Make a Wish … Make Dandelion Paper Lanterns

Is it possible not to be enchanted by those Dandelions?

Ever since I shared the first 2 sets of DIY paper lanterns, I have been think of how to make them even easier and more accessible. To be honest, it’s not that easy to find the perfect size drinking glasses…

Today I am excited to share a new solution – see how we can make these magical Dandelion paper lanterns with ….

up-cycled plastic water bottles!

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( Some of the helpful resources are affiliate links. Full disclosure here. )

*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

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Materials and tools:

  • clear plastic water bottles from your recycle bin! Those with grooves are fine, they don’t show when lit.
  • white paper : I used  this great quality index card stock,  which worked beautifully to get more of the dimensional effect. This paper is the perfect weight, not too flimsy like text paper, not too heavy yet hold its shape nicely.
  •  LED candles or these LED Warm White String Lights  which are very bright, and are safer than real candles!
  • you can use a Silhouette Portrait or Cameo, but it’s easy enough to cut with an X-acto knife. And free templates which you can download at the end
  • clear Scotch tape
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First we will remove the labels and cut the clear plastic bottle to about 8″ tall. I use 1 Litre and 1.5 Liter bottles here. They will provide structures for our paper lanterns.

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The paper cutting process is the same as the first paper flower lantern tutorial.

After cutting them by hand or on your Silhouette Portrait or Cameo, fold those petals up so the blossoms become three dimensional. When a pattern  gets a little more intricate, use a spatula or butter knife to help lift them off the cutting mat.

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Tape the paper to the outside of the plastic bottle.

Now light the LED candles or LED Warm White String Lights, and drop them into the bottles inside our paper lanterns .

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Here are the free designs of these DIY paper lanterns for you to download!

If you have trouble downloading, it might be a browser issue, please ask friends to download and email to you! It works , lots of downloads already!

Make these stunning Dandelion paper lanterns with up-cycled plastic bottles and paper! Free printable download in this easy and fun paper craft tutorial! | A Piece Of Rainbow

You may also love…

Dimensional paper flower lanterns with colored glow!

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Paint a magical night landscape of Cherry blossoms in moonlight!

Easy and detailed tutorial on how to paint cherry blossoms on black paper, and create a magical night landscape of cherry blossoms in the moon light.

Mini paper house lanterns, perfect for fairies!

printable paper houses | a piece of rainbow

Time to make a wish, ready? GO! 🙂

62 Comments

  1. Hello, I really love these dandelion lanterns! I have a Cricut Maker. I tried to use the file and they would not work on my maker. Is there any way to convert these so they would work on my maker? I thought any svg file would work.

    Thank you so much,
    Sandy

    • hi sandy! i thought any svg will work too! maybe try a free online covert site that convert pdf to svg and then open it with cricut?

  2. I cannot open the download for the dandelion nor the 3d paper lanterns. Can you email them to me please. I love them so. They are so cleverly done. Thank you.

    • Hi luci! You can use free tools like peazip to open any zip folders and there will be multiple jpg / pdf files in the zip folder! 🙂

  3. I subscribed to you website to get the Paper Lanterns. However, I have not received an email from you to get the templets.

    • hi! red button at the bottom of welcome email and each newsletter(came out today) takes you to all downloads library! Please check spam folders! 🙂

  4. Hello. I loved your paper lanterns. I was able to download the Dimensional Paper Lantern template. However, the 3-D Paper Flower Lanterns template would not work. I think the link is missing. Could you please send me the the template? Many thanks!
    S-

  5. I’m having the same problem as another person who commented. When I hit the “download” it takes me to another page. No lanterns, nor templates. Yes, I’ve subscribed also, but I’m not able to get to the lantern pattern. I’ve emailed to myself, no luck. I did get the same error message about not having nothing to open the download with. I’m old, & stressed with trying to get the template.

  6. So I tried download the template. Signed up for email newsletter as required. Confirmed email address.
    When I go back to the site and try the download link again it asks me to sign up again instead of allowing me to download.
    What am I doing wrong?

  7. I have just spent a frustrating morning trying to download this, and other templates with no success. The search button doesn’t work, nor does your e-mail address present as valid. I’m so disappointed. Have followed the instructions and I’m told my subscription is confirmed, but I seem to be able to access nothing but the pretty pictures.

    • hi janet, our record shows 2 emails to you, one of which has the download page. Please check spam folders, and here’s the page, enjoy! =)

  8. I just made one, they’re so easy, took me about 10 min. to make. I used my cricut.for the cutting and fairy lights. My husband didn’t believed me first when I told that I made it myself, even he was sitting next to me while I was making it..lol. But seriously it was done really fast ( I didn’t folded the petals) and it looks so beautiful.

  9. These are just adorable. Do you do them all with white cardstock or do you use colors as well? I didn’t understand what one woman mentioned about “tissue paper” Thanks so much they are lovely.

    • hi wilma! you can use any colored card stock.tissue paper is very thin, we can use it under the card stock to allow light to come through for a color glass effect.
      card stock is opaque, and light will only show through the cut areas. 🙂

  10. Love these lights. Anyway you can download the files in something other than STUDIO3? My program can’t open it.

  11. absolutely brilliant! any chance you’ll be creating an svg file of this beautiful design in the future? thanks a lot.

  12. Yes, I do remember your previous DIY post on lanterns – they are magical and I find the plastic bottle component makes things way easier. Probably because they are around us, easy to find 😉 My eldest is getting craftier, so I am still keeping it on the list of activities to do with her, probably very soon given how she enjoys everything creative (we are a LOT into watercolors, the ones I bought after reading one of your posts here ;-)). Happy summer to you 🙂

    • Hi Kate
      Get it! I have had my eye on getting a Cricut for some time, so I finally broke down and bought one. I LOVE IT, my brain is going to explode with all of the ideas and things I want to make including these cute dandelion lanterns.

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