Paper Plate Camp Lantern Craft for Kids
This paper plate camp lantern craft is perfect for a camping theme or a backyard campout! A painted paper plate lantern gets a glowing middle made from your kids' own handprints, plus a glittery flame and a chenille stem handle.
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Materials for This Paper Plate Camp Lantern Craft
Print-ready templates and step-by-step instructions.
Less prep, more crafting.
How to Make a Paper Plate Camp Lantern Craft
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Round up everything from the list above before you sit down, it saves a trip mid-project.
Step 2: Paint the Plate
Paint the outside of the plate dark green and let it dry.
Step 3: Cut the Base and Cap
Print the lantern patterns, find the center point of the plate, then trace and cut the base and cap pieces from the bottom of the plate.
Step 4: Cut the Glowing Globe
Cut a 7 by 7 inch square of yellow cardstock for the lantern's glowing globe, and trace your child's handprint once onto orange cardstock and once onto red cardstock.
Step 5: Attach the Cap to the Globe
Glue the plate's cap piece to the top of the yellow square.
Step 6: Layer the Handprint Flames
Layer the red handprint, then the orange handprint, onto the yellow globe. This is the part that makes it feel personal, that's your kid's actual hand glowing in the lantern.
Step 7: Assemble the Lantern
Attach the cap to the top of the globe and the base to the bottom.
Step 8: Add the Glitter Flame Lines
Trace squiggly lines over the handprint flames with gold glitter glue and let dry.
Step 9: Add a Carrying Handle
Punch a hole on each side of the cap, thread the chenille stem through both, and twist each end to secure, forming a carrying handle.
Step 10: Outline the Edges
Outline the top and bottom edges of the lantern with the black marker to finish.
All done!
Your camp lantern is ready to glow!
We'd love to see yours! Snap a photo and share it in the comments.
Grab the Printable
Want to make this camping craft even easier? The Paper Plate Lantern Craftivity has the printable template and step-by-step instructions.
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Please Share This Paper Plate Camp Lantern Craft
If this one ended up strung across a bedroom window, share it with a friend planning their own camping unit.
