid.              

Tape the ends and trim off any excess (Fig.4). Remember to insert a wire hanging loop at this stage if required.

Tape the smaller square half way up the pyramid to add strength (Fig.5). This can also be done using individual rods to make interesting patterns that will appear in the form of silhouettes when the lantern is lit.

Inserting LED lights

If you wish to insert LED lights in your lantern be sure to make an access point. Take a willow rod and make a small ring (see diagram below). Simply attach it to the lantern in the area required. If the lantern needs to be hung from a bamboo pole, use floristry wire to create a loop at the top of the lantern before covering. This will help to create a neat finish.

Covering your pyramid lantern

• White wet strength tissue should be used to cover the lantern. Run resistant coloured tissue is for decoration only. Once dry, white wet strength tissue gives the lantern strength
• Wet strength tissue can be used in strips, squares, part or whole. Half sheets work well on a pyramid
• Tear or cut the tissue to size before you begin covering. Wet sticky hands can make manipulating dry tissue very difficult
• Wear appropriate clothing and ensure work surfaces are easy to wipe. The covering process can get messy!

Read our comprehensive guide to using tissue papers and different PVA glues

Using PVA glue

Dilute the PVA glue with water in a bowl or bucket. The end mixture should be similar to single cream and run off a stick easily. Try 1 part glue to approximately 1.5 – 2 parts water.

Take a sheet of torn-to-size white wet strength tissue, crumple it up and dunk in the glue mixture so that it is completely covered. Remove the tissue and squeeze out as much glue as possible. You will be left with a lump of soggy paper. Carefully tease the paper open into a flat sheet and gently stretch over and around your lantern. Smooth out any creases with your fingers or use a sponge which has been dipped in the glue mixture. Continue in this fashion until the lantern has been covered with two layers of the wet strength tissue.

If an access ring has been added, simply cut the wet tissue paper from the centre of the ring out and glue the flaps back over the ring to the inside of the lantern. Leave your lantern to dry before decorating.

Decoration tips

• Run resistant coloured tissue is designed to be stuck to (dry) wet strength tissue paper. To apply, dampen the area you wish to decorate, (do not wet the coloured tissue) and put in place. Once dry, paint over with the diluted glue mixture
• Use paint, pens, wool, string, foil, glitter and/or streamers to customize your pyramid lantern
• When lit, anything that is not translucent, (e.g. card, string or foil) will appear in silhouette