1)Blow up a balloon, halfway is probably best! Too big and the lantern gets weak, too small and it's not too impressive!
2)Wrap 3-4 wires around your balloon, First, wrap around the neck of your balloon, and wrap all around the body of it, meeting at the neck again. Do another one or two this way, staggered around the balloon. Finally, thread one around the center, the other way...
3)A mix of flour, white glue, and water does the trick for our mâché paste; 1 part flour, 2 parts water, and a nice big blob of white glue, doesn't matter how much, just not more than the water! You can also use an old paintbrush to assist in stirring, then 'painting' your paper strips onto the balloon.
4)Now we're ready to mâché ! Tear a white tissue paper sheet into strips, then a coloured one. Starting with the white, completely cover the balloon, painting the strips on. Then put the coloured strips over. Keep the amount of paper you use to 2-3 sheets, or else the lantern becomes too thick to allow light through. Even though they look see-through now, once they dry, they are more opaque.
5)Dry over night. It is good to tie the neck of the balloon with a string and hang it somewhere harmless.
At this point, you can trace your sheet (There is a template sheet attached here, at the end, for your fish features) onto the appropriate colours, black, white, and whatever color your fish is, for example. (only black, white, and one other colour paper is needed)
6)Next morning, (DO NOT pop the balloon yet, I know you want to...) stick your eyes, fins, tail, and polka dots on with white glue. Do not use tape, it will not work! Let dry. Keeping the balloon inside will keep it strong until we are ready.
Again, there is a template sheet attached here for your fish features, and see the bottom photo as to where to glue them!
7)**NOW YOU CAN POP THE BALLOON** (YAY!) Take the rubber balloon out by the neck, and cut a quarter-sized hole in the end where the neck was. This is to put your LED light in later.
8)Poke a tiny hole in the top, and feed a thread down inside. Tip your balloon then, to let the thread escape through that quarter-sized hole you cut.
9) Tie a bead to that end of the thread. That way it can't fall out. And also you can tie beads to the other end of the thread, if you like.
10) Put your LED light in, already turned on, all DONE! ;)
Happy Lanterning!
