The steps for making lanterns by hand are as follows:

1. Prepare materials: To make lanterns, you need to prepare the following materials: red or orange thin paper, white or transparent thin paper, scissors, glue, thin rope, bamboo sticks or wire, and small light bulbs. First, cut out two circles from red or orange thin paper, overlap them together and paste a white or transparent thin paper circle in the center of the overlapped part as the inside of the lantern.

2. Make the top of the lantern: Paste two red or orange thin paper semicircles together to form a semicircular lantern top. Paste a small circle in the center of the top of the semicircle as the top decoration of the lantern.

3, make the bottom of the lantern: paste two red or orange paper semicircles together to form a semicircle at the bottom of the lantern. Paste a circle in the center of the semi-circular bottom as the bottom decoration of the lantern. Attach a small light bulb to the center of the inside of the lantern, you can use a bamboo stick or wire to secure the bulb to the inside of the lantern.

4. Make the lantern's tassel: Cut out several thin strips of red or orange thin paper and paste them together to form the tassel. Paste the tassels on the edges around the top and bottom of the lantern. Decorate the lantern: You can add various decorations to the surface of the lantern, such as colorful paper strips, stickers and patterns.

The Origin of Lanterns

1. Lanterns are an ancient lighting tool whose origin can be traced back to ancient times. According to historical records, lanterns were first made by people in the Western Han Dynasty by burning animal fat. Over time, the materials and styles used to make lanterns have changed, but their basic function remains the same, which is to provide illumination.

2. Lanterns are made of a variety of materials, including paper, satin, glass and so on. Among them, red paper lanterns are the most common because red has the symbolism of auspiciousness and festivity in Chinese culture. Lanterns also come in different shapes, such as round, oval, square, etc., and there are also a variety of different patterns and decorations.

3. The origin of lanterns is closely related to traditional Chinese culture. In ancient China, lanterns were an important cultural symbol and were used in various occasions, such as rituals, festivals, weddings and funerals. The lantern is not only a lighting tool, but also carries people's respect for gods, ancestors and traditional culture.

4. In ancient times, the production and use of lanterns were also related to folklore. For example, one theory is that on the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, people would hang red lanterns at their doorways to prevent ghosts from wandering. Another theory is that during the Lantern Festival, people hang colorful lanterns of various shapes to celebrate reunion and happiness.