You only need two supplies to make these sweet gold-on-gold paper lanterns for between $1 and $3!

A while back I picked up a couple of 10″ gold paper lanterns at Dollar Tree.  I got pretty excited about them because I usually only see 8″ lanterns there; not only were these bigger (though without built-in lights), the more subdued color gave them a totally different vibe. I’ve always loved tone-on-tone color schemes, so when I came across a gold paint pen, I thought that the two items combined could look pretty neat.  And I love how it turned out!

Project estimate:

• Gold paper lantern, $1
• Gold paint pen, on hand or about $2 and up

Total:  $1 and up

This is seriously the simplest project of all time.  First, you’ll want to open up the lantern and insert the center support.  It’s much easier to drawn on the lantern when it’s assembled!

Follow the instructions on your paint pen.  You’ll probably need to shake the pen well, and if it’s a brand new pen, depending on the brand, you will probably have to prime the tip to get the paint flow started.  Then, just start drawing!  I used dots because they are simple.  Even though the lantern is fully stretched, the wire inside makes the surface uneven, so the simpler the design, the less likely the wire will interfere with your drawing.  Of course, you can draw anything you want!

I just kept adding dots until I was happy with how the lanterns looked.  Add as much or as little embellishment as you like!

Remember that most paper lanterns are not meant for outdoor use (at least, not for rainy weather); however there are a couple of things you can do to prolong the life of paper lanterns outdoors.  This is especially handy of you are planning a wedding or other outdoor event where damp weather is a possibility!