Little Christmas Lanterns

If, like me, you are already bursting to get the Christmas decorations up then this craft is a perfect one for you without going all out Christmassy in November (my husband is already relieved!).

This is a clever use of Christmas lights to bring the warmth of Christmas into your home right now.





You will need fairy lights (I bought these ones for £2.50 from Wilkinsons), and a variety of pretty paper. I used wrapping-up paper as anything too thick makes this a much harder task.

 Cut out squarers of paper 15cm by 15cm.

Fold your square in half horizontally with the patterned side on the outside.

 Open it up and fold it vertically this time.

 Open it up and fold it diagonally.

And finally open it up and repeat on the opposite diagonal.

Once opened it should look like this, with the four folds in a star shape.

Hold the bottom of the square and carefully fold in the middle sides to create a triangle shape.

This photo shows the folded side so you can see how it works.

Press it down firmly.

Now lift up the bottom right hand corner of the triangle (only from the top flap) and fold it up to the top corner of the triangle.

Repeat this on the left flap, folding it up to the top of the triangle.

Turn the triangle over and repeat this on the back with both the bottom corners folding up to the top corner to make a diamond shape.

Fold both the left and right flaps of the diamond to the central line creating two little triangle shapes.

Turn it over and repeat on the other side.

This is the first tricky part. You will from this photo the top section has two little flaps. Fold each one down to join the central point, seen on the top left side.

Then fold it over again and tuck into the little triangle pockets, seen on the top right side.

Turn the whole thing over and repeat the above processes tucking the top flaps into the the side triangles.

You are ready for the second tricky part. Open the four sides out and gently push the top and the bottom  until it folds magically into a cube shape.

Insert the fairy light into the hole in the cube and it should stay in firmly.

Repeat with as many different papers as you have fairy lights.

This is how it looks one you have finished them all. It is as delightful in the daytime without the lights on as it is at nighttime with them brightly shining.