DIY Halloween Paper Lantern

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Use your Cricut or Silhouette cutting machine to create your own DIY Halloween Paper Lantern! Learn how to make this spooky lantern (and download the free svg cut file) with the step-by-step tutorial below.

Whether you have a Halloween party planned or not, this DIY Halloween paper lantern is perfect for adding Halloween décor to your house. This is already sized for a perfect lantern size, but you can easily size them larger or smaller as needed.

This Halloween craft easily comes together with the use of your cutting machine. Both the DXF and SVG files are included so you can use these with either your Cricut or Silhouette. Don’t have a cutting machine? They are great… find the best one for your crafting needs here.

Follow the steps below to create these spooky DIY Halloween paper lanterns. You can also find other great Halloween ideas in my free Halloween SVG library.

Supplies Needed for DIY Halloween Paper Lanterns:

• Cardstock in your color choices. The thicker the cardstock, the better! This heavy weight cardstock is what I use for most of my Cricut paper crafts. This heavy weight textured cardstock is also fun to use with paper lanterns.
• You can leave the lanterns open, or use this thin clear craft plastic for a more finished look with a “glass effect”.
• Double-sided tape or glue.
• Cutting Machine and this light grip cutting mat.
• Scoring Stylus for your Cricut.
• Led tea lights
• Free lantern template SVG cut file – Download at the bottom of the post

Step by Step Tutorial

Step 1

Upload the free Halloween SVG paper lantern template to Cricut Design Space. If needed, this tutorial will show you how to upload files to Cricut Design Space.

Step 2

If using a Cricut, you will need to change the layer with the red lines to “Score” instead of “Cut” in Design Space. If your cutting machine does not have the scoring option, hide those layers and score the box by hand or with a scoring board and stylus after you cut it.

Step 3

Select “Make It” and prepare your light grip cutting mat as shown in the preview. Cut and remove your design from the mat. After the paper lanterns are cut, fold along the score lines. You will need to cut the lid out once and the lantern sides out twice.

*Tip: When removing cardstock, I put the mat face down on the ground and roll the mat off of the design. Then, the cardstock comes right off this right!

Step 4

Cut out 4 pieces of your clear craft plastic to fit inside each of the paper lantern sides. Then, use tape or glue to adhere the clear plastic. You can skip this step if you prefer to keep your lanterns open.

Step 5

Use the small tabs to tape each lantern piece together. You will do this for the lid as well. Then, add on top. Once everything is attached, add your LED tea light.

Looking for more designs? View all of my Halloween SVGs here and my free Paper Crafts here.

Before downloading this graphic, please share this design on Pinterest. It’s quick to do and makes a HUGE impact to keep SVG Nation’s designs free to you.

To get this DIY Halloween Paper Lantern SVG file, enter your name and email into the form below and then click the “Get It Now!” button!

Please remember these are for personal use only.  If you’re looking to sell products using these designs please purchase a Commercial Use License here.