Introduction: DIY Cardboard Lantern

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This unique lamp shade, built entirely of cardboard and hot glue, is a great afternoon project, and produces a real, working lamp! My geometric cardboard lantern is a practical way to repurpose cardboard, and it's a fun application of the interesting shapes you can create with pentagons.

Supplies

  • Cardboard (of varying thicknesses)
  • Scissors
  • Utility knife
  • Copy machine
  • Computer
  • Hot glue
  • LED light bulb
  • Lantern power cord with bulb socket

Step 1: The Base

Using the pentagon template, cut out seven pentagons, of the same size. (Be sure the pentagons have side lengths of at least two inches.)

Using hot glue, glue them into a stack, as shown in picture 2.

Attachments

Step 2: The Bottom Sides

Cut five more pentagons, the same size as the first seven. But this time, remove the center, leaving only a 1/2 inch border around the edge. Using hot glue, glue them around the sides of your pentagon base.

Step 3: The Top Sides

Cut out six more pentagons, using the same procedure, as in the last step. Glue them above the last five, and place the final one in the center.

Step 4: Adding the Decoration

Out of cereal box cardboard, cut ten pentagons, that are the same size as the holes in the last layer. Remove the center of these ten pentagons, but this time, leaving the border only 3/8 inch thick. Cut an eleventh pentagon for the top, the same size as these ten. But this time, cut a hole in this one, to insert your light.

Then cut ten more pentagons, that are the same size as the center of the middle size pentagons. Remove the center of these pentagons, this time leaving the border only 1/4 inch thick.

Glue the pentagon with the hole in it to the top. Glue the other ten pentagons of the same size to the sides, offsetting them slightly, as shown in picture 2. Glue the remaining ten small pentagons to the middle-sized pentagons, offsetting them slightly, as shown in picture 2.

Step 5: Insert a Light and Enjoy

Insert the lantern power cord with bulb socket into your lantern. (Be sure to only use an LED light bulb. If. you use any other type of bulb, it may be a fire hazard.)

Enjoy!