Turn Toilet Paper Rolls And Egg Carton Scraps Into Cute DIY Lanterns

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Paper. In Chinese culture, lanterns made of it inspire feelings of wonder and hopes for good luck. And come the one-year wedding anniversary, it represents both the fragility of new nuptials and the blank slate that every couple wishes for at the start of something new. For crafters, paper is one of the most versatile arts materials around. That's why Instagram's @littlelion_mom was able to turn empty toilet paper tubes and leftover egg cartons into sweet lanterns that would look totally cute in a DIY fairy garden or as part of a first-year anniversary celebration. And bonus: because paper is also inexpensive, it makes it a viable supplies option when your dimes are scarce.

For this DIY, stifle the urge to repurpose your Styrofoam egg cartons. Rough paper egg crates have a feature that your upcycled lamp needs — the tall "towers" that stand between the egg wells. As for reusing your toilet paper rolls, one tube makes a single lantern, so keep that in mind if you're constructing more than one. Put aside some thin, flat scraps of cardboard, too. Additionally, something like Homemory Flameless LED Tea Lights on Amazon gives your tiny lamps the fire within. A spool of cotton string or twine is all you need to make a hanger for the paper lantern. Finally, get out a glue gun, a white gel pen, a pencil, and a small pair of scissors. You'll need those tools to complete this DIY.

The LED tea light sits inside the TP roll. To make sure that it'll stay inside, use a piece of the flat cardboard you've gathered to make a bottom for the empty toilet paper tube. Place the roll on top of a cardboard scrap and trace around the tube to get the exact measurements for the lantern's base. Draw a ring of glue around the outer edges of the lantern's base and stick it to one end of the TP tube.

On the front of the toilet paper roll, draw the outline for a door, some windows, and other decorative embellishments, using the gel pen. Then, cut around your marks to open up the door and windows. These details make the paper lantern look a bit like a lighthouse. If you're after a plain-looking lantern, leave the TP roll's exterior as is. However, covering the outside of the tube with an item like Dimcol Wood Contact Paper creates visual texture and makes it look like a miniature log hut. You can also dress it with stone-textured contact paper to style a home for a fairy garden. 

On a related note, it'd be fun to give the windows and doors some flourish. For example, strips of acrylic paint turn into trim for doors and windows if you apply the art media with an artistic touch. Broken twigs can be glued onto window panes to create the suggestion of latches. 

Cut a tower piece out of the egg carton. It should have points on the corners. Don't cut those off. Next, pierce two holes into a pair of those corners; they should be on opposing sides. Use those holes as guides to make holes in the sides of the toilet paper tube. The bored marks on both the roof and the sides of the tube should line up. If you're adding decorative accents to the tower roof, do that before you attach the roof to its TP roll base. 

Embellishments, like shingles, can be attached to the lantern top. Just paint some scrap cardboard and cut it into tiny shingle-shaped pieces. Glue those onto the roof. Or if it's seasonal fare you're after, create some natural fall decor, for example, by tiling the tower roof with the seed scales from a pine cone. You'll have to pluck them off the cone to do this. In either case, don't cover the holes in the roof with the shingles.

For the last step, slide the tea light into the bottom of the tube. Then, cut a length of string and lace it through the holes to fasten the roof to the toilet paper tube base. (This also makes a handle for the lantern.) Tie the ends of the string together. Hang the finished lamp from tree branches for an outdoor tea brunch, or from hooks above a door to decorate the walkway into a party room.