Soda Can Chinese Lanterns

A quick outdoor decoration that costs nothing and you get to quench your thirst while making it. Make a whole string of them for your next barbecue.

Approximate Time: 30 minutes

Supplies:

• aluminum soda cans
• sheet of card stock
• pencil with eraser
• push pin
• craft knife
• tea light
• fine point marker
• paper punch

Instructions:

1. Print out the pattern page and cut both from your heavy paper such as card stock. If you are making your own strip it should be 8 x 1 1/4 inch wide with 12 evenly marked notches along the long edge.

2. Tape the long strip into a ring overlapping, it should fit snugly around a can. Now place the ring on a flat surface notched side up, slip a can in the ring. The notches are at the correct height for you.

3. Use your push pin and punch a hole at each notch.

4. Turn your can over and repeat marking the notches making sure that the notches line up directly one under the one above.
   

5. Now take the other pattern piece; lay the curved edge so it connects a dot on the top circle to the one below and over one.
   Do not connect with the one directly below. This is what makes the swirl effect. With a fine point marker draw along this edge for all 12 lines.

6. With your cutter start at one hole and push your cutter in very carefully. This is a little tricky at first, but once you do one line you will get the feel of how much pressure you can use.
   I found the best method was to push in and put slight pressure down at the same time cutting just the width of the cutter at a time.
   Don't try to go to fast or you will go off the line at first.

7. When you have all 12 slits made sit your can on a table; slightly put downward pressure on the top of the can, be careful it will be very easy to squash.

8. While holding it down part way insert your pencil, eraser first, between two of the ribs and put a bend outward in the bottom and top of each rib at the point where the slit starts.
   Round out the ribs in a lantern shape with the pencil or your fingers, being careful the ribs are sharp.

9. You can paint your lantern if you want to cover the can.

Slip a tea light in-between two ribs and hang your lantern by the tab.
Make a string of these lanterns and slip each one on a bulb of a string of Christmas lights.

By Ann Winberg from Loup City, NE