DIY Kids Craft: Tissue Paper Lanterns

This post was written by Emily Schwerin-Whyte - VP of Sales and Marketing, and one of the family-owners of Badger.

As part of Badger’s recent 20th anniversary celebration, Katie, one of Badger’s co-owners (and my mom), put together an activity day for the Badger kids including my almost 6 year old daughter Maya. A happy group of about 20 little kids walked the labyrinth, ate cake and got to make their very own stained glass lanterns. This is a fun project that is easy to do yourself and would be a great activity for the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Supplies Needed:

• Pint sized canning jar (or similar sized, empty food jar with labels completely removed)
• Colored tissue paper
• Washable, non-toxic school glue (mixed half glue with half water)
• Thin gauge garden wire (for a handle)
• Small foam paint brush
• Tea light candle

Time:

Prep should take no longer than 15 minutes (depending on how many lanterns you are prepping).

The activity itself will take anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes.

Prep:

Fill a small container with the glue mixture – half glue, half water – then mix it to an even consistency.

Tear different colored tissue paper in to small irregular pieces, 1 – 2 inches in diameter.

Prep the jars by wrapping the wire around the neck of the jar then attaching a second piece of wire for the handle. (picture) Be sure to pinch any wire ends together so there are no sharp edges. It’s a good idea to add the handle before decorating the jar so that you can easily move the jar while the glue is still drying.

Time to have fun!

Kids of all ages will be able to do this craft, though the littlest ones might need some help.

Apply a little bit of the glue mixture to the jar with the foam paint brush, then apply a single piece of tissue paper over the glue. Repeat until the whole jar is covered with overlapping tissue paper. Once it is dry, you can place and light the tea candle inside and the colors will come to life.

I’ve presented this as a kids craft but I can totally see doing this activity myself!

Emily Schwerin-Whyte is the Co-CEO, and one of the family-owners. She's been with Badger since 1995! "I remember packing boxes off of our dining room table alongside my dad when Badger first started in 1995. We have grown quite a bit since then, and we now come to work each day in a beautiful ecological building, but I am still lucky enough to work with my family. I even got to bring my daughter Maya to work with me when she was a baby!"
Emily's favorite Badger products are Sleep Balm & Sore Muscle Rub.

Check out all our natural and organic skin care products at www.badgerbalm.com.