Fun
Paper lantern template
Choose a classic Chinese-style slit lantern or a two-part 3D star, make it yours, watch it turn in 3D and print the template on A4 or US Letter.
Finished lantern: about 14 cm tall, 8.4 cm across the bands, 15 ribs.
Template
Printable PDF
3 pages · print at 100% (Actual size) and check the 5 cm bar. Solid lines are cuts, dashed lines are folds.
Light paper lanterns with a battery LED tea light or LED fairy lights only — never a candle.
Play and explore in your browser. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make the classic paper lantern?
Cut out the body and fold it in half lengthwise along the dashed line, printed side out. Keeping it folded, cut along every slit line through both layers, from the fold up to the patterned band — never into the band. Unfold, roll the sheet into a tube and glue the grey tab inside the other end. Press the lantern down gently so the ribs bow out at the fold, or slide in the liner and glue the bands to it, then glue the handle inside the top band.
What is the inner liner for?
The liner is an optional third page: a plain tube in a second colour that goes inside the lantern. It shows through the gaps between the ribs, and because it is as tall as the finished lantern, gluing the top and bottom bands to it holds the ribs in their bowed shape. Without it, just press the lantern down a little until it looks right.
How is the star lantern put together?
It is made of two halves. Each half is a star with its centre raised into a point: fold the dash-dot lines to the five tips as peaks and the dashed lines to the inner corners as dips, then glue the closing tab across the small gap so the half forms a shallow star-shaped dome. The ten grey tabs on half A fold inwards and are glued inside the edges of half B. Leave the last edges open until you have put a light inside.
Can I put a candle in a paper lantern?
No. Paper catches fire easily, so use a battery LED tea light or a short string of LED fairy lights, which stay cool. The star lantern's windows are sized to let LED light shine through, and the instructions in the PDF repeat this safety note.
What paper should I print on?
Ordinary printer paper works for the classic lantern; thin card of about 120–160 g/m² makes it sturdier. The star holds its shape best on thin card of 160–200 g/m². Tick Outlines only to print just the cut and fold lines and patterns on coloured paper, which saves ink on the large coloured areas.
Can I write any text on the lantern?
The classic lantern prints your text twice on the top band, so it shows on the front and the back. The PDF uses the standard Helvetica font, so text is limited to Latin letters, numbers and common punctuation: accents are dropped and emoji or other alphabets, such as Chinese characters, are left out — the text box tells you how it will print. The star lantern has no text; its faces carry the pattern and the light windows.
About this tool
Paper lanterns are one of the easiest paper crafts to make and one of the most satisfying: a single sheet with a row of slits becomes a round, ribbed lantern in a few minutes. This paper lantern template generator draws the classic Chinese-style slit lantern to fit a whole A4 or US Letter page, with patterned bands at the top and bottom, evenly spaced slits that stop short of the bands, a fold line along the middle and a glue tab at the end, so the lantern closes into a neat ring and the pattern meets itself at the seam.
You choose the paper colour, a pattern colour and one of six band patterns — waves, clouds, zigzag, diamonds, stars or plain stripes — plus narrow, medium or wide slits and your own words for the top band, such as Happy New Year or a name for a party. The template comes with a matching handle strip, an optional inner liner in a second colour and five illustrated steps, and the page tells you how tall and how wide the finished lantern will be.
The star lantern is a 3D five-pointed star made from two halves that are glued together. Each half is unfolded from the true 3D shape, so the ten triangular faces meet exactly and a small gap, closed with a glue tab, turns the flat star into a dome. Choose a small, medium or large star and cut-out light windows shaped like circles, stars, hearts or diamonds; peaks and dips are marked with different line styles and explained in a legend.
The preview turns the finished lantern in 3D, with the star's windows glowing as if lit, and the template preview shows every page of the PDF as it will print. Everything is drawn in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Print at actual size, check the 5 cm bar, and light the finished lantern with an LED tea light or LED fairy lights — never a candle.