For this week’s DIY, I decided to highlight another of our adorable Paper Lantern Creatures: Hefalump.  You can find all our PLC DIY kits on our Etsy store.

Now Hefalump is one of my fav Paper Lantern Creatures, although truth be told, I love them all.  But Hefalump is a little crazy, wacky and is not as clean cut as the other creatures.

This is a great craft for our youngest audience: 3+ years old.

Kit Supplies: 4″ paper lantern, 1.5″ yellow tissue circles, 1 trunk, 2 sets of ears, 2 wooden eyes, 1 balloon light, fishing wire

Additional Supplies (not provided): paint brush, pair of scissors (not shown), glue mixture (1 part glue & 1 part water, mix well), tacky glue, hot glue (not shown), markers

Assemble the lantern by first expanding the lantern.

Insert the wire expander.

Pull the wire loops over the expander loops.

Paint the lantern with the glue mixture, slightly bigger than the tissue circles.

Gently press the first tissue circle onto the lantern.

Use the brush to press the circle down.  Apply more glue to the brush and then paint the lantern next to the first circle.

Attach the second circle circle as shown in the photo above.  Make sure that the second circle overlaps the first, by about a 1/4 inch.

Continue to apply the tissue circles.

When it comes to the top or bottom rim, apply glue as usual, including the inside as shown above.

Because the area I am going to cover does not need a full circle, I cut it in half.

Place the semi circle so that the curved edge lies over the rim.

Use the brush to press it down on the outside but use your finger to push the overlap over the rim into the inside of the lantern.

Press the tissue against the inside wall of the of the lantern.  Doing this allows for a clean edge.  Continue until the entire outer surface area is covered with the tissue circles.  You will have a few extra tissue circles left.

Next step is to add the mini polka dots.

Using the same application process as the bigger circles, apply the polka dots randomly all over the lantern.

Hang the lantern to dry.

While the lantern is drying, it is time to start working on Hefalumps features.  First step is to score the trunk.  Place the trunk in the same position as the photo above and use a ruler and a nail file (while I do have a bone scorer somewhere, I do prefer using a nail file to score for several reasons including that it is easier to hold and its thin enough to give a good score.  But please feel free to use whatever you like as a scorer)

Also score the ears and set aside.

To shape the trunk, place the sharpie on the trunk as shown above.

Gently roll the trunk around the sharpie as shown above.

Open up the trunk, then place a little bit of glue on the inside flap as shown above.

Re-roll the trunk to create a hollow tube and gently press down.  You will need to hold it in place until the glue has set.

Then fold in the back end of the trunk as shown.  Add a bit of glue to adhere the flaps.

I place the trunk right below the master center of the wire spirals.  Add hot glue and place the trunk on the lantern.  Hold in place until the glue has hardened.

Next attach the eyes.  NOT SHOWN: color the eyes using your markets.  Then add a dap of glue to the back of the eye and place on the lantern.

Repeat with the other eye.

Next attach the eyes using hot glue.

Almost done.

Here is Hefalump all done!

Adorable.

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